When golf becomes a marathon of patience (and putts)
Ah, the Memorial Tournament, that event where the Muirfield Village field decides to play “How much suffering can you endure?” and the players respond with forced smiles and score cards that look like they were written by a masochist. This year, Mother Nature added her special touch: constant rain, rough that looks like horror movie weeds, and greens more treacherous than an ex. But hey, Nick Taylor and Ben Griffin decided this was a TikTok challenge and made it a trend.
Taylor, the Canadian who played as if the weather was his ally (spoiler: it wasn’t)
Nick Taylor, the guy who probably has “Washington Huskie” tattooed on his soul (or at least in his Instagram bio), proved that a rainy day is no excuse not to shine. With a 68 (-4) and birdie putts on almost every hole—because who needs bogeys when you can basically be a robot?—the Canadian had such a clean card that even Scheffler looked on with envy. “It was nice to keep it simple,” Taylor said, as if he hadn’t been playing in hardcore mode.
Meanwhile, Griffin, the other leader, took advantage of a lull in the rain to shoot a 72 (cumulative -7), because what is golf without a little drama? The course, soft as butter after the downpour, gave him a break… although with rough so thick that even a machete would be useful. “The rough here is like trying to get the ball out of a bowl of ramen,” any player could have said, but Taylor summed it up best: “It’s almost unbeatable.” Thanks, Nick, for confirming that this is not a walk in the park.
Scheffler, the number one who is always there (like that friend who never stops stalking you)
And then there is Scottie Scheffler, the current champion and top player in the world, who roamed the field as if he were in a slow-motion challenge. A wedge into the water here, a missed birdie there, but in the end, his 70 left him close, because of course, what would a tournament be without Scheffler lurking like a movie villain? “There were a lot of good shots,” he said, omitting the moments when golf made him wonder why he didn’t choose chess.
The rough, by the way, is so brutal that players already see it as training for the US Open at Oakmont. “Torrey Pines was dense, but this is another level,” Taylor admitted. Translation: If you’re not on the fairway, you better pray.
So there you have it: rain, rough that deserves its own documentary on Netflix, and two leaders who showed that sometimes, golf is about survival, not showing off. Who will win? Nobody knows, but it will surely be epic.
Did you like this summary? Share it on your networks and follow our coverage so you don’t miss a single swing.
