Notes and Quotes from the Memorial
Byrd Pefers the Noisy Silence of the Crowd – the Memorial Tournament
DUBLIN, Ohio – Apart from the obvious advantages of his score – he’s in second place, three shots behind through the third round – Jonathan Byrd would rather play before the jammed galleries following the final grouping than just a handful of curiosity-seekers tagging along with the also-rans.Byrd got his wish with a 3-under 69 Saturday that left him at 9-under 207, three behind leader Steve Stricker (69-204). Next, they will be the final pairing for the fourth round Sunday, which of course means the featured attraction, with the galleries to go with them. Is Byrd ready to play under the spotlight, and under the week’s heaviest pressure?
“It’s a fun environment to be in,” Byrd said. “I tell people sometimes it’s easier. I think the hardest environment to play in is when there’s like two people out there and they’ve got a big bag of chips, and they’re just making so much noise. But when there’s a ton of people, you just block everybody out.”
WORKING THE IRISH CHARM -- Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irish kid with the fluffy hair, isn’t about to pick a fight with Muirfield Village, preferring instead to charm the deceptive Jack Nicklaus creation. “I think you need to pick the right time to be aggressive,” McIlroy was saying yesterday, after shooting a 1-under 71, hauling himself into a tie for fifth going into the final round of the Memorial Tournament. This after slipping a little, with a couple of bogeys in mid-round.
“I’m conservative on some holes, but you really need to pick the right time and select the right pin positions where you can go for it.” Accordingly, he ignored the temptations of the inviting fairways, hit only six drivers and spent the rest of the time giving up length for accuracy, hitting 3-irons, 5-woods and 3-woods.
TAKE THAT, NO. 18 – Phil Mickelson has been pretty much a bust in this Memorial, and it seems he took out his frustrations at the par-4 18th. “Well, I hit a pretty good drive there," PhillyMick said. His pretty good drive ended up 386 yards away, at the foot of the hill, some 85 feet from the green. (Some say his ball hit a cart path, cutting over the dogleg-right.) He chipped up to 5 feet and holed the birdie putt for a par -72 and a 2-under 214 total.
SO-SO ROUND OF THE DAY – Ricky Barnes, tied for second to start the third round, bogeyed three straight from No. 7, shot 74 and drifted back out of reach, eight off the lead.
LET IT ALL HANG OUT – From Brandt Jobe, after a 69 left him four off Stricker’s lead, on what he has to do to get into the mix Sunday: “Like – anything. When you’re leading by four or five shots, it’s your tournament to lose, so for me tomorrow, it’s just go out and play as hard as I can.”
STEALTH GOLFER – Mark Wilson (66), after zooming up the leaderboard, on how many times he has to get into contention to be considered one of the best players: “I like going under the radar. It’s just fine.”
ANGEL’S PRAYER – Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, former U.S. Open and Masters champ, was on his way to a hefty number in the third round, going out in a one-birdie, 3-over 39. But he reversed himself with a flawless 32 coming in for a 71 and a 214 total.
A MATTER OF COLOR – Masters champion Charl Schwartzel (70-213), on being seen wearing a green shirt with his green Masters jacket: “Well, I figure green works for me.”
THE BIG PLUNGE -- Germany’s Alex Cejka started the day at 1-under, then rocketed out of sight with a double bogey at No. 1 followed by three singles. He shot 40 on the front and finished with a 74-217.
THE AWFUL STRETCH – For whatever mysterious reason, Justin Leonard has not been on speaking terms with Muirfield Village. Apart from two top-10s over the years, he’s had no cause to celebrate, and Saturday’s third round was no exception. Quick arithmetic: How to shoot par-36 on the front and 79 for the day. Just have maybe the toughest stretch yet in this Memorial. He bogeyed the 10th out of a bunker, double- bogeyed the 11th off an unplayable lie, bogeyed the 14th after driving into the stream, double-bogeyed the 15th after going off the green, and finally bogeyed the 16th out of a bunker. The 79 is his worst-ever at the Memorial. He’s 73rd and dead last going into the final round.
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