David Lingmerth of Sweden shot a bogey-free 7-under-par 65 and took a one-stroke lead over Jason Dufner heading into the third round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.
The 27-year-old Lingmerth, whose only pro victory came in the 2011 Neediest Kids Championship on the Web.com Tour, made his fourth birdie of the back nine on the final hole by stuffing his approach shot to within three feet and sinking the putt.
“It was a little while ago since I was in contention last, but I’ve been there and I know I can handle it,” said Lingmerth, who missed the cut in four of his last five PGA Tour events but was 12-under through 36 holes after also shooting 67 in round one.
“If I can get it around 20 (-under), I think I should be doing good. I think the winning scores have probably been more like 15, 16 (-under), something like that. Am I wrong? I don’t know. But I’m aiming at 20. We’ll see.”
Dufner, trying to regain the form that took him to the 2013 PGA Championship, recorded a 67 that included a hole in one with a 6-iron on the 201-yard 16th hole, a five-foot eagle putt one hole earlier and a double bogey 6 at No. 12.
Andy Sullivan of England carded a bogey-free 64 capped sinking by a 15-foot birdie putt on his final hole, No. 9, and was two shots back in a tie for third with Ryan Moore, who had a second straight 67 that was marred by a double bogey 6 on the sixth hole.
Defending champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, who shared the first-round lead with a 64, could manage only a 71 and was three strokes behind in a tie for fifth with Jim Furyk (66), rookie Patrick Rodgers (66) of Stanford, Justin Rose (67) of England, Brendon Todd (68) and Francesco Molinari (67) of Italy.
Masters champion Jordan Spieth shot 70 and was six shots back in a tie for 16th, Phil Mickelson had a 68 and was tied for 33rd, and Tiger Woods holed a four-foot par putt to finish off a 70 and made the cut on the number in a tie for 64th.
