DUBLIN, Ohio – Tony Finau thought he was on the right track when he shot 59 at Victory Ranch last week in Utah.
That kind of scoring isn’t happening at Muirfield Village, where the greens are getting firmer. Finau was still confident enough playing with her kids at home for a week off, resulting in 14 birdies over two days and a portion of the 36-hole lead at the Memorial.
Finau recovered from two bogeys after three holes from his second round on Friday, birdying the remainder of par 5 and finishing with a 2-foot birdie wedge and a 3-under-69.
That put him at 9 under 135 with Ryan Palmer (68), who only had a ghost in two rounds. The way Muirfield Village plays, they are both awesome.
They were an opportunity against Jon Rahm (67), who has another chance to reach No. 1 in the world this week for the first time in his career. US Open champion Gary Woodland was 70 and was two behind.
For Tiger Woods, it was a matter of making it to the weekend. Woods said his back was stiff during warm-up and that losing a 3-foot pair didn’t make him feel any better. He had two birdies and a saved 7-foot par in his last three holes for a 76 that allowed him to cut the number at 3-over-147, matching his highest score of 36 holes at the Memorial.
“Not very good,” said Woods. “I did three holes twice before, and whatever kind of momentum it was going to create, I put it out early and fought the rest of the day.”
Finau chose to stay home last week instead of playing Muirfield Village twice in a row. It won’t compare Victory Ranch to Muirfield Village, though it inspired it. He was 14-under-par through 16 holes to bogey on the 17th hole and settle for his second under-60 round off the PGA Tour.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve been between 14 and 16 holes on a good golf course,” said Finau. “But he said he was in good shape and told me how good I am at scoring. So I think I definitely took some of that with me this week, and that confidence I think is great.”
The cut of 147 coincided with the highest of the season, it was also 147 at Bay Hill. Among those who returned home was Bryson DeChambeau, who was in good shape until his tee shot was put in jeopardy on the 15th, with a penalty drop, knocking the next two out of bounds and making 10.
It was his highest hole score in his career. DeChambeau entered the Memorial after finishing in the top 10 in seven consecutive tournaments, and having 19 consecutive rounds on par or better. He left with rounds of 73-76, and no comment.
Dustin Johnson shot 80-80 for the highest 36-hole score of his career on the PGA Tour
Collin Morikawa, who won at Muirfield Village last week in a playoff over Justin Thomas, bounced back from a 76 with a 70 to make the cut with a shot to spare. Thomas had a 67 and was six shots behind.
The way Muirfield Village began to look Friday, the weekend at the Memorial could be more about holding on down. The course is replacing all the greens after this week, so officials are letting them go. It doesn’t matter if they are so fast that the grass dies because they are being pulled up anyway.
Brooks Koepka seemed to hit a solid bunker from the right of the 16th green until it rolled a few meters past the hole, and then a few more feet until it came off the green and leaned against the bump collar. That was not his biggest problem. Koepka threw a shot into the water in his final hole at No. 9 and double bogeyed for a 75.
That put him at 3-over-147, just like Woods.
Rory McIlroy shot 72, which appears in the books as a round of par. It was anything but that. He hit the stream and drowned a chip for a double bogey on par 5 11. He smoked fairway metal 8 feet away for the eagle on the fifth par 5. He hit the wedge 10 feet away for a pair of little birds. He broke a wedge in a bunker and bogey.
It was at 2 below 142.
“I don’t know what it was,” he said. “There were a few little birds and an eagle dumped there and some mistakes. There are some good ones there, some mediocre ones and there were some pretty poor shots. But I fought well.”
Palmer played the Workday Charity Open last week at Muirfield Village and missed the cut. Instead of staying in Ohio, he went home to Texas to work with swing coach Randy Smith, and found a solution to what was holding him back.
“A small little flaw in my back sways,” Palmer said.
He also worked a bit on the greens with Steve Stricker, and Palmer is feeling good enough about his chances over the weekend.
Stricker didn’t do too badly either. The 53-year-old Ryder Cup captain was 67 and 4 under 140, along with Jim Furyk, who turned 50 two months ago and shot 68.
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