J.T. Poston hadn’t won since 2024, so his Memorial Tournament victory was a long time coming. No one predicted he would win before the tournament started, especially since he entered the week ranked 94th in the world. Yet when Poston walked out of Muirfield, he became the lowest-ranked player to win the event since 2016, when William McGirt won at 102nd. The win meant everything to him, but getting there was no easy journey.

“A lot of hard work [to reach here]. A lot of people believed in me when I may not have myself, starting with this one. So many people to thank. Just hard to believe, honestly. I haven’t played my best, but I felt like it was trending, and just to do it this way, birdieing 18,” Poston said in a press conference after the win. Indeed, the day was as dramatic as it could get.

Heading into the final round with a four-shot lead, Poston saw that cushion disappear by the 13th. He responded quickly, though, yet several others did the same. Tommy Fleetwood (T4/ -10) and Sam Burns (T4/-10) were still in the mix with two holes remaining, but both bogeyed the 17th.

Ryan Gerard (2nd), meanwhile, broke free from a five-way tie with a birdie on the 17th to move one stroke ahead. Poston made a par on the 17th. On the 18th, Poston birdied while Gerard made par, forcing only the 11th playoff in the event’s 51-year history.

The two returned to the 18th. Poston could have won it on the first extra hole, but missed an 8-footer for birdie. Gerard faced a similar fate. They returned to the 18th for the second time after they missed their chance at birdies. Gerard tried to save his par, but his shot drifted right of the hole. Poston, meanwhile, made par and took home the biggest win of his career. He also gained exemptions into the remaining majors of the year, the U.S. Open and The Open. Yes, he struggled but was confident.

He also couldn’t wait to shake Jack Nicklaus‘s hand. “I knew I was going to shake Jack’s hand walking off 18, and I wanted to be proud of that handshake regardless of how it turned out. So I’m thrilled it happened this way,” Poston, who will move up to 39 in the world, said at the press conference.

Before heading to the Memorial, Poston had played in 13 events, and his best finish was 21st at the Valero Texas Open, and his second-best was 24th place at the Truist Championship. He had missed 4 cuts. Just a week prior at the Charles Schwab Challenge, Poston had finished 35th, so when he entered Muirfield, he clearly didn’t have winning momentum.

Nicklaus, meanwhile, said of Poston during the post-round press conference, “You did it [stayed strong] a couple of times today, and that was pretty special. So very happy for him, very proud of him. I told him, I said You’re now approaching the prime of your career.”

There’s a reason why Nicklaus sang such high praises.

How the playoff at the Memorial Tournament turned into a qualifier of its own

At the press conference following the win, J.T. Poston said he doesn’t remember playing this long in years, but “Man, very tired. We would have found a way, but I sort of told myself in the playoff that this is my U.S. Open qualifier. This is my chance to get in. I want to play in the majors. I want to play in the big events. This is a huge boost of confidence for me and my game, and knowing that I can compete in those and play in those. Just thrilled to get it done.”

Here’s the thing. On Saturday, Poston and Ryan Gerard played only five holes before play was called off due to bad weather, forcing them to return on Sunday to finish round three and then dive straight into the final. By the end of the day, each had played 33 holes.

Had Poston not finished first (or even second), he still faced a scheduled 36 more holes on Monday in the U.S. Open qualifier (“Golf’s Longest Day”), meaning he could have ended up playing 69 holes across two days. But the playoff win bought him entry into the season’s remaining majors and the next year’s Masters, sparing him the extra exhaustion.

Poston wasn’t the only one who felt the exhaustion. His caddie, Aaron Fleener, who had carried his bag for 33 holes on Sunday, stood still when he realized he wouldn’t have to carry the bag the next day. Scott Vail, Keegan Bradley’s caddie, exclaimed, “An extra two holes is better than an extra 36, big dog!”

But what’s next for this week’s champ? He has a 26-year record that he can break. In the last 30 years, no Memorial Tournament winner has gone on to win the U.S. Open in the same season. The last one to do so was Tiger Woods, who achieved it in 2000, 26 years ago. Poston has a chance to do that at Shinnecock Hills, a course he has never played before. Good luck to him.