Adam Hadwin had more than enough birdies to overlook a sour finish to his round at the Memorial. His impressive 6-under 66 placed him just ahead of Masters champion Scottie Scheffler by a single shot and gave him a renewed optimism at Muirfield Village.
Hadwin was one of the few who mastered the rain-softened yet unforgiving course. He managed four birdies in five holes towards the end of the first round, along with four birdies on the front nine. However, a missed 5-foot par putt on the challenging 18th was a slight blemish on an otherwise strong performance.
For Scottie Scheffler and PGA champion Xander Schauffele, the day had its ups and downs. Scheffler started strong with two birdies in the first four holes but was slowed down by a clump of mud on the par-5 fifth hole, leading to a bogey. Schauffele, playing his first event since clinching his major at the PGA Championship, described his game as scrappy. Despite that, his putter saved his round, allowing him to finish bogey-free with a 68.
Scheffler recounted the mud incident: After hitting the fairway on the 535-yard fifth hole, he noticed a large clump of mud on his ball. Contemplating whether to lay up due to a creek that bisects the hole, Scheffler decided to go for the green. Unfortunately, the mud-induced misdirection sent his ball 60 yards left of the target, leading to a difficult sequence that ended with a bogey.
“Hindsight, maybe I could have aimed it down the middle of the creek and just see where it would have went and maybe it goes in one of the fairways,” Scheffler said, reflecting on the shot. “But at the time, that didn’t really seem like a good idea.”
Schauffele’s close call also came at the fifth hole with his own muddied ball flying into a bunker. He needed to clear another bunker to reach a tight pin, which he managed to do despite catching too much ball and his shot going over the green. Fortunately, he was able to save par with an 8-foot putt.
“When the ball was in the air, I closed my eyes,” Schauffele admitted. “I wouldn’t call myself religious, but I was hoping that thing was going to be OK.”
Joining Schauffele at 68 were Corey Conners, Collin Morikawa, and Ludvig Aberg, while defending champion Viktor Hovland was just behind with a 69. Only 25 players out of the 73-man field managed to break par, including Rory McIlroy who ended his round at 70 after scoring four birdies in his last six holes.
Hadwin and Conners are coming off the Canadian Open as they look to secure spots in the 60-man field for the Olympics. Each country can send two players (or four if they’re in the top 15). Hadwin acknowledges he needs to improve, having not finished in the top 40 since late March, causing his world ranking to drop from No. 44 to No. 59. Conners is ranked at No. 45, while his compatriots Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes are close behind at Nos. 64 and 65. Nick Taylor, winner of the Phoenix Open, holds the first spot for the Olympics.
“Over the last month I’ve probably played my way … not out of the conversation, but certainly out of a good position to be in,” Hadwin said. “So coming into this week, I know the questions are always going to be there, but I think for me in particular, it was very important this week to get into the process.”
It’s a tight race at the Memorial, with Adam Hadwin leading the pack and several notable names, including Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, hot on his heels. The upcoming rounds will be crucial as players jostle not just for the Memorial title but also for vital spots in the looming Olympic games.
Source: Nbcsports
