Muirfield Village’s closing trio tests players

DUBLIN, Ohio – A punch in the face, nearly 1,200 yards of terror.

That was the parting gift at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village on Thursday, when conditions were tough and holes 16-18 tormented even the leaders.

“I told my caddie that's the least mad I'm ever going to be bogeying the last three,” said Mark Hubbard, who reached 6 under par but carded a 3-under 69, two off the lead (Davis Riley).

The reason for that isn’t that Hubbard got in as an alternate. More to the point was that he had 5-iron, 7-wood, 4-iron for his approach shots on holes 16-18, respectively. “That’s a little tough,” he said.

Or a lot. Consider the tragicomedy that befell Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, who played in a late threesome with Tyrrell Hatton (71). Spieth was tied for the lead at 4 under and McIlroy one back as they came to the par-4 18th hole.

What followed was, well, erm, humbling.

McIlroy hit an errant drive to the gnarly rough on the steep bank of a bunker; advanced his ball only 73 feet with a baseball swing; hit his third over the green; tried a flop shot that went too far; hit a poor chip; missed his first putt from 8 1/2 feet; and tapped in for triple-bogey 7 and a 72.

Even worse, he was observed grimacing and holding his wrist after his second shot.

Spieth failed to clear the lip of the same bunker with his second, found a greenside bunker with his third, and got up and down for what he called a “very fortunate” bogey and a 69.

“It felt like a great round,” he said. “It was nice to beat a tough golf course.”

That was a rare feeling on this day.

“The golf course is hard,” said Bo Hoag, a Columbus native and Ohio State product who signed for a 4-over 76. “It’s a big-boy golf course.” Hoag was tied with Jason Day, who lives in Columbus and notched his 13th PGA TOUR victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson just last month.

Day said he drove the ball well, he just had trouble with his putting.

In other words, it could have been worse. The field average was 74, and there were some wrecks.

Defending champion Billy Horschel, in the midst of a frustrating slump, shot 84. World No. 5 Xander Schauffele hit two in the water, quadruple-bogeyed the par-3 12th hole, and shot 77. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler struggled with his putting again and shot 74.

This is the firm, fast golf course that tournament host Jack Nicklaus wanted.

“I like dry golf courses,” said Nicklaus, the 18-time major winner and two-time champion of the Memorial who has seen more than his share of rain foil his plans. “I think they bring the best out in a golfer. It forces them to think about how they play, just not rear back and hit it.”

Players were indeed thinking as fast as they could.

Riley and England’s Matt Wallace (68, one back), who had the day’s best two rounds, each bogeyed the 476-yard 18th hole. So did Danny Willett (69) and Shane Lowry (69). Sam Burns (71) went bogey, triple-bogey on 17, and 18 but also made eight birdies.

Some of the carnage is owed to recent course changes.

A new tee could add 20 yards to the par-3 16th hole (but not Thursday; the hole played to 208 yards). The 17th hole is 20 yards longer, too, at 497. But hitting the fairway at the 476-yard finishing hole, with its sharp dogleg right, was as confoundingly difficult, as ever.

“Well, if I see Jack, I'll tell him those last three holes are playing brutally hard,” Wallace said. “So, you don't need to make them any longer … keep it as it is, Jack, it's tough enough.”

Jon Rahm (70) said the conditions reminded him of the 2020 Memorial, which he won despite a final-round 75 on rock-hard greens that were to be torn up and replaced after the tournament.

“Obviously they didn't really care if they lost 'em,” said world No. 2 Rahm, who leads the FedExCup standings, “so towards the weekend they got a little bit out of hand.”

Noting the forecast for more dry, hot weather, the Memorial Director of Grounds Chad Mark was already anticipating that possibility, telling Golfbet earlier this week, “We’re going to have to add some moisture to the greens to make sure they don’t get unfair.”

After a day like Thursday, that’s probably a good idea.