2023 Memorial League standings, scores: Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy lead the pack in pursuit of Justin Suh
Jack Nicklaus took to the booth at the Memorial Tournament on Friday and listened to at least one player complain about the golf course he designed before bursting out laughing and saying that player (Jason Day) could right about the hole he rejected. In other words, a very ordinary day on the PGA Tour.
Justin Suh has a two-goal lead at Muirfield Village after two innings, but he’s surrounded by players he might not want to be. Rory McIlroy was back, so was Patrick Cantlay, and Hideki Matsuyama scored for the day, Jon Rahm and Rickie Fowler tied, while Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele all dropped a little further.
In other words for Suh: Uh oh.
However, the Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year played superbly on Friday, taking the second-best round of the day with a 6 under 66 that put him past Matsuyama by a point. We’ll take a closer look at his round, his lead and what could happen in the next 36 games.
Leader
1. Justin Suh (-8): Suh has been fairly consistent in golf lately with a top 10 spot at the Honda Classic and Player Championship, plus a good showing at the PGA a few weeks ago. However, there are two problems for him. The first is that the group of players has gathered behind him, and the second is that he does most of his damage on the green according to an unsustainable clip. “I don’t think anyone expects seven hits [putting] two days off,” he said.
However, he is a fine player with a great pedigree who has the stuff to beat even the best in the world. He said he learned from his previous 36-hole leads, one of which was at the Honda Classic in March when he finished T5.
“I’d say the pace is a little bit faster than the Thursday, Friday laps,” said Suh. “Obviously, at the weekend you play faster because it’s a couple. But I think when you’re at the moment and you’re playing in the leaderboards, things go faster. I think let’s go faster. slowing it down, like being aware of that, helps you focus on the moment and play the shots you need to play.
“In terms of dealing with that, I think having a system with your caddy is really helpful,” he continued. “We’ve got a pretty good system, but I think just being aware of what we’re trying to achieve on the golf course will help.”
other candidates
2. Hideki Matsuyama (-7)
T3. David Lipsky, Patrick Cantlay (-6)
T5. Rory McIlroy, Sepp Straka, Si Woo Kim, Patrick Rodgers, Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm (-4)
Horses everywhere! Fowler and Rahm arrived late and joined the group late in the afternoon. Now, both are among the favorites to win the event (see below). Rahm was particularly enjoyable the last two days. He’s fourth on the field from tee to green and hasn’t made a shot yet. However, he’s only hit four bogeys in two days and could win his fifth this year at the US Open at the LACC in two weeks.
Rahm’s last three times at Memorial include: T10 (2022), WD – leading after 54 holes (2021), Winner (2020). He will be a problem.
Rory is back!
After a tough triple on the last hole of his first 72nd round, Rory McIlroy recovered with a 68 second round and is now comfortably in the top 10 going into the weekend.
“I feel good about everything that I did yesterday,” McIlroy said. “I had a bad break on the 18th when that ball ended up at the edge of the bunker. So I really feel like I’m about to lead this golf tournament. It rolls down the bunker, hopefully maybe maybe. hit it green and get a 4, and instead of standing here with a under 4, I’ll be under a 7 and feel really good about everything.”
Despite that, McIlroy said he feels like his swing is spinning. Interestingly, he hit the ball better from January 1 to this week than he did in the same timeframe a year ago. And while the numbers aren’t everything, this week’s story is more important as he felt it a bit on the pitch at Muirfield Village. McIlroy has never won the Memorial, but he has finished in the top 15 five times.
Brandt Snedeker cuts
That’s not a big deal, is it? Well, that’s not normal, but Snedeker has only made one cut since last year’s Canadian Open — almost exactly 12 months ago. He had a rare surgery in December to rebuild his sternum and somehow hit the first 36 holes on one of the hardest tracks on the PGA Tour. Golf is utter nonsense.
“It’s been a long time [since I felt this jittery]”, said Snedeker. “I always felt that way during the first tournament of the year after taking a break in December. I always felt that way in Hawaii. But certainly more than that this week, especially given what this golf course can do to you if you don’t play well. So I’m shocked at how good my body feels, shocked at how I feel, how excited I am at the weekend. To be honest with you, I think it’s going to be pretty tough the first few weeks.
“But so far so good. So the fingers pass,” he continued. “Hopefully this is a new kind of bar for me in terms of how I feel after golf and if it is, I’m excited for the next six, seven years here.”
Incredibly, Snedeker also beat world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler – who has 10 top-four finishes in his last 18 starts and won at Player and Phoenix earlier this year – with score 2 points. Scheffler hit a six-foot ball in the first two days of the tournament.
Billy Horschel’s War
Video of an emotional Horschel after Round 1 of 84 surfaced on Twitter on Thursday, but Horschel scored an impressive 72 in the second round. Nothing even close enough for last year’s winner to make the list, but it’s mentally impressive in a place that can completely dismay you.
Update the odds, picks of the 2023 Memorial Tournament
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
- Patrick Cantlay: +330
- Hideki Matsuyama: +450
- John Rahm: 6-1
- Rory McIlroy: 8-1
- Justin Suh: +850
Rahm is the play here for me. If you’re intrigued by the slightly longer big names, Fowler (18-1), Spieth (28-1) and Hovland (35-1) are all in the sixth round and all golf most of the time. Great. However, it is difficult to see this trophy surpass this top 5. The group’s best odds for his place on the leaderboard go to Rahm, who has lost to nine golfers in the last three times he’s played the event.
