DUBLIN, Ohio – Brendan Steele started with a 4-under 68, a better shot than his start a week ago at Muirfield Village, only this round has been much more rewarding.
He took him to the top of the Memorial among the first ones.
The PGA Tour is in Muirfield Village for the second consecutive week and looks like the same course only. The greens, which will be torn and replaced after this week, are 2 feet faster on the Stimpmeter, and he has shown it.
Patrick Cantlay launched a volley on the fifth green that would have settled near the hole last week, but continued to roll until Thursday until it was just off the green on the other side of the pin.
Bryson DeChambeau beat his tee shots – one of them went 423 yards – and still couldn’t bring his wedges terribly close. He had to save parity with a 6-foot put four times over his nine seconds to save a 73.
Tiger Woods, in his first PGA Tour event in five months, played in the afternoon.
Steele overtook one of the first bogeys with solid golf the rest of the way for a one-stroke advantage over Charles Howell III. A week ago at the Workday Charity Open, with slower greens, Collin Morikawa drove a 65 and continued 19-under 269 and won a playoff against Justin Thomas.
It was the first time Morikawa had seen Muirfield Village. This is the first time he has played at Memorial. He opened with a 76. Thomas started with two carts and held out for a 74.
Dustin Johnson, in his first tournament since winning the traveler championship, had a wild start. He put in four by 40 feet for double bogey. He lost an 8-foot eagle attempt. He made triple bogey on the next hole after hitting the water. He followed him with a little bird on the 13th. Alas, all in the end in the end. Johnson scored an 80, his highest score on the PGA Tour since the last wind blown round at Torrey Pines in 2016.
“The course is much more solid and faster. This applies to fairways, greens, “said Steele.” The greens are steady and fast, much more than the speed we are used to playing when we get here, and therefore obviously the wind is lashing today. This combination makes the score pretty tough and a big difference from last week. “
From the morning camp group of 131 men, Steele and Howell were the only ones to beat 70.
Cantlay’s only bogey was when the wind turned it on. Normally he hits 9-iron on par-3 12th with the wind slightly behind him. It was changing, so he went with an 8-iron boy. And then the wind stopped when he hit the shot, and his ball sailed about 15 meters above the green.
Otherwise, he recovered pars and had a late birdie to join the 70-year-old group that included Jordan Spieth, who started his back nine round and started the double-eagle bogey.
DeChambeau took the pop with five more tee shots at 350 yards or more, two of them over 400 yards. Some of his tee shots ended in places where players normally hit trees or act and fail to reach the green. But he failed to capitalize with short clubs in his hands.
He hit a wedge in a bunker on the 14th and his chip broke the green, which wouldn’t have happened last week. He had to do a 6 foot to save Bogey. He was also a victim of the swirling wind at the worst time – a 230 yard 7 iron on the water at the fifth par-5. The wind died and never had a chance, leading to bogey.
“When I was on it, it was twenty miles an hour downwind. And when I hit him, he stopped dead. I can’t help it, “said DeChambeau.” This is golf, man. You won’t shoot the lowest number every single day. I thought I played really badly. My wedge wasn’t great. If I can tidy up, do some put , keep driving like I’m doing, I’ll have a chance. “
