Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler each picked up a few pictures on Saturday to maneuver to one-under par on the Memorial Match, earlier than the third spherical was dropped at a untimely halt because of ferocious climate.
Each males nonetheless sit method off the tempo set by JT Poston and Ryan Gerard, who maintain the outright lead at 9 underneath par, as heavy rain, wind and even hail started hammering Muirfield Village.
McIlroy and Scheffler each accomplished nearly all of their rounds, with the Northern Irishman finishing 16 and Scheffler only a couple fewer, earlier than the storm noticed play halted for a second time.
The main gamers alternatively, solely managed to finish 5 holes earlier than the inclement climate, which noticed a TV tower blow down close to the tenth inexperienced.
Course officers subsequently introduced that play wouldn’t proceed at 6pm native time.
An additional announcement from the PGA Tour account following the suspension, stated: “The third spherical of the Memorial Match offered by Workday will resume on Sunday at 7.30am [12.30pm UK and Ireland time].
“Final-round tee times will be approximately 11am to 12.45pm off hole numbers 1 and 10 in groups of three.”
It may need come at a very good time for Scottie Scheffler, who was making fairly a cost till two bogeys in three holes, the final one from an iron off the tee into the water.
And it in all probability will not assist the gamers like Poston who face an extended Sunday to make up for the misplaced time after which have 36 holes of US Open qualifying on Monday.
Poston and Gerard had been tied at 9 underneath by 5 holes, one shot forward of Sam Burns, who was by six holes.
Even with 4 hours of daylight obtainable, the PGA Tour felt there was sufficient thunderstorm exercise on the way in which to name it a day. The third spherical was to renew at 7am, adopted by a ultimate spherical off each tees in threesomes for the primary time all week.
Solely 21 gamers completed the spherical, with Harris English (69) posting the perfect clubhouse rating at three underneath.
Scheffler, attempting to hitch Tiger Woods as the one gamers to win three in a row on the Memorial, began 10 pictures behind and bogeyed the primary gap. After which in a matter of minutes, or so it appears with Scheffler, he was in fourth place after a birdie-birdie-eagle stretch approaching the flip, after which an eight-foot birdie to begin the again 9.
However then he had a three-putt par from some 65 toes, again to entrance, on the par-five eleventh. He discovered a again bunker on the par-three twelfth, a spot the place it is nigh unattainable to maintain it on the inexperienced, main to a different bogey.
Then on the 14th, his iron drifted left and led to a splash and a penalty stroke, including to a bogey that dropped the world’s No 1 participant to 2 underneath for the spherical, nonetheless eight pictures behind.
And this was not the identical Muirfield Village, quick and agency and horrifying all week, immediately softened by bursts of utmost precipitation.
No one felt it fairly like Justin Thomas, who made an outstanding par save from behind the 18th inexperienced on Friday to make the lower on the quantity. That obtained him to the weekend, and he performed as a single. Thomas figured that might at the very least give him the perfect climate, the perfect situations to place up a very good quantity and salvage the week.
However he solely performed 12 holes in dry situations earlier than the primary delay of 1 hour and 40 minutes. Sufficient rain fell to make the course a contact simpler. And now 32 gamers nonetheless on the course return to a course a lot softer and simpler.
Thomas might solely chuckle at his dangerous luck after his spherical of 72.
“That’s kind of the joy of being first off because you normally get no wind and an easier course,” he stated. “But I missed the window. You know, you’ve got to play better.”
Poston, in the meantime, can take somewhat stress off with yet one more lengthy day of fine play. A victory or perhaps a runner-up end could be price sufficient world rating factors to maneuver him excessive sufficient on the planet rating to be secure for the highest 60 subsequent week and get into the US Open.
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