The Punter's De-Brief: Heartbroken McCarthy pipped by Hovland

• Impressive McKibben closes in style

• Hot-putting Denny just comes up shy

• Read my Scandinavian Mixed preview here

• Read my Canadian Open preview here

Rory McIlroy, Si Woo Kim and David Lipsky began the final round of the Memorial Tournament tied for the lead but one by one their challenges faded.

Lipsky was never at the races, bogeying three of his first eight holes but the other two contended for longer.

Rory was matched at low of 2.3211/8 when he birdied the fourth hole and Kim traded at 3.02/1 when he recovered brilliantly after a disastrous start that saw him bogey three of the first four holes but both faded deep into the back-nine.

Having been matched at a high of 980.0979/1, the world number one, Scottie Scheffler, began the final round trailing by five and trading at around 140.0139/1. But Scheffler, who was playing alongside Jon Rahm, shot an impressive five-under-par 67 to post a six-under-par total and it was nearly enough.

With the third-round leaders fading, Denny McCarthy emerged as the most likely winner as he made putt after putt but nobody should have been surprised by that.

There are more than 570 players with 100 or more rounds measured by ShotLink all-time.

Denny McCarthy is first among that group in strokes gained putting per round - +0.71.

-- Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) June 4, 2023

There was a brief moment when it looked like McCarthy was in huge trouble off the tee on the par five 15^th.

Leading by two, he hit a terrible tee-shot wide left and, sat in the clubhouse, Scheffler was matched at a low of just 2.3211/8. But McCarthy's tee-shot ricocheted out of the trees and on to the fairway and he went on to make a par five to maintain his advantage.

McCarthy, who was generally a 180.0179/1 chance before the off, was matched at a low of just 1.182/11. While he was scrambling a par brilliantly at the tough par three 16^th, however, the pre-event 26.025/1 shot, Viktor Hovland, who was matched at 210.0209/1 in-running, made the day's only birdie at the par four 17^th.

Only birdie on No. 17 today

Viktor Hovland drains it from 27 feet and moves to one back of the lead @MemorialGolf! pic.twitter.com/qXaRAHFCZ9

-- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 4, 2023

McCarthy parred 17 to maintain his one-stroke lead but a poor drive at the last led to his only bogey of the day and for the sixth time in ten years, we were into extra time.

Having missed the 18^th fairway left in regulation play, McCarthy missed it right at the first playoff hole and his nine iron from the thick rough didn't quite make it to the putting surface. He played a decent chip up from below the green but he couldn't convert for par so Hovland was left to roll in his par putt from just inside seven feet for the title.

Attempting to win his first PGA Tour title, McCarthy did very little wrong and he was understandably distraught afterwards.

"I'm heartbroken right now. It really sucks. I thought this was going to be the week."

Over on the DP World Tour, six men began the final round of the European Open tied for the lead but Northern Ireland's Tom McKibben was the only one to trade at odds-on.

Pre-event 26.025/1 chance, Jordan Smith, was matched at 2.829/5, the first and second round leader Max Kieffer rallied after a poor third round and was matched at 2.77/4, while Marcel Siem hit a low of 4.131/10 when he tied the lead after a birdie at the 15^th. His challenge ended when he found water off the tee on 16.

After a bright start, pre-event 140.0139/1 chance, McKibben, who was matched at a high of 240.0239/1 when the market first opened, had a bit of a wobble after the turn. He never really looked like getting caught and finished the event in style for what is highly likely to be the first of numerous wins on the DP World Tour.

That's one way to help secure your first DP World Tour win...

Sensational from Tom McKibbin. pic.twitter.com/87eN6Q68OJ

-- Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) June 4, 2023

Following his fourth victory on the PGA Tour, Hovland has shortened up from around 26.025/1 to 22.021/1 to win the US Open. Scottie Scheffler has hardened up at the head of the market but can he find his form on the greens?

The world number one's tee-to-green game is ridiculously good at present but it's hard to imagine he could be putting any worse.

Insane stats:

Scheffler: Tee to Green this week: +20.692
Next best: Si Woo Kim: +11.970

Scheffler SG: Putting: -8.516
Last of those to finish tournament.

Denny McCarthy SG: Putting: +11.279

Scheffler missed playoff by one for second week in a row being last in putting.

-- Ben Everill (@BEverillGolfbet) June 4, 2023

With the US Open now just ten days away, the PGA Tour moves north for the Canadian Open (previewed here) and the DP World Tour visits Sweden for the Scandinavian Mixed, which I've previewed here.

*You can follow me on Twitter @SteveThePunter