Rahm surges to top at Memorial

No. 1 rank in sight for Spaniard

DUBLIN, Ohio — Jon Rahm showed Saturday why he’s such an explosive player, with his clubs. It might be what takes him to No. 1 in the world.

Rahm was four shots behind as he played the 12th hole at Muirfield Village. Then he ran off four straight birdies in firm, fast and scary conditions for a 4-under-par 68 that gave him a four-shot lead over Tony Finau and Ryan Palmer.

Rahm can go to No. 1 in the world for the first time with a win Sunday, provided Rory McIlroy is not a runner-up. McIlroy was 10 shots back after a 72, not a bad effort on a day when the average was 73.07.

Finau’s start was nearly as good as Rahm’s finish. Finau was bogey-free on the front nine, poured in a 50-foot birdie putt and then easily reached the green on the par-5 11th for a two-putt birdie to reach 12 under.

One swing changed everything.

Finau’s tee shot on the par-3 12th in a swirling wind sailed 15 yards over the green, leaving a downhill chip from thick rough to a green that was yellow and ran toward the water. He left it short, chipped through the green and made double bogey. Finau took another double bogey on the 17th hole with an awkward lie in the rough.

He wound up at 73.

Palmer, who had a share of the lead on the back nine, bogeyed two of his last three holes for a 73.

Rahm was at 12-under 204 as he goes for his fourth PGA Tour victory.

This was a day of patience for everyone, and Rahm could sense it. Muirfield Village is rebuilding all the greens starting Monday, and tournament officials are not afraid to let the course go to the edge for the year’s strongest field.

■ At Reflection Bay Golf Club, Iowa sophomore Morgan Goldstein, a Faith Lutheran product, shot 6-under 66 to lead two-time defending champion and UNLV junior Veronica Joels by three strokes after the first of two rounds of the Nevada State Women’s Amateur.

Clark product Riana Mission, 16, the 2020 Nevada State Junior Amateur champion, and Yana Wilson, 13, a former Drive, Chip and Putt national champion, were tied for third at 2-under 70.

NSWGA:

Darron Cummings The Associated Press Jon Rahm follows through on a shot from the second tee Saturday in the third round of the Memorial at Muirfield Village Golf Club.