Luke Donald shot a sparkling eight-under-par 64 on the first day of the Memorial tournament to take a three-shot lead. Padraig Harrington’s poor run of form continued at Muirfield Village Golf Club as he struggled to a three over 75.
Donald started his round with a bogey at the first but a run of six birdies in seven holes on the back nine propelled him up the leaderboard ahead of Americans Jim Furyk and Ted Purdy, Australia’s Jason Day and South Africa’s Thomas Aiken, who all carded opening rounds of 67.
It was the lowest score of Donald’s PGA Tour season so far and having picked up eight shots in nine holes from the eighth.
“I just got on a hot streak,” he said. “Eight under through nine holes, that doesn’t happen very often but when you get on that roll, it feels pretty good. So I just kept going and made some birdies.”
Purdy carded seven birdies but shipped a costly double bogey at the par three 12th, while Day finished with back-to-back bogeys.
Steve Marino, Stewart Cink, Mark Wilson sit tied for sixth at four under, with group of nine including world number one Tiger Woods, who has won the title three times at Muirfield, tied for ninth a further shot back.
