On The Tee: Ancer breaks duck as Bryson and English melt in Memphis

LiveScore's resident golf expert Matthew Hill reflects on a crazy final day at the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational in Memphis in this week's On the Tee.

Abraham Ancer finally broke his PGA Tour duck in style by winning the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational on a drama-filled final day at TPC Southwind.

The Mexican, 30, now sits 11th in the world rankings and was one of the professional game’s most overdue winners after several close shaves in recent times.

A runner-up on four occasions in the last two years, Ancer finally got his crowning moment in Memphis with a birdie on the second playoff hole as fellow participants Hideki Matsuyama and Sam Burns only finding par.

Having started the final day four shots behind overnight leader Harris English and two back of next-nearest pursuer Bryson DeChambeau, Ancer’s task had looked an unenviable one.

Yet as conditions became increasingly difficult, the leading duo began to spectacularly combust and two disastrous back nines put paid to their chances.

Fans of the eventual champion could have been forgiven for anticipating yet another heartbreak when it came to sudden death — but the Mexican held his nerve admirably for a deserved success. 

Ancer said: "It is really surreal. This is something I have been working for since I was a little kid. 

"It is a dream come true to win on the PGA Tour and to do it on such a big stage as a WGC event makes it even more special.

"I thought I was going to have to go really low today to have a chance but it just worked out that it was basically survival mode on the back nine.

"The wind was swirling, the pins were in difficult positions and you had to be extremely accurate in those closing holes.

"Hey, I got lucky maybe. But there have been some instances in other tournaments where I definitely felt like I had done enough to win and I have come away empty-handed.

"To get over the line in this one, I am just so grateful."

English holds hands up, Bryson blanks media

For all of the joy surrounding Ancer’s win, English and DeChambeau were both left wondering how they had not ended up with their own hands on the trophy.

Both two-time winners on the tour in 2021 alone, the final day looked set to be a shootout after the pair negotiated the front nine with minimal fuss.

But after being put on the clock following slow play, things unravelled for both players in brutal fashion — playing the final nine holes in a combined 11 over.

English, who had looked infallible since grabbing the lead on the opening day, admitted the pressure of needing to play quicker took its toll on him.

He said: "It felt like we were running pretty much the whole round and that really caught up.

"You are having to run between the green and the tee and it's hard for me to slow down.

"You have got to learn from it, you've got to pick up. I had a chance on 18 to get it done — but it is what it is. 

"You definitely start the day in one rhythm and then you kind of get out of that by having to walk faster, having to do everything a little faster because you don't want to get a bad time.

"The wind was swirling obviously coming down the stretch, there were some very important shots in there and it was tough. 

"But I've got to learn to slow down, go through my routine and not really worry about being put on the clock."

DeChambeau, meanwhile, had no thoughts to offer on events post-round having opted to skip his media briefing.

A divisive figure at the best of times, the Californian’s failure to field questions will provide his detractors with yet more ammunition following a glut of negative press for the 27-year-old.

There has been recent outcry over DeChambeau’s lack of shouting ‘fore’ after errant tee shots, while he has also drawn criticism in some quarters for his stance on the coronavirus vaccination programme.

On this occasion, the 2020 US Open champion’s actions were clearly the result of frustration following a six-over back nine that cost him a ninth PGA Tour title.

After a rough few months on and off the course, golf’s pantomime villain will be desperate for some positive energy to come his way quickly ahead of September’s Ryder Cup.

Unwanted history for Kim

Si-Woo Kim made headlines for all the wrong reasons in Memphis after carding a jaw-dropping 13 — finding the water no less than FIVE times on the par three 11th hole.

Kim, who will soon be forced to put his career on hold for a mandatory 20-month stint in his national military, is a former Players Championship winner renowned for his strong iron play.

But he would desperately love to blank out a farcical few minutes from Sunday’s final round, which saw him chalk up the biggest score on a par three since PGA Tour records began.

Already out of contention, the South Korean dunked his tee shot in the water and moved to the designated drop area, where he was faced with a relatively straightforward pitch shot.

Rather than playing the percentages, the 26-year-old continued to take direct aim at the flagstick with disastrous results.

Four wet balls later, Kim eventually found the back rough before a miraculous up-and-down salvaged a barely believable 13.

While he could have been forgiven for throwing in the towel, three birdies in his closing four holes meant he was able to leave with a smile on his face — even if it was a little forced.