Difficult day leaves Casey four back
The U.S. Open arrived two weeks early for Paul Casey, who lost the thirdround lead of the Memorial Tournament during a grueling day that felt like the toughest test in golf.
“It was like playing my own U.S. Open out there. It was so tough for me,” said Casey, who followed back-to-back 66s the first two days with a 4-overpar 76 yesterday at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
“It was draining,” he said. “I fought as hard as I could, and it’s a tough golf course to keep fighting.”
Casey entered the round with a three-shot lead over Bubba Watson but could not take advantage of perfect scoring conditions over the front nine as Watson moved into the lead. The Englishman’s struggles picked up speed on the back nine, ending with a double-bogey at No. 18 that dropped him into a tie for fifth, four shots behind Watson.
“I had some great saves on the front nine, but it was tough to keep that going through the back nine,” Casey said. “But I’ve got a lot of good golf left in me, so go out there tomorrow with guns blazing and see what happens. I’m really looking forward to making amends on the mess I made today.”
Rallying on Moving Day
A triple-bogey finish on Friday did nothing to shake the confidence of Ben Martin, who turned in the lowest round yesterday (65) by one stroke. He had seven birdies and 11 pars.
Martin took a 7 on No. 18 a day earlier that dropped him to even par overall.
“That stuff doesn’t get me down too much,” he said. “I try to look at the big picture.”
Martin will take that longer view into today by treating the first hole like it’s the first hole on Thursday.
“I play them all the same way and add them up at the end of 72,” he said.
Meyer OK by Gators fan
Unlike many University of Florida fans, alumnus Billy Horschel holds no grudge against Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer.
Meyer led the Gators to two national championships before resigning after the 2010 season for health reasons. He sat out one season before taking the Ohio State job in November 2011.
“I know a lot of Gator fans are upset, but I’m not one of them,” said Horschel, who bumped into Meyer at Muirfield earlier this week. “I’ll take a coach that’s there for six years and gives us two SEC and two national championships, and he can go do what he wants.”
Horschel is tied for fifth place at 8 under after a 68.
Iron man
Ostrander native Ben Curtis had his long irons working in the stretch drive as he birdied three of the last five holes to shoot a 69 and pull to five shots of the lead at 7 under.
“I’m quite pleased because anything under par on this course and you’re not going to hurt yourself,” he said. “I didn’t drive it great, but overall, it was good.”
Curtis, whose best finish at Muirfield Village is a tie for eighth in 2004, hopes the greens firm up today.
“I enjoy the style of this course: fast, sloped greens. I always feel like I putt decent here,” he said.
Slow and steady
Robert Streb is fine with first-tee nerves knocking around in his stomach, as long as the jitters don’t turn his game into knots.
“I don’t want to get going too quick,” he said, explaining that one of the negatives of becoming too excited is the potential for tempo to get too fast.
Streb, who is tied for fifth after shooting a 69, would feel even more nervous if he had not been in contention at the Zurich Classic in April.
“I understand better how to work when under the gun,” he said.
Day faults putter
Jason Day is seven shots out of the lead after shooting a 70 and will need a little luck to catch up with the leaders today.
Day’s inconsistency on the green hasn’t allowed him to take advantage of some good drives and second shots, he said.
“My shots from tee to green are solid,” the Westerville resident said. “My putts haven’t been great, but my game is moving in the right direction.”
Bunker buster
Rory McIlroy joked after his 3-under 69 that he was “the worst fairway bunker player on tour,” an idea that seemed ludicrous after his second shot from the bunker on No. 18 landed within 2 feet of the hole to set up a closing birdie.
“I’ve been practicing my fairway-bunker play the last couple of weeks because it’s been awful all year,” McIlroy said. “So to produce that shot on 18 was really nice.”