'Number 6' Morikawa "6-under par start~"... What about 'Hulk' DeChambeau?

On the First Day of the Memorial Tournament, Long Ranks 2nd, 1 Stroke Behind, Defending Champ Ram in 7th, Most Players' Matches Postponed Due to Bad Weather

Collin Morikawa is reading the putting line on the 13th hole on the first day of the Memorial Tournament. Dublin, USA - Photo by Getty Images/Multibits

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] It was an early surge by 'Number 6' Collin Morikawa.

On the 4th (Korean time) at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, USA (par 72, 7,456 yards), the first day of the PGA Tour Memorial Tournament (total prize money $9.3 million), Morikawa fired a 6-under par to immediately take the top spot on the leaderboard. Most players' rounds were postponed due to severe weather conditions. Adam Long shot 5-under par to take 2nd place, Xander Schauffele (both from the USA) tied for 3rd at 4-under par, and defending champion Jon Rahm (Spain) stood tied for 7th at 3-under par.

Morikawa started at the 10th hole (par 4), gaining momentum with a birdie at the 12th hole (par 4) followed by consecutive birdies at the 14th and 15th holes. Although he missed the green at the 18th hole (par 4) resulting in his only bogey, he recovered with three consecutive birdies from the 1st to 3rd holes on the back nine and sealed the round with a birdie at the 5th hole (par 5). His green hit rate of 83.33% showcased his 'pinpoint iron shots.' Additionally, he averaged 1.53 putts per hole, demonstrating 'stingy putting.' This sets him up for a chance to claim his second win just three months after the Workday Championship in March.

It is interesting that Morikawa won the Workday Charity Open held at the same course last July. This highlights his particular strength at Muirfield Village. On the final day, he was co-leader with Justin Thomas (USA) at 19-under par (269 strokes) and clinched the victory with a par on the third playoff hole at the 10th hole (par 4), drawing even more spotlight. He also secured a major title by winning the PGA Championship in August.

Schauffele is aiming for his first victory. He has been frustrated with three runner-up finishes already: The CJ Cup in October last year (part of the 2021 season), the Farmers Insurance Open in January, and the Phoenix Open in February. He has also fallen short by '2%' with a tie for 3rd at the Masters in April. Meanwhile, Rahm is dreaming of defending his title. His win at this tournament last year made him the first Spanish world number one in 31 years since Seve Ballesteros in 1989.

The power showdown between 'The Hulk' Bryson DeChambeau (USA) and Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) is still ongoing. DeChambeau has already gained 2 strokes over 3 holes, energizing him at tied 14th place, while McIlroy lost 1 stroke over 2 holes and remains tied for 61st. With many holes left, the rankings are not yet significant. From Korea, Kang Sung-hoon (34) is tied for 20th at 1-under par, Im Sung-jae (23) and Lee Kyoung-hoon (30) are tied for 36th at even par, Kim Si-woo (26, all from CJ Logistics) is tied for 61st, Choi Kyung-ju (51, SK Telecom) is tied for 77th at 2-over par, and An Byeong-hun (30) is 111th at 7-over par.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.