Muirfield Village proved to be a formidable challenge at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, delighting host Jack Nicklaus with its tough conditions.
Big names Rickie Fowler and Justin Rose were among those who couldn’t overcome the course’s difficulties. Both players will miss the cut after struggling in the first two rounds.
The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, like Tiger Woods’ Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, features a 36-hole cut. This week, the field is cut to the low 50 and ties, plus any other players within 10 strokes of the lead after two rounds.
Fowler posted scores of 76-82, while Rose shot 80-73. Both were well outside the cut line, which was projected at 4- or 5-over par when they finished their second rounds.
Rose and Fowler finished first and second, respectively, at the 2010 Memorial. That event marked Rose’s first PGA TOUR victory, and Fowler’s runner-up finish was part of his Rookie of the Year campaign. Despite their past successes at Muirfield Village, they couldn’t replicate it this week.
ALSO READ:Carlos Alcaraz Reaches First Roland-Garros Final with Thrilling Win Over Sinner
Fowler, who was also runner-up in the 2017 Memorial and had five top-15 finishes in his last seven appearances here, struggled mightily on Friday. He was 8-over par on his first seven holes, with double bogeys on the par-4 second and both par-5s on the front nine, Nos. 5 and 7. He made the turn at 9-over 45 and added a bogey at No. 10. Four consecutive pars were followed by back-to-back birdies at Nos. 15 and 16, but he bogeyed his final two holes.
Fowler, who ended a four-year winless drought at last year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, is currently 108th in the FedExCup standings with just one top-25 finish in 2024.
Rose had just one birdie on Thursday and closed his round with a triple-bogey 7 at the final hole. He bogeyed his last two holes on Friday, playing Nos. 17 and 18 in a combined 6 over par.
The 2018 FedExCup champion finished sixth at last month’s PGA Championship and entered this week ranked 69th in the FedExCup. The top 70 players after the Wyndham Championship on Aug. 11 will qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs.
A venerable sports journalist boasting two decades of expertise. Renowned as a reliable authority in sports reporting, Khan’s meticulous approach shines through as he delves into the intricacies of NFL plays, dissects NHL strategies, unravels the finesse of soccer, and deciphers the tactics of basketball. With an unwavering commitment to storytelling, Khan invites you to join him in exploring the dynamic world of athletics, where his nuanced understanding of athletes, strategies, and narratives unfolds across the NFL, NHL, Football, Soccer, Basketball, and beyond.
