Ben Griffin picked up proper the place he left off as final week’s Charles Schwab Problem winner leads the PGA Tour’s Memorial Match after the primary spherical.
The 29-year-old American, who stepped away from skilled golf to work as a mortgage mortgage officer simply 4 years in the past, fired a seven-under par spherical of 65 to steer by two photographs from Collin Morikawa at Muirfield Village Golf Membership.
Max Homa (-4), Shane Lowry (-3) and defending champion in addition to world No.1 Scottie Scheffler (-2) all began promisingly, but it surely was Jordan Spieth who snatched the highlight within the opening spherical of the event hosted by 18-time main champion Jack Nicklaus.
FOX SPORTS, out there on Kayo Sports activities, is streaming The 2025 PGA Tour LIVE & Unique | New to Kayo? Get your first month for simply $1. Restricted time supply.
Three-time main winner Spieth shot a fair par 72 to start out his event as broadcast microphones picked up his interactions with caddie Michael Greller on the par 5 fifth which blew up on social media.
Spieth, who was two-over at that time, blasted his drive into the thick tough and the smart choices was to pitch out onto the golf green avoiding a close-by tree.
Not that the protected play was the trail he wished to take.
“This must be hit so exhausting to go 115 (yards),” Spieth stated.
“Let’s simply hit it proper right here,” Greller stated whereas pointing to the golf green.
“I don’t wish to hit it proper there,” Spieth replied. “As a result of I’m hitting good photographs they usually’re getting completely boned to this point. So I can’t settle for it.”
Griffin in the meantime was seeing extra of the humorous facet of issues as he made seven birdies and an eagle, together with storming residence with 4 birdies within the final 5 holes.
He might have pushed for a fair decrease quantity if not for bogeys on the par 5 eleventh and the par twelfth courtesy of dumping two balls within the water.
“Yeah, a pair water balls. Really want to go to the vary and work on my recreation to wash that stuff up. However, no,” Griffin stated as he laughed.
“Yeah, it was an unbelievable day. Type of constructing on what I sort of was doing final week, making a ton of birdies, staying aggressive.
“This is likely one of the hardest golf programs we play on Tour and also you’ve acquired to sort of be in your recreation to make birdies and provides your self a whole lot of seems.
“I felt like I sort of did that.”
Griffin, who claimed his first solo PGA Tour win final week after successful the pairs occasion the Zurich Traditional alongside Andrew Novak earlier this 12 months, added: “I can’t bear in mind the final time I birdied the final three holes of a event.
“My dad all the time used to inform me, par the primary and final holes, and sadly, I birdied the primary and the final, so (laughing).
“However it’s all the time nice to complete with a birdie and in addition — I imply, the birdies on 16 and 17, these are among the hardest holes out right here.
“So happy with the way in which I stayed aggressive on these holes, attacked, by no means actually was making an attempt to play any kind of conservative photographs, was simply making an attempt to maintain the pedal down, and you bought to reap the benefits of that on days like at present the place putts are dropping.”
Min Woo Lee began better of the Australian contingent with a four-over spherical of 76, whereas Cam Davis (+6) and Adam Scott (+7).
The Australian trio is not going to should struggle to make the minimize nonetheless, because the event is likely one of the PGA Tour’s signature occasions with a complete prize pool of US$20 million (A$31m) and no minimize.