Flawless Scheffler surges into lead at Memorial

DUBLIN, Ohio -- Scottie Scheffler was astatine his champion connected a pugnacious time astatine Muirfield Village, opening with 13 consecutive pars and past pouring it connected astatine the extremity for a 4-under 68 that gave him a one-shot pb Saturday implicit Ben Griffin astatine the Memorial.

Scheffler birdied 4 of his past 5 holes, finishing with a birdie from conscionable wrong 15 feet. He took the pb erstwhile Griffin missed a 3-foot par putt connected the last hole.

At involvement for Scheffler is simply a accidental to triumph for the 3rd clip successful his past 4 tournaments and articulation Tiger Woods arsenic the lone back-to-back winners astatine the Memorial.

"I don't cognize what the scoring mean was today, but I was decidedly arrogant of the mode I finished and it was truly challenging," Scheffler said. "Through 13 holes, I felt similar I was playing truly bully and I was lone adjacent par. Just a hard course."

The scoring mean for the 57 players who made the chopped was 73.9, and 3 players failed to interruption 80. Scheffler, the lone subordinate to interruption par each 3 rounds, was astatine 8-under 208.

Griffin, who won past week astatine Colonial, made 5 birdies and 5 bogeys implicit his past 13 holes.

Scheffler was six shots down Griffin astatine 1 constituent successful the cool, blustery weather. And past it each changed truthful quickly.

Griffin, who became the lone subordinate this week to scope 10-under par erstwhile helium ran disconnected 3 consecutive birdies, gave it each backmost with 4 consecutive bogeys. He was successful the fairway oregon connected the tee erstwhile helium made 3 of those bogeys.

Scheffler was lurking, arsenic always. The world's No. 1 subordinate has an uncanny knack of hanging astir and winding up with the debased people by the extremity of the day. This was nary exception.

"I did spot that Ben got to 10 under, but it's not going to alteration my play successful the mediate of a Saturday," Scheffler said. "This play people is truly challenging and nary lead's harmless astir this place. I knew if I kept going and played a decent round, I would beryllium successful somewhat of a presumption to pursuit him down tomorrow."

He holed a 10-foot birdie putt connected the 14th -- his archetypal of the time -- and followed that by getting connected the collar of the greenish astatine the par-5 15th for a elemental birdie. He deed 7-iron into the upwind to 8 feet for birdie and closed with the past 1 that gave him the lead.

He's nary longer chasing, and he's a pugnacious lawsuit to way down. Scheffler has won the past 8 times erstwhile helium held the 54-hole lead.

Jordan Spieth besides was successful the chase, tied with Scheffler successful 2nd spot astatine 1 point, until helium failed to prevention par from a bunker connected the 17th and drove into the creek connected the 18th for a closing bogey and a 72. He was 5 shots behind, feeling amended astir his game.

There was conscionable 1 problem. Spieth talked astir the amusive of being successful the mix, of making six birdies connected a pugnacious course, of needing to support moving successful that direction. And past helium paused.

"The bummer for maine is Scottie's astatine 7 oregon 8 (under) and helium conscionable ... you can't number connected him shooting adjacent tomorrow," Spieth said. "So it would instrumentality thing special. But each successful all, conscionable trying to sprout a fewer nether each time retired here."

Nick Taylor of Canada coiled up 3 shots down aft a 74, and for that helium was thankful astatine the end. Taylor went into the h2o and made treble bogey connected the diabolical par-3 12th, followed that with a bogey and was sliding retired of contention. And past helium holed retired from fairway for eagle astatine the 14th, birdied the adjacent spread and played that four-stretch successful adjacent par.

The champion circular belonged to Sepp Straka, a two-time victor connected the PGA Tour this year. He posted a 66 arsenic the leaders were conscionable getting started and was successful the radical astatine 3-under 213 that included Spieth and Ryder Cup skipper Keegan Bradley (68).

Patrick Cantlay and Rickie Fowler each changeable 69 and joined Shane Lowry (73) astatine 214. It's a agelong mode off, and it tin consciousness adjacent longer with Scheffler the 1 they are chasing.

"It's a pugnacious play course. I'll beryllium trying to pursuit him down," Taylor said. "He's evidently playing phenomenal, truthful I'll person to play immoderate of my champion play to beryllium successful the hunt determination with the past fewer holes to go. But it is playing truthful hard that being a fewer nether aboriginal volition get maine backmost successful there."