Defending champion Hideki Matsuyama was pleasantly surprised to find himself sharing the first-round lead of the Memorial Tournament on Thursday, while the surprises for five-time winner Tiger Woods were less welcome.
Matsuyama had eight birdies without a blemish on his card to share the first-round lead in the Jack Nicklaus-hosted US PGA Tour event with Bo Van Pelt of the US on eight-under-par 64.
Van Pelt had 10 birdies and a clutch par save from a bunker at 18 for his slice of the lead.
Photo: AFP
They had a two-shot lead over Scotland’s Russell Knox and Jason Dufner, who shared third on 66, with another seven players tied on 67.
Masters champion Jordan Spieth headed a group of nine on 68 that also included major winners Justin Rose of England and Keegan Bradley.
However, Woods, the 14-time major champion who has plunged to 172nd in the world rankings, was not in the mix after scrambling to a 73.
Only a late-round rally saw the former world No. 1 — seeking his first victory since August 2013 — salvage a one-over round after he played his first nine holes in four-over — with four bogeys and a double-bogey along with two birdies.
“I didn’t play very good today at all. I didn’t have much with my game, but I fought hard, I fought hard to get back. And to get it back on a golf course like that, it was pretty good work,” said Woods, who battled back with three birdies on his second nine.
While Woods struggled with a two-way miss, Matsuyama was delighted to find himself playing better than his practice had led him to expect.
“To be honest with you, up until yesterday I was not hitting the ball very well, I was not chipping very well, I was not putting very well,” said Matsuyama, who is trying to join Woods as players to successfully defend a Memorial title. “And I don’t know what happened overnight. We just caught magic.”
Matsuyama’s eight birdies included four in a row at the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th.
For Van Pelt, who grew up just across the state line in Indiana, leading the Memorial was a dream.
However, it was not as easy as 10 birdies might have made it look.
“This course is never easy, but I had good speed with the putter,” he said. “Making [birdies at] all four par-fives helped. I think three of them I was on the green in two. The other one I was just off.
“Anytime you can do that, it’s a big help,” he added.
Former US PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner was tied for the lead heading to 18, but found water off the tee and finished with a bogey. That led to a double-bogey that dropped him into the tie for second with Knox, who bogeyed his final hole, the ninth.
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