Dufner, Lingmerth sharp at Memorial
DUBLIN, Ohio — Jason Dufner putted for birdie on every hole until his last one Thursday, his game so under control it looked as simple as breathing.
Even after closing with a bogey in the opening round of the Memorial Tournament, Dufner had a 7-under-par 65 for his best score at Muirfield Village and a tie for the lead with David Lingmerth. They were one shot ahead of Jordan Spieth, whose short game is starting to return with the U.S. Open around the corner.
Daniel Summerhays joined Spieth at 66, while Lucas Glover and Justin Thomas were a stroke further back.
Lingmerth, whose first PGA Tour victory came at the Memorial two years ago, also bogeyed his last hole on an ideal day for scoring.
Starting quickly at this tournament is nothing new for Dufner lately. He followed his first-round 66 with a 67 two years ago before fading over the weekend. Last year, he opened with a 68.
“I can put a couple of rounds together here,” Dufner said. “But I’m looking for more than that this week. Hopefully, we can keep it going for four.”
Jason Day and Dustin Johnson simply want to make sure they get to play four rounds.
Johnson three-putted after putting his tee shot into the water on the par-3 16th and made triple bogey. He three-putted from four feet on the sixth hole and made double bogey. And he didn’t make a single birdie in his round of 78. It was the first time in nearly four years — since the Bridgestone Invitational in 2013 — that Johnson failed to make a birdie.
Day, who has yet to crack the top 25 at the club where he holds a membership, made bogeys on both par 5s on the back nine and was headed for a big score until he birdied his last two holes for a 75.
Dufner nearly hitting every green in regulation is not surprising with his efficient swing. He recalls hitting 17 in a row in a round at Muirfield Village a few years ago until the 18th, and it got him again Thursday.
He even went for a slightly longer club, a 7-iron instead of an 8-iron, but the contact wasn’t pure and he came up short in a bunker. He blasted out 12 feet by the hole and missed his par putt.
“I’m OK,” Dufner said. “I’ll get over it.”
Jaeger shares second
In Raleigh, N.C., Stephan Jaeger opened with a 6-under 65 and was tied for second with Carlos Ortiz at the Web. com Tour’s Rex Hospital Open. They were a stroke behind Chesson Hadley at TPC Wakefield Plantation.
Jaeger, a Baylor School and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga graduate, is trying to win back-to-back tour events. The Chattanooga resident won the BMW Charity Pro-Am on May 21 in Greenville, S.C. for the second victory of his Web.com career. The tour was off last weekend.
Also in Raleigh, Athens, Tenn., native Eric Axley and former Baylor School and University of Georgia golfer Keith Mitchell were part of a logjam for 55th at 70. Blake Adams, who played at Dalton (Ga.) High School, shot a 73.
Orrin, Paratore tied
MALMO, Sweden — Max Orrin and Renato Paratore shared the lead after the opening round of the Nordea Masters at 5-under 68, with England’s Orrin coping with windy conditions on the back nine to match the Italian’s round.
Jamie Donaldson and Bradley Dredge were 4 under in the European Tour event, one shot clear of Li Haotong, Benjamin Hebert and Eddie Pepperell.
Playing in their home country, Alex Noren (75) and Henrik Stenson (73) and Alex Noren started poorly. Noren is a twotime winner of the tournament who is coming off a win in the BMW PGA Championship, the tour’s showcase event.