Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry face a long Sunday after play was called for the day on Saturday as thunderstorms saturated the Muirfield Village course at the Memorial Tournament.
McIlroy won’t have too many complaints with just two holes of his third round to complete on top of a full final round before he takes a week off but Lowry is staring into 27 holes before travelling to Canada for the RBC Canadian Open.
McIlroy was going along nicely after birdies on 13 and 15 and a par on the tricky par-3 16th had moved him to one-under-par total and into a share of 12th place, albeit eight shots behind Ryan Gerard and JT Poston who had played just five holes of their third rounds.
Lowry was also on one-under-par through nine holes after a birdie on the 3rd and a bogey on the 6th.
Two separate rain delays meant more than half the field had their day cut short. When players returned after the first stoppage they came back to a completely different golf course. Suddenly it was score able and that was reflected in each player in the top-20 being even par or better for their day before play was suspended for a second time.
“It’s a completely different golf course,” Justin Thomas said after he had finished. “That’s kind of the joy of being first off because you normally get no wind and an easier course,” he said. “But I missed the window. You know, you’ve got to play better.”
Overnight co-leader Poston is booked in for US Open final qualifying on Monday but a win or second place finish would mean he could forego that journey and clinch and automatic spot in the field for Shinnecock Hills.
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