On Friday, May 30th, 2025, Ben Griffin shot a remarkable 65 to lead Round 1 of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, as Muirfield Village's "brutal" rough immediately tested the world's best.
MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT: GRIFFIN'S GRIT & MUIRFIELD'S GAUNTLET
- Ben Griffin, once a mortgage broker who quit golf, fired a stunning 65 to lead, battling through water balls and a rollercoaster round for an "incredible day."
- "A couple of water balls. I really need to go to the range... But, no...it was an incredible day." - Ben Griffin on his adventurous opening 65.
- Griffin's aggressive strategy and improved fitness fueled his lead, with Amanda Balionis noting on Instagram, "The level of golf Ben Griffin is playing right now..."
THE CHASE PACK & MUIRFIELD'S MENACE
- Collin Morikawa (67), Max Homa (68), Shane Lowry (69), Keegan Bradley (69) & Nick Taylor (69) navigate Muirfield's "terrible" rough in pursuit of the leader.
- Max Homa feels his game is "as good as it has in a very, very long time," boosting his confidence on the challenging layout.
- Homa also debuted a Chipotle headcover, quipping, "It's probably a bigger dream for me to be friends with the CEO of Chipotle."
STAR STORIES & SCHEFFLER'S START
- Defending champion Scottie Scheffler (70) felt "out of the fairway too often" but shared a heartwarming exchange with young fan Wyatt.
- "Hi Scottie. My name is Wyatt. What is your name?" the young fan asked, to which Scheffler replied, "My name's Scottie. Nice to meet you... See ya, buddy!"
- Player anecdotes abounded: Justin Rose on Steph Curry's inspiration, Xander Schauffele's "embarrassing" round with Michael Jordan, and a Spieth-Greller debate leading to birdie.
Quick Hits
Justin Thomas's tough 80 • Viktor Hovland on LIV situation feeling "weird" • Rory McIlroy's absence discussed
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