DUBLIN, Ohio — Tiger Woods hardly missed a fairway, a big improvement. Luke Donald hardly missed a putt, and that was far more rewarding Thursday at the Memorial.
Donald set a tournament record by taking only 20 putts, which allowed him to tie a tournament record by opening with an 8-under-par 64 and a three-shot lead over a group that included Jim Furyk and Jason Day, who bogeyed his last two holes.
What seemed like a normal round at Muirfield Village turned extraordinary for Donald when he rapped in a 12-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the par-3 eighth hole, starting a streak of six consecutive birdies. He one-putted nine straight holes until a routine par on the 18th hole to match the lowest opening round at the Memorial.
“That doesn’t happen very often,” Donald said of his string of one-putts.
Even rarer is the sight of Woods spending so much time in the middle of the fairway.
Woods went with a slightly higher loft in his driver (10 degrees) and continued to make strides with his swing. He didn’t miss a fairway until his 3-wood on the 18th hole deflected off a tree and landed in a bunker.
Scoring starts with the putter, however. Woods missed an 8-foot par putt on the final hole, and his other bogey came on a three-putt at the 13th. He had to settle for a 69, and few complaints.
“Everything felt pretty good to some degree,” Woods said.
Furyk birdied three of his final four holes for a 67. He was joined by Ted Purdy, Thomas Aiken and Day, a 21-year-old Australian who missed a playoff by one shot last week at Colonial. Day was at 7-under with three holes to play, but made bogey from the bunkers on his final two holes.
Pak tied for LPGA lead
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak shot a bogey-free 6-under 66 for a share of the first-round lead with fellow South Korean Jee Young Lee at the State Farm Classic.
A five-time major winner, the 31-year-old Pak is seeking her first top-10 finish in 10 starts this year.
Kris Tamulis opened with a 66, and Natalie Gulbis, Suzann Pettersen and Anja Monke shot 67s.
Frost is out front after a 66
NEWPORT, Wales — Veteran David Frost shot a 5-under 66 to share the first-round lead in the Wales Open with Thomas Bjorn, Nick Dougherty and Alan McLean.
The Associated Press
