Nick Taylor (above) and Ben Griffin were the top contenders at the Memorial Tournament. They each shot dazzling rounds at Muirfield Village, all the while battling difficult conditions. Taylor fired a solid 4-under 68. At the same time, Griffin found the best of the dry weather window and equaled Taylor’s score to join her atop the leaderboard.
The gnarly rough at Muirfield Village gave the players a lot of trouble. Taylor noted that the difficulty of the rough was “almost second-to-none, at least for a ‘regular’ tour event.” This claim speaks undoubtedly to the course’s legacy as a daunting gauntlet. It’s uniquely built to help get golfers ready for the next U.S. Open being held at Oakmont.
Weather, as mentioned above, was an enormous factor all tournament long. Muirfield Village became a bit more forgiving in the afternoon as rain softened the layout, making for some interesting play. While Taylor skidded in the rain, Griffin took advantage of his opportunity. When the rain finally let up, he closed strong right in Taylor’s shadow.
Sam Burns, going out earlier in the day, had set the standard with an impressive 65. His impressive play moved him to within four strokes of the lead, proving he could capitalize on the favorable morning conditions with precision and skill. At the same time, Collin Morikawa pounced right from the start and was tied for the lead after six holes. It was the par 5s where he really struggled, which belied just how much his round was held back.
Morikawa came roaring back with all six of his back-nine birdies coming on the final six holes. He was unable to maintain his initial pace. His work around the greens highlighted the mercurial nature of Muirfield Village, where players can be just one shot away from disaster.
American Hideki Matsuyama further surprised the world by taking the tournament’s lead at 5-over 149 through two rounds. It’s the highest 36-hole total by any leader going back to 2012. His workmanlike performance foreshadowed just how difficult the course would be. Even the best players had a hard time maintaining their cards due to the punishing rough and unpredictable weather.
Xander Schauffele was equally impressive, going out in the final group and compiling a particularly impressive finish with four straight birdies on his closing quintet. Despite the challenges, his late surge was an indicator of his ability to make a comeback. It arrived on a day when too many fought a losing battle with nature.
Taylor reflected on his round, stating, “It was a clean card, which was not necessarily what I expected.” He further elaborated, “It was nice to keep it as simple as possible.” Whatever the plan was, it looked good as he shredded Muirfield Village’s typically brutal setup.
The overall sentiment among players echoed Taylor’s emphasis on strategy: “You can catch a break here or there, but you just got to be in the fairway.” This raises a serious consideration of the need for control and precision when approaching a transformative, yet challenging curriculum.
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