Dufner, Lingmerth lead Memorial; Spieth one back
DUBLIN, Ohio — Jason Dufner putted for birdie on every hole until the last one at the Memorial, a game so under control it looked as simple as breathing.
Even with a bogey on the final hole, Dufner had a 7-under 65 for his best score Thursday at Muirfield Village, giving him a tie for the lead with David Lingmerth. They were one shot ahead of Jordan Spieth, whose short game is starting to return with the U.S. Open around the corner.
Lingmerth, whose first PGA Tour victory came at the Memorial two years ago, also bogeyed his last hole on an ideal day for scoring.
Starting quickly at the Memorial is nothing new for Dufner. He opened with a 66-67 two years ago before fading on the weekend. Last year, he opened with a 68.
“I can put a couple of rounds together here,” Dufner said. “But I’m looking for more than that this week. Hopefully, we can keep it going for four.”
Dustin Johnson and Jason Day want to make sure they get to play for rounds.
Johnson three-putted after putting his tee shot into the water on the par-3 16th and made triple bogey. He three-putted from 4 feet on the sixth hole and made double bogey. And he didn’t make a single birdie in his round of 78.
It was the first time in nearly four years — since the Bridgestone Invitational in 2013 — that Johnson failed to make a birdie.
Day, who has yet to crack the top 25 at the club where he holds a membership, made bogeys on both par 5s on the back nine and was headed for a big score until he birdied his last two holes for a 75.
Nick Taylor (69) of Abbotsford was the low Canadian, tied for ninth at 3-under par. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., was 1-over 73 in a tie for 48th, David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., was 2-over 74 to tie for 63rd, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was 4-over 76 to enter a group at 82nd and Adam Hadwin, also from Abbotsford, was 6-over 78 to join a group at 109th.
Dufner recalls hitting 17 greens in a row in a round at Muirfield Village a few years ago until the 18th hole, and the same hole got him again Thursday. He even went for a slightly longer club, a 7-iron instead of an 8-iron, but the contact wasn’t pure and he came up short in a bunker. He blasted out 12 feet by the hole and missed his par putt. “I’m OK,” Dufner said. “I’ll get over it.” Calm as ever, Dufner was mostly pleased with taking the stress out of his putting by not having any tough par putts. He attributes that to hard work, which is mainly working on his breathing.