Stallings leads by one at Memorial

DUBLIN, Ohio — Erik Compton is rather fastidious about his practice time, keeping things short and efficient to avoid overtaxing a body that has withstood two heart transplants.

Last weekend, though, he threw a little caution to the wind. Rather than head home to South Florida after a missed cut, Compton stayed in steamy Texas and pounded range balls. Thursday delivered some early dividends. Compton, playing in the day’s final group, reeled off five birdies on the back nine of a five-under-par 67 that left him one shot behind leader Scott Stallings after a jumbled opening round of the Memorial Tournament.

“I’m just kind of trusting it and swinging away,” said Compton, who matched the best score of his rookie PGA Tour season.

It came on a day when Rory McIlroy, trying to stop a slide of consecutive missed cuts, went four over through three holes before battling all the way back to a one-under 71, Masters champion Bubba Watson showed the rust of a monthlong hiatus with a 75, and Tiger Woods started devouring par-fives again on his way to a two-under 70.

Then came the kicker: Phil Mickelson withdrew, citing fatigue after a 79 that was his worst score in nearly a decade.

Stallings — himself a victim of six consecutive missed cuts while working his way back from a rib injury —stood tallest at day’s end. A crisp eight-iron to kick-in distance produced a rare birdie to close out a 66.

Compton wound up tied for second with Spencer Levin. From there, it was another two shots back to Torrey Pines winner Brandt Snedeker and six others at 69. Woods joined Ernie Els and seven others at 70.

“I was just consistent all day,” said Woods, who has three straight finishes at 40th or worse.

McIlroy got off to a rocky start with a quadruple bogey at the par-three 12th – putting his tee shot in a back bunker and rinsing his recovery shot from an awkward stance. But he steeled himself after that, tallying four birdies and an eagle against one bogey.