It was once most effective the primary around, however already Muirfield Village was once company, speedy and fiery because the 2023 Memorial Tournament were given underway Thurday. Mirroring primary championship stipulations, Jack’s Place has incessantly recognized the most efficient avid gamers and the primary around of this 12 months’s match was once no other. Three-time primary champion Jordan Spieth applied a overdue birdie to climb up the leaderboard prior to a bogey at the ultimate dropped him a pair behind first-round chief Davis Riley at 5 beneath.
“The course is just really firm and fast and the rough’s up,” stated Spieth after the around. “The fairways are bouncing more than normal. We normally get rain here. So, you can talk about the greens surfaces, but they were appropriately firm, I thought, and extremely pure. Probably the best surfaces I’ve ever putted on in an afternoon on a Thursday. You really just didn’t have to fix hardly anything. I was shocked at how fantastic they were.”
It has been an inauspicious month for the three-time primary champion, and his first-round 69 could also be an indication of him turning a nook. After creating a run on the Masters and shedding in a playoff on the RBC Heritage, Spieth has since long past onto leave out the reduce on the Wells Fargo Championship, injure his wrist and leave out the reduce at Colonial (a recognized hotbed for Spieth). The conceivable go back to shape may just now not have come at a greater time because the 3rd primary championship of the season looms in a pair weeks time.
Fellow Open champion Shane Lowry stands at 3 beneath as did Rory McIlroy prior to a triple bogey at the ultimate despatched him tumbling to even par. Jon Rahm is situated effectively at 2 beneath to seize his 2d Memorial name in his ultimate 4 tries. Adam Scott and Sungjae Im are along the reigning Masters champion whilst Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Tyrrell Hatton and Sam Burns are one worse at 1 beneath.
The chief
1. Davis Riley (-5):Â Playing a number of the ultimate males at the golfing path, Riley raced to the end line with 4 birdies in his ultimate seven holes. Carding six at the day in opposition to only one bogey at the tough 18th, the Zurich Classic winner beat the afternoon wave’s reasonable through 8 complete pictures. He will be able to widen his hole as he’s off early within the morning when the golfing path can have moisture and the winds will probably be calmer. What does Friday morning can have an enduring have an effect on on the results of this match.
Other contenders
2. Matt Wallace (-4)
T3. Jordan Spieth, Davis Riley, Mark Hubbard, Adam Hadwin, Shane Lowry, Austin Eckroat, David Lipsky (-3)
T10. Jon Rahm, Patrick Rodgers, Justin Suh, Wyndham Clark, Seamus Power, Adam Scott, Sungjae Im (-2)
T17. Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, Tyrrell Hatton and 9 others (-1)
Outside a pair hiccups round his flip, Rahm’s first around was once a masterclass on tips on how to play Muirfield Village. The international No. 2 won greater than two strokes off the tee and an extra two strokes on way. Ranking fourth in strokes won tee to inexperienced, the Spaniard was once in a position to card 4 birdies, 3 of that have been on par 4s. If the putter heats up and the par-5 scoring normalizes, Rahm may well be in line for his 5th victory of the season.
“I’m pleased with it,” stated Rahm. “It’s too bad I couldn’t take advantage of the, let’s say, easier conditions on the front nine. There was no wind, great temperature, perfect greens. Gave myself chances and couldn’t convert a couple of them. If I had to say something to do better today, I think with a couple of the tee shots I hit, give myself better birdie looks on a couple of the par-5s. Besides that, I think it’s a really good round of golf that if a couple putts dropped could have been a really good one.”
Rory was once rolling in the correct path
Entering the match having performed simply 10 aggressive rounds within the ultimate two months, the Northern Irishman leaned at the two-pronged way of booming drives and well timed hanging. It had the entire indicators of a 69, however a last triple bogey dropped McIlroy out of crimson figures and 5 strokes off the tempo.
Despite his early indicators of high quality, McIlroy nonetheless has various which to be proud and various time to toughen. There had been free wedge swings, premature way pictures and bonehead errors. The international No. 3 proved on the PGA Championship he can contend along with his C recreation, however McIlroy will want one thing nearer to his A recreation if he needs to take down the Memorial and leapfrog a litany of giant names within the procedure.
Scottie Scheffler’s streak in jeopardy
Scheffler got here into the Memorial with the entire momentum on this planet having completed throughout the best 12 throughout 14 immediately PGA Tour occasions courting again to October 2022. That mojo can have been put to a screeching halt as the sector No. 1 persevered to seem misplaced at the vegetables and posted his best opening around (74) since October 2021.
Even with out his putter, the Texan has been in a position to constantly discover a position at the first web page of the leaderboard, however that merely was once now not the case Thursday. Scheffler misplaced greater than 3 strokes with the putter in hand after wanting to interchange his flat stick Wednesday. The new wand was once no assist, and he’ll want to develop into a pal if he’s to surpass a file held through Tiger Woods.
2023 Memorial Tournament up to date odds, alternatives
Odds by way of Caesars Sportsbook
- Jon Rahm: 41/10
- Patrick Cantlay: 27/4
- Jordan Spieth: 11-1
- Viktor Hovland: 14-1
- Rory McIlroy: 16-1
- Shane Lowry: 16-1
- Sungjae Im: 18-1
- Tyrrell Hatton: 18-1
- Scottie Scheffler: 18-1
- Collin Morikawa: 18-1
- Davis Riley: 22-1
Let’s take a stab on a participant who has received in this golfing path prior to: Morikawa at 18-1. The two-time primary champion won greater than 4 strokes on way in Round 1, which helped him rank throughout the best 10 in strokes won tee to inexperienced. He trails making a bet favourite Rahm through only one and his laser-like iron play will proceed to arrange birdie alternatives.
While his hanging metrics are deficient on paper, Morikawa was once as relaxed as ever with the putter in hand — the stroke seemed very cast. With his caddie J.J. Jakovac studying vegetables in partnership, Morikawa must begin to catch edges as an alternative of simply burning them like he did Thursday.
Rick Gehman is joined through Patrick McDonald to damage down the hole around of the Memorial Tournament introduced through Workday. Scorecards, storylines and making a bet favorites from Muirfield Village. Follow & pay attention to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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