Lingmerth leads Memorial

Associated Press

DUBLIN

David Lingmerth took a step toward turning his game around with a 7-under 65 at the Memorial on Friday. It gave the Swede a one-shot lead going into a weekend that includes Tiger Woods.

But just barely.

Long after Lingmerth capped off a bogey-free round at Muirfield Village, Woods was 40 yards away from the flag on the 18th green and in dire need of getting up-and-down to save par and avoid missing his first cut at the tournament he has won five times.

For his second straight tournament, he holed a key putt to survive.

“At least I was able to make those putts, so that’s a positive sign,” Woods said after his 2-under 70. “Now I just need to put myself in the position where those putts are to win tournaments, not to make cuts.”

He was 11 shots behind Lingmerth, who was at 12-under 132.

Woods had to hang on, making two straight bogeys before his par save on the final hole. For Jason Dufner, it was a thrill a minute.

Dufner made a 5 on a par 3 and a 3 on a par 5. And that was before he made a hole-in-one — his fourth eagle of the week — on the par-3 16th hole. He followed that with a bogey. It was relatively boring after that, and the former PGA champion wound up with a 67 that put him in final group with Lingmerth, just one shot behind.

Dufner didn’t have much to say — he rarely does, even when he won the PGA Championship two years ago — and spoke only to Ohio-based reporters. Until a tie for eighth last week at the AT&T Byron National, he had gone just over a year without a top 10 on American soil. The only time he made news was when his divorce was reported.

“I’m hitting it really good,” Dufner said. “I’m having enough good holes, good shots, to offset some of the mistakes I’ve had.”

Ryan Moore, gearing up for a U.S. Open near his hometown outside Tacoma, Washington, had another 67 and was at 10-under 134, along with Andy Sullivan of England, who can earn a spot at Chambers Bay with a good week at the Memorial.

A trio of past champions — Hideki Matsuyama, Jim Furyk and Justin Rose — were in the group that was three shots behind. Joining them was Patrick Rodgers, who made eight birdies in a round of 66 and is poised to at least secure temporary membership on the PGA Tour.

Good scores were stacked up behind them. There were plenty of birdies available on a course that still presents trouble around every corner.

“Every shot gets your attention,” Rose said.