Scottie Scheffler back on top through 36 holes of Memorial Tournament

Scottie Scheffler found himself in a familiar spot on Friday at Muirfield Village: leading a PGA Tour event. With a solid 4-under 68, Scheffler took the lead at the midway point of the Memorial Tournament, sitting at 9 under par. He holds a three-shot advantage over defending champion Viktor Hovland and Adam Hadwin.

On a windy day in Dublin, Ohio, Scheffler’s precise play was evident as he hit 13 greens in regulation, the second-most in the 73-player field. His round included an impressive eagle on the par-5 15th, where he hit a 3-iron from 235 yards to within 8 feet of the hole. He also notched four birdies, including a 12-footer on the par-4 18th to close his round.

Reflecting on the conditions, Scheffler noted, “It was pretty windy out there. I just tried to do my best to execute. My caddie, Teddy [Scott], did a fantastic job of reading the winds, which is especially tough here due to the trees and the gusty conditions that can alter the direction unexpectedly.”

This marks the first time Scheffler has led a round since his victory at the RBC Heritage, which was his fourth win in five starts. Despite a recent eighth-place finish at the PGA Championship, a tournament marred by his arrest prior to the second round (with charges now dropped), Scheffler seems to have found his form again. He also tied for second at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson two weeks ago. Reflecting on past difficulties, Scheffler said, “I try to forget those off days, and I’m fortunate that they’re not at the forefront of my mind. The only one that sticks out is Saturday at the PGA, but that was with a different caddie, so I’ll just blame him for that,” he joked.

Tied for fourth at 5 under are Keegan Bradley and Christiaan Bezuidenhout, the latter having shot the round of the day with a 67. Ludvig Åberg is one stroke further back at 4 under. Other notable players like Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Tony Finau, and Akshay Bhatia are tied at 3 under.

However, not all prominent players made it through to the weekend. Jordan Spieth and Wyndham Clark, the latter preparing to defend his title at next week’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst, were among those who missed the cut.