DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Defending champion Jon Rahm took dead aim with an 8-iron that dropped for an ace Saturday morning, sending him to a 7-under 65 and a two-shot lead in the Memorial.
Rahm was among 44 players who had to complete the second round in the rain-delayed event at Muirfield Village. He left Friday night having tapped in a 2-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole that had him tied with Patrick Cantlay, who finished his round Friday.
Rahm took bogey from the bunker on the 14th, failed to birdie the par-5 15th, and this his fortunes turned in a hurry. He hit 8-iron over the bunker on the 16th hole, and it landed in front of the pin and dropped for a hole-in-one.
Rahm tossed his membership, this time in celebration.
A birdie on the seventeenth and a closing par put him at 10-under 134, two pictures forward of Cantlay.
The situation was not misplaced on Rahm. It was a 12 months in the past when Rahm chipped in for an obvious birdie behind the sixteenth inexperienced, just for it to change into a bogey when video confirmed he triggered his ball to barely transfer earlier than hitting it. That affected solely his margin of victory.
“I used to be strolling down after I picked up the ball, I’m, like, ‘Effectively, that’s some good karma and payback from final 12 months,’” Rahm mentioned he instructed his caddie.
Nonetheless to be decided is whether or not Rahm can be a part of Tiger Woods as the one repeat winners on the Memorial since Jack Nicklaus created this match in 1976. Woods received the final of his three straight titles 20 years in the past.
“I’m main the match after 36, so, yeah, I’m in place,” Rahm mentioned. “I’ve been doing a number of backdoor high 10s and I’m glad I’m in competition for as soon as.”
Collin Morikawa, who received at Muirfield Village final 12 months within the first of back-to-back occasions on the membership due to the pandemic, had a triple bogey on the par-3 twelfth gap and bounced again Saturday morning with a pair of birdies for a 72. He was 4 pictures behind at 6-under 130, together with Max Homa (69), Xander Schauffele (70) and Scottie Scheffler (71).
Rickie Fowler had a 70 and was within the group at 5-under 131. That is the primary time Fowler has opened with consecutive rounds underneath par since he went 70-70 on the Masters final November. Fowler faces U.S. Open qualifying on Monday except he can end alone in second.