The victory was his first career Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Rankings title. Murphy finished regulation 9-under following rounds of 70-66-71-71, including consecutive 1-under 71's on the 36-hole final day.
Murphy, a rising junior for Louisville, started the final round quickly with birdies on Nos. 3 and 4 to reach 10-under where he remained until he bogeyed the 13th to fall back to 9-under. Unfazed by the bogey the native of Ireland parred his way to the house before besting Germany's Jannik de Bruyn in extra holes.
John Murphy won a dramatic sudden death play off in style to be Links Trophy Champion 2018. He also tried to tell us all about it, despite the local pipe band trying to drown him out to the side of the Swilcan Bridge!#LinksTrophy @John_murphy5 pic.twitter.com/JSJNyfgg5n
— St Andrews Links (@TheHomeofGolf) June 10, 2018
Bruyn combined rounds of 71-71-68-68 to reach 9-under, playing the final day two rounds in a combined 8-under after beginning Sunday 1-under. The final round for Bruyn was a thing of beauty as he birdied four-times without dropping a shot. The only downside of the round was that Bruyn couldn't find anything but a par over the course of the last four holes.
