The Memorial tournament was full of drama and intrigue for golf fans. Even without golfers like Bryson DeChambeau, the Memorial provided golf fans down-to-the-wire excitement. Golfers Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer were nearly neck and neck down to the last hole. John Rahm at one point had an 8-stroke lead, but Ryan Palmer cut that deficit and was nearly 3 strokes behind. However, Jon Rahm was able to hold on and win the tournament (even with a 2-stroke penalty). Here are our takeaways from the Memorial. 

Jon Rahm Held On

Jon Rahm was hot in the front nine which made him head and shoulders away from the pack. The back nine is a different story. He shot par for most of the back nine. The only real threat was from Ryan Palmer. Despite Palmer’s surge in the back nine, he was ultimately 3 strokes back from Rahm. Jon Rahm did have a two-stroke penalty in the back nine. Spectators at home could see the ball move in the rough on shot on 16. Ultimately this did not prevent him from winning the tournament. 

How Did Tiger Do?

Tiger Woods finished the Memorial with a score of 76. During the tournament, he had spotlights of shooting one-under-par and lowlights of bogeys. Considering this is his first PGA Tour event he’s played in 5 months; it wasn’t a bad outing for Tiger. One of the areas that Tiger struggled with was putting. He acknowledged that he needed to work on his putting as the courses he was practicing on had different breaks on the ball. It remains a mystery if Tiger will play his next tournament, but speculators are thinking it might be Harding Park next month. 

So Why Was Rahm’s Birdie a 2-Stroke Penalty

Golf rules aren’t always the easiest to explain. There are just too many of them to keep up. But what we do know is how the PGA officials explained the rule violation. Essentially, Rahm moved the ball at rest before his shot. In the moment it was tough to catch, but a closer look at the shot showed the ball did move before the shot. It didn’t matter at the end for Jon, as the tournament winner, he acknowledges the penalty and stated it was the right call. It was still a great shot from the rough and it made for a close finish. 

A Fun Finish for Golf Fans

Many golf fans at home were glued to the T.V. Sunday to see the action. Jon Rahm and Ryan Plamer’s play made for an exciting finish down the stretch. The conditions for the course were difficult, but even in tough circumstances, the pros still showed the audience why they are the best golfers.