Little-known guy tops Memorial

DUBLIN (AP) — For most of a warm and wacky Saturday afternoon at the Memorial, the leaderboard was filled with a “Who’s Who” of this golfing generation, five players with a combined 20 majors, 121 PGA Tour victories and 19 World Golf Championships.

Tiger Woods and Ernie Els. Davis Love III, Geoff Ogilvy and Jim Furyk.

It ended with a “Who’s That?”

Matt Bettencourt, a 34-year-old rookie who had never played a PGA Tour event until this year, steadied himself during some nervous moments on the super slick greens of Muirfield Village for a 4-under 68 to share the lead with two-time tour winner Mark Wilson (69).

Bettencourt, who has yet to finish in the top 20 and has missed more cuts than he has made, wasn’t expecting to be atop the leaderboard at the tournament Jack Nicklaus created.

The guys chasing him? That was no surprise at all.

“The field is so strong here,” Bettencourt said. “Mr. Nicklaus asks you to play, you’re going to play. If you expect to win, you’re going to have to beat the best. And the best are up there.”

No one played better than Ogilvy, who was in a tie for 57th and nine shots behind until he turned in a tournament-best 63 as the leaders were finishing up their lunch. He was atop the leaderboard for much of the day until finishing two shots behind.

Woods, a three-time winner of the Memorial, made his move on the back nine with a 5-wood into 6 feet for an eagle. Slowed by a careless three-putt bogey on the 17th, he had to settle for a 68 and was four shots behind.

Furyk was up-and-down, as were most players, until he steadied himself down the stretch and scratched out a 71, putting him one shot behind with Jonathan Byrd, who also had a 71.

Love chipped in for birdie on the 18th for a 69 and was tied for fifth with Ogilvy. Els chopped up the par-5 15th and took double bogey, putting him in the group at 207.

Don’t get the idea that Bettencourt or Wilson are rattled at the moment.

“If I take care of what I do ... I will have a great chance of winning,” Wilson said. “If I start thing about what everyone else is doing around me and, ‘Oh my gosh, that guy’s all got these major championships, he should win this, I shouldn’t,’ then you bet I’m going to lose.”

But not even Woods was taking anything for granted at Muirfield Village, where the greens were as fast as any on tour this year.

“I have to play well,” he said. “That’s the difference between being out front and trailing.”

About the only guy who didn’t go backward was Ogilvy, who was disgusted with himself Friday when he shot 74. That gave him an early tee time Saturday, which worked in his favor. The greens were as pure as can be and it helped that he stuck his approach on the first hole about a foot from the cup.