Rose Takes Three-Stroke Lead at Memorial; Woods Cards Career-Worst 85


Justin Rose fired a 6-under 66 to take the 54-hole lead at the Memorial Tournament. The $6.2 million PGA Tour event is being held at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.

Rose, a 34-year-old from England, carded seven birdies and a bogey to reach 15-under 201, three strokes ahead of Italy's Francesco Molinari, who had a 69, and halfway leader David Lingmerth of Sweden, who shot a 72.

"I played a good, solid, patient round of golf. It ended up turning into a great round of golf," Rose told reporters. "I made my birdies when I had a chance and I limited the mistakes. Kind of surprised to play my way into a three-shot lead. I was looking just to keep pace, but it's a fantastic position going into Sunday."

Added Rose, apparently in reference to an 85 - the highest score in his illustrious career - carded by Tiger Woods, "Every single shot out there, you're on your toes, you're on your guard," the 2013 U.S. Open champion. "One poor judgment of the wind, or one poor execution of an iron shot, and you can make bogey in a heartbeat."

After making the cut of 1-under 143 with rounds of 73 and 71, Woods, a five-time Memorial champion, carded a whopping six bogeys, two doubles and quadruple-bogey eight on the 18th hole. His only dropped shot came with a birdie on the par-5 15th en route to a 13-over score that put him in last place at 12-over 228, six strokes higher than the next-to-last player, Lucas Glover.

Woods declined to speak with reporters afterward.

"Obviously that's a tough round to swallow,'' said Rose, who works with Woods' former coach, Sean Foley. "You can't really blame the weather or this or that. It's a course he's played well on. I'm not sure I have any advice really at this point. That's just a tough round to swallow, really.''

Woods, playing in only his fifth tournament of the year, took a nine-week break to work on his game prior to the Masters. His previous career-high round was an 82 in January during the second round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

The tournament host, Jack Nicklaus, commiserated with Woods, who has 14 career majors and is second on the all-time list to Nicklaus' 18. "When you're not playing that much and you don't have confidence to start with it just multiplies," the Golden Bear said.

Because there's an uneven number of 71 players left in the field, Woods will tee off first and play alone Sunday morning.

Jim Furyk recorded a 70 and enters Sunday at 11-under 205, while tied for fifth at 206 are Americans Kevin Streelman, who shot the low round of the day - a 7-under 65 - and Brendon Todd (71), defending champion Hideki Matsuyama (71) of Japan and England's Andy Sullivan (72).

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