Tiger Who?
While plenty at The Memorial at Muirfield Village might be missing the tournament’s five-time champion, it’s hard to imagine anyone is displeased with the crowded field of names atop the leader board entering Sunday’s final round.
Master champion Bubba Watson fired a 3-under 69 to take a one-stroke lead over Scott Langley, one of several players to move into contention by shooting 5-under 67s on Saturday.
Watson is the only man in the field to have shot below 70 on all three days. He entered Saturday trailing England’s Paul Casey by a stroke, but had no problem moving up when Casey shot a 4-over 76 to drop into a large group of players tied for fifth.
Watson will hope to to avoid the apparent curse of being the leader at the end of any day of competition. Rory McIlroy led after Day One and shot a 78 on Day 2. Casey went from 66 on Day Two to 10 strokes worse on Day Three.
Watson hit five birdies in six holes on the front nine, but bogeyed No. 18 to end the round with a bit of a sour taste in his mouth. Langley was just the opposite, hitting four birdies on the back nine.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama is in third place at 10-under after hitting a 3-under 69 on Saturday. Matsuyama might have been at the top of the leaderboard were it not for back-to-back bogeys on 11 and 12.
World No. 1 Adam Scott is 3 strokes back of the lead after his best round of the weekend, a 4-under 68. Scott was at 6-under through 15 thanks to an eagle on that hole, but he too bogeyed No. 18 to miss a chance to reach double digits under par.
The five-man glut at 8-under includes the aformentioned Casey, Brendon Todd, Robert Streb, Billy Horschel, Charles Schwartzel and 2013 Rookie of the Year Jordan Spieth.
After bogeying No. 1 following two quiet runs, Spieth went on a birdie run with six in a 12-hole span, before coming back to earth with a bogey on No. 15.
Day One leader McIlroy came back from his ugly second round to shoot a 3-under 69, tying him for 14th at 6-under. After recording three bogeys and three doubles on Friday, McIlroy looked like he was in for a rough ride when he racked up three more bogeys in the first six holes.
He snapped out of it with a birdie on No. 8, and eagle on No. 11 and back to back birdies to close out 17 and 18.
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