DUBLIN, Ohio — JT Poston and Ryan Gerrard had been tied for the lead on the Memorial on Saturday, however a second spherical of dangerous climate arrived and worn out the rest of the third earlier than it might take form.
It could have been good timing for Scotty Scheffler. Scottie Scheffler had two bogeys in three holes and was feeling fairly good till he teed off an iron right into a creek on the final gap.
And it in all probability will not assist a participant like Poston, who had an extended Sunday making an attempt to make up for misplaced time and has a 36-hole U.S. Open qualifier on Monday.
Poston and Gerrard had been tied at 9 underneath after 5 holes, one stroke forward of Sam Burns after six holes.
Regardless of having 4 hours of daylight, the PGA Tour felt it was sufficient to finish the day with a thunderstorm midway by way of. The third spherical was to renew at 7 a.m., adopted by a remaining spherical of threesomes on each teeing grounds for the primary time this week.
Solely 21 gamers accomplished the spherical, with Harris English (69) setting the very best rating at 3-under 213.
Scheffler, who’s seeking to be part of Tiger Woods as the one gamers to win three straight on the Memorial, began 10 strokes behind and bogeyed the primary gap. And in Scheffler’s case, a birdie-birdie-eagle going into the flip in a matter of minutes moved him as much as fourth place, adopted by an 8-foot birdie to start out the again 9.
Nevertheless, on the par-5 eleventh gap, he made a three-putt par from about 65 toes from again to entrance. He discovered a again bunker on the par-3 twelfth that was almost inconceivable to hit the inexperienced (he did not), main to a different bogey.
Then, on the 14th, his iron drifted to the left, leading to a splash and a penalty stroke, adopted by one other bogey, and he fell to 2 underneath, 8 strokes behind the world No. 1 participant.
Rory McIlroy was additionally eight behind after 16 holes.
And this was not the identical Muirfield village, which had been quick and stable and scary all week, however out of the blue turned tender when it rained or hailed.
Nobody felt it greater than Justin Thomas, who elevated his numbers with a spectacular par save from behind on the 18th inexperienced Friday. So he got here out on the weekend and performed as a single. Thomas thought that will no less than give him the very best climate and the very best circumstances to get again into the week with outcome.
Nevertheless, he solely performed 12 holes in dry circumstances earlier than the preliminary delay was 1 hour and 40 minutes. There had been sufficient rain that the course was somewhat simpler to stroll. And now the 32 gamers nonetheless on the course have returned to a softer, simpler course.
After Thomas completed his spherical of 72, all he might do was chortle at his dangerous luck.
“It is form of a pleasure to start out first as a result of there’s often no wind and the course is straightforward,” he mentioned. “However we missed a chance. We’ve to play higher.”
Poston, alternatively, might take some stress off with one other lengthy day of fine play. A win, or perhaps a runner-up end, would give him sufficient world rating factors and lift his world rating sufficient to make sure he might crack the highest 60 subsequent week and qualify for the U.S. Open.
