2022 Memorial Tournament leaderboard: Cameron Smith takes solo lead after Round 2 as Rory McIlroy lurks
An excellent standings were formed heading into the 2022 Memorial Tournament weekend. All vying for the coveted handshake with Jack Nicklaus off the green on the 72nd hole, Cameron Smith leading on points. in the middle. After the opening round of 5 under 67 with a 3 under 69 performance, the Australian looked confident to continue his breakout season and get his third win of the year.
“I think my game is in a good position. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t [at the top of the leaderboard]”Smith said.” I’m playing one of the best golf games of my life and I feel like I’m getting more and more suited to longer rounds. Therefore [I am] just looking forward to everything to come. “
With the US Open set to take place in two weeks, Smith implied that he wanted to add a major championship title to his title box, but he better not look too far because of a strong chasing group. developed in Muirfield Village. Rookies Cameron Young and Davis Riley, young stars Joaquin Niemann and Sungjae Im, and major champions Francesco Molinari and Rory McIlroy are all four strokes from Smith’s lead. It would make for an enjoyable weekend of golfing in Dublin, Ohio.
Leader
1. Cameron Smith (-8): To say that Smith’s history at Muirfield Village was poor would be an understatement. In the previous six appearances, the world No. 3 has missed opportunities 4 times and failed to score a single result in the top 60. That begs the question: what’s been the difference in the span of time? this time?
Most assumed his precise dribbling and ironclad play would show up this week, but surprisingly that wasn’t the case. Instead, it was his short-playing skill, as Smith was up and down 15 out of 18 times and led the course in strokes around the green. It will be interesting to see if this part of the game continues to bail him out, as the 28-year-old only connects on 18 fairways and 21 greens in regulation through 36 holes.
“[I am] “I’m really pleased with the position of my short game,” Smith said. Just sort things out longer. Not really hitting a lot of fairways on the back nine, but just hitting a few balls and grading it. “
Other candidates
T2. Denny McCarthy and KH Lee (-7)
T4. Davis Riley, Cameron Young, Jhonattan Vegas, Luke List and Billy Horschel (-6)
T9. Aaron Wise, Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari and Keith Mitchell (-5)
McIlroy is the elephant in the room, as he’s been playing beautifully since a quick finish at the 2022 Masters. Gathering the top 5 at the Wells Fargo Championship and pushing for the top 10 at the PGA Championship, The Northern Irishman looks very well on his way to adding to this quality streak.
“Another good day,” McIlroy said after the second half with 3 under 69. “Some silly scams…but I guess it happens around here. It gets more and more complicated and you will create scams regardless of where they come from. All in all, two solid, contested rounds of golf will come over the weekend. “
Riley and Young are back at it again
The two rookies of the PGA Tour faced off once again as they both sat in the top 5 after 36 holes. At under 6, they are just two strokes from the lead and are well positioned to get their first win of the tour. Going into this week, Riley has had six top-10 finishes, including a play-off loss at the Valspar Championship and a fourth-place draw at the Charles Schwab Challenge last week. Meanwhile, Young owns five championships, including three times in the last three starts with the most recent being at the PGA Championship.
“I think the more I put myself there, the more comfortable I felt,” Young said on Friday. “It’s not that I’m uncomfortable, especially, but I think the more normal it becomes, the more likely you are to have a day that – Saturday or Sunday where you can actually post a real number. low, which I don’t have. ‘isn’t really done yet.”
Professional golfers… they’re just like us
Former Memorial Tournament winner Jon Rahm looked poised to contest a second title at Muirfield Village over the weekend, but that’s not why he made the news today. The world No 2 hit a shot all golf fans and weekend warriors can relate to when he hit the ball close to par-4 in his second round. .
“The ball at my feet, the nasty shot, the wind,” Rahm said. “And try to drive it low and it’s not clear at all. Total hesitation. It’s a recipe for disaster. Be it the green side bunker or the short track and end up getting worse. I’ve been there. good luck with what happened. I was able to save a donkey, this is minimizing mistakes. I think it’s over the limit and I’m staring at point 7.”
PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas joined the fun on social media, beating the Spaniard for his shot. The world number 5 went through a similar blow of his own in the final round at Southern Hills, recovering to regain his sanity and eventually claiming his second major championship. Time will tell if Rahm can do the same as he enters the weekend six times ahead of the lead.
Collin Morikawa’s cold personality continues
The final month has not been a good thing for the 25-year-old, as he has remained out of the top 20 since. masters. The iron game was average, and the putt was as bad as it was on Friday. He missed just his second hit of the year with a 36-hole record of four. In his previous three trips to Muirfield Village, Morikawa had a win and a playoff defeat against Patrick Cantlay at the Tournament. Remembering last season. With this being his final start to the US Open at The Country Club, one has to wonder what the two-time major champion will cost in Boston.
Updated odds and selections
Here’s a look at the updated odds at the halfway point, via Caesars Sportsbook.
- Cameron Smith: 3-1
- Rory McIlroy: 8-1
- Cameron Young: 10-1
- KH Lee: 12-1
- Davis Riley: 12-1
- Billy Horschel: 14-1
- Denny McCarthy: 18-1
- Luke List: 22-1
- Joaquin Niemann: 25-1
- Jhonattan Vegas: 25-1
- Aaron Wise: 25-1
Oddly enough, we’ve seen Smith in this position before in a Nicklaus design, as he was the 36-hole team leader at The Concession Club last year before a bad weekend saw him. fell down the rankings. With the golf course becoming more solid and faster, hitting the ball will become even more important, which could spell trouble for Smith. Corey Conners (-2) at 100-1 leads the field in strokes and has missed just five greens in regulation so far. The pitcher is usually an Achilles heel for the Canadian, as of this week, but if they choose to team up in the second half of this tournament, he is more than capable of overcoming a six-stroke deficit.
