They call it “Moving Day” for a reason, and Troy Merritt took that to heart this weekend at the Quicken Loans National.
Merritt’s third round on Saturday produced the lowest score in a round on the PGA Tour this year, as he would card a 61. That was good for 10 under par, and vaulted him to the top of the leaderboard. He actually birdied 11 holes (bogeyed No. 8), which included a string of five birdies on the first five holes. He was five under par on both the front and the back, making it one of the most consistent rounds of Merritt’s pro career.
Troy Merritt’s Third Round Propels Him to Victory
Speaking of his pro career, this was Merritt’s first professional win. The 29 year old has turned professional in 2008 and has worked his way up the board. Having never won a tournament before this weekend’s, Merritt was not expected to be in contention, but his Saturday performance will help him jump from No. 123 in PGA Tour Season Ranking to No. 38, an 85 spot jump.
Merritt’s 10 under par moved him from four under par to 14 under par in a matter of hours, and gave him a share of the lead going into Sunday.
Merritt was excellent on Sunday, finishing four under par, and running away with the win by three strokes. He had plenty of challengers, though, including Rickie Fowler and Bill Haas.
Fowler finished a 15 under par, and always has a flair about him that makes you think he can come back in the final holes. He had seven birdies on the day, but it was pretty near neutralized by five frustrating bogeys that ultimately left Fowler out of reach.
Haas had a hot start to the day by shooting five under par on the front nine, but had a nightmare back nine, including four bogeys and a double bogey. He looked to be Merritt’s biggest threat early, but it was not meant to be.
All in all, Merritt deserved his first professional win. He finished his round with a bang as well, featuring a near ace on Hole 17, and a long birdie putt to finish 18. Whether this jump starts his career or not is yet to be determined, but there was zero question who’s tournament this was on Sunday afternoon.
