Tiger Woods cards best round at Riviera since 2004

Here are nine tidbits from the third round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Jack Nicklaus’ Muirfield Village Golf Club, just outside Columbus, Ohio, has hosted for the 42 previous events and plays 7,392 yards to a Par-72. PAIN OR GAIN These were the top-10 picked golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO: With another day of excellent scoring conditions, MVGC played under-par for the second day in a row. We saw plenty of movement in both directions from the most selected players! The roller coaster rolls on tomorrow as thunderstorms are forecast for the afternoon. Trying to beat the weather, tee times are now threesomes off No. 1 and No. 10 starting at 7: 30 am and concluding with leader Bryson DeChambeau (-14), Patrick Cantlay (-13) and Kyle Stanley (-13) at 9:30 am. Make sure your lineups are sorted tonight! Also, LIVE STREAMING will be provided on PGATOURLIVE.COM and CBSSports.com starting at 11 am. Alone Last week at Colonial, Bryson DeChambeau birdied his first two holes on Saturday from T6 and looked to be in the fight. He played the rest of his round in three-over-par and finished the round T31. This week on Saturday he racked up a bogey-free 66 to move into first place alone after 54 holes. His only win on TOUR was last summer at the John Deere Classic where he came from four shots off the lead. That’s where Justin Rose will start tomorrow with Tiger Woods one behind the Englishman. Recent Experiences Patrick Cantlay will make up one third of the final pairing tomorrow as he also posted 66 in Round 3. Unlike DeChambeau, Cantlay picked up a pair of eagles, including an ace on No. 8, but squared two bogeys for his total. Like DeChambeau this is only his second event at MVGC. He’ll be looking to join the group of multiple winners this season as he picked up his first at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas last November. Rear View Mirror Kyle Stanley and Joaquin Niemann both posted 70 from the final two-some Saturday and will sit one off DeChambeau’s lead. Stanley won last summer at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farms in a playoff and has a pair of top-10 finishes at MVGC, including T6 last year. In Niemann’s two top-10 paydays this year he’s closed with 67 (Valero) and 66 (Colonial) but he wasn’t one shot off the lead. If he cards four or five-under tomorrow again I’ll LOVE his chances but I’m more interested to see how he reacts with a chance to win! Large Cat Prowling With a birdie on No. 15, Tiger Woods was tied for the lead on 11-under. With bogeys, plural, on two of the next three holes, Woods donated two shots to the field and eventually ended the day T7. He’s leading the event in SG: tee to green and proximity but his putter hasn’t blown up yet. He finished Round 3 69th in SG: putting (of 81 players) so it’s back to the practice green again tonight. He had troubles closing rounds at THE PLAYERS and don’t look at his front nine vs. back nine scores from this week either. Since he’s my O&D this week, I’ll be in charge of the pompoms tomorrow! On Your Marc I usually mention at least once during the week about #Play72. The most difficult part of fantasy golf is waiting for it to end some weeks and this is one of those weeks for the Marc Leishman supporters. He made the cut on the number and faced the MDF on Saturday before making six birdies to move to T37. He’s first off tomorrow on No.1 and will have perfect greens to putt. Don’t give up just yet! Moving Day Rory McIlroy fired a bogey-free 64 for the lowest round of the week and moved up 58 spots to T11. He has a wonderful top gear that was on display with an eagle and six birdies. The 63 he fired in the first round in 2014 is still his best so he’s hardly in uncharted waters. … We haven’t mentioned Whee Kim since he fell in a playoff at the Shriners to Cantlay. His best payday since the first weekend in November was the following week when he cashed for T45 at OHL Classic at Mayakoba. He moved up 28 spots to T7 after 67 in Round 3. He’s second in SG: putting for the week. Moving Day: Wrong Way Just when I think I’ve solved the Jason Day mystery at MVGC he drops 24 spots to T28 in Round 3. On another day with optimum scoring conditions, the Aussie and club member limped around in 74. There were only six scores worse than 74 Saturday. … The frustration for gamers who back Henrik Stenson at MVGC continued again in Round 3. The Swede couldn’t bounce from his 66 in Round 2 as he dropped 12 spots to T21 after an even-par 72. He’s painting fairways and greens but his trusty short game hasn’t been on point. … MDF claimed eight players including Kevin Kisner and Adam Hadwin as more than 78 players made the 36-hole cut. Study Hall Round 1 scored 72.558 (+.558) and there were just three bogey-free rounds. Round 2 entered the history books as it was just the 13th round in history to average less than 71.00 (70.458). Round 3 fell right in the middle at 71.173 (-0.827). … Byeong-Hun An (5th) is the only player with two bogey-free rounds (Rounds 2 and 3). … Francesco Molinari, like Rose, is looking to win back-to-back events as he’ll begin the final round of the Italian Open one behind England’s Lee Slattery.

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NORTON, Mass. – The first time Justin Rose played a competitive round at TPC Boston, he shot 63. That was 15 years ago and he was not yet a TOUR member. He was playing on a sponsor’s exemption extended by then-tournament director Jay Monahan, now the PGA TOUR Commissioner. Rose, then 23-years old, eventually finished solo third and earned his TOUR card without having to go through Q-school. Since then, he’s played more than 300 TOUR events, won nine times – including a major and two WGC events – and also won an Olympic gold medal. It’s been a stellar career. But he’s never been able to match that 63 – although he came close Friday with a bogey-free 6-under 65 to take the first-round lead at the Dell Technologies Championship. “This golf course has been changed and manipulated a lot through the years,â€� said Rose after his 45th career round at TPC Boston. “I think the first couple of years I played really well and enjoyed it. Then obviously significant changes through the years. I guess the last few years things have settled a little bit again. “So I played better when it was pre-redesign. I probably had more success.â€� Indeed. Besides his solo third in 2003, he tied for fourth in 2006. But since the debut of the FedExCup Playoffs the following year and the course’s redesign by Gil Hanse, Rose’s only top-10 finish came last year with a tie for 10th. Perhaps he’s finally starting to solve it. He certainly solved the tricky wind conditions better than anybody else, and his bogey-free round was one of just two on the day (Abraham Ancer had the other in shooting 66). Of course, it helps that he’s an established world-class golfer, ranked sixth in FedExCup points and fourth in the world. Even so, TPC Boston – at least the latest version — may always seem liked a mystery to him. “I’ve had some mixed results here,â€� said Rose, who turned his first missed cut of the season at last week’s FedExCup Playoffs opener into a six-day visit back home. “I’ve had some great weeks and I’ve had some poor weeks here. It’s a course I never really know exactly what to expect. “But it’s a fun golf course.â€� It was fun 15 years ago when he first saw it. Maybe it will be even more fun for him the rest of this week. KEEGAN HANDLING HOMETOWN PRESSURE Keegan Bradley desperately wants to give his New England fans a winning performance. Unfortunately, he’s never really come close at TPC Boston. In six previous appearances at the Dell Technologies Championship, his best finish is a tie for 13th in 2012. That was the year he shot 63 in the third round. Alas, that only moved him within 13 shots of the leader. Two years later, he opened with a 65, leaving him in solo second … and then he gradually dropped down the leaderboard to finish tied for 16th. Yes, the Vermont native – who’s also an unabashed Boston sports fan — gets tons of support here. That also comes with tons of pressure. Now, though, he thinks he can properly channel that pressure. An opening 4-under 67, which leaves him just two shots behind leader Justin Rose, suggests this might be the year. “I’ve learned to love coming here,â€� Bradley said. “It used to be a very tough week for me. I put so much pressure on myself. But I’ve learned to go with it.â€� He’s also learning how to let go of disappointment. A week ago, his third-round 62 at THE NORTHERN TRUST moved him into solo second after 54 holes. A day later, in the final group with eventual winner Bryson DeChambeau, he suffered a free-fall, his 7-over 78 leaving him tied for 34th. Considering he hasn’t won a PGA TOUR event in six years and has just one top-3 finish in his last 119 starts, it was a bitter finish. But by the middle of this week, he was over it. “It was tough, because I felt like that was my day to kind of tell everybody that maybe I was back here and I was here to stay,â€� Bradley said. “I may have put too much pressure on myself. But it’s nice to come right back out and play quickly.â€� Will he keep riding the momentum – and successfully manage the expectations – for the final three rounds this week? Bradley certainly hopes so, but it’ll be difficult not to let his mind wander. “I would love to give the fans and my family who don’t get to come to a lot of tournaments see me compete and do well, maybe win,â€� he said. “That would be incredible. So always in the back of my mind, I think how amazing that would be. How cool that would be. “And that’s something that I’ll have to be aware of this week.â€� NOTABLES DJ’S GUARANTEE … In eight career starts at TPC Boston, Dustin Johnson has three top-10 finishes. He’s only held the lead once in 32 rounds here, and has only been inside the top-5 once entering the final round. His promise: That all changes this year. “I don’t understand why I haven’t had more success here because I like the golf course,â€� he said after an opening 68. “I feel like it sets up well for me. And I’m going to have success this year.â€� OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE SHOE … Marc Leishman’s approach into the par-4 sixth was sailing long right and heading into trouble – until it bounced off the bottom of the shoe of a fan who had stumbled and fallen backwards while trying to get out of the way. The ball ricocheted onto the green, and Leishman capitalized on the break by rolling in the birdie putt from 56 feet, 11 inches. “First time that’s ever happened to me,â€� said Leishman, who shot a 68. “It’s nice when it does happen … Hopefully I don’t need those kind of breaks later in the week.â€� Click here for the video of the shoe shot. TURF TALK … A week ago, Chris Kirk tied for last among all players who made the cut at THE NORTHERN TRUST. This week, he’s off to a great start with a 4-under 67. The difference, he said, is his ability to read the greens at TPC Boston after struggling last week at Ridgewood. And why is that? “I suck on poa annua,â€� Kirk said. He said other than a solo second in the 2013 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, his track record is horrible on poa annua greens. “I wish I somehow had any clue what I did that week,â€� he said. “I’m still using the same putter right now that I used that week.â€� Bentgrass greens, like at TPC Boston, and bermudagrass greens are no problem. “At least I feel good on two out of the three surfaces we play,â€� Kirk said. FEELING FRESH … Beau Hossler played six straight weeks earlier this season. He had another stretch of five straight weeks. But this week is just his third start in the last six weeks. “I feel really fresh, where a lot of players probably don’t right now,â€� Hossler said after his 67. “I would say my game isn’t exactly where I want it to be. But as far as mentally, I feel totally rested and prepared to compete.â€� Hossler’s fast start is no surprise – the rookie is fifth on TOUR in first-round scoring average. BANG-BANG FINISHES … Russell Knox was plodding along and coming off an unfortunate bogey on the 12th hole after finding the middle of the fairway. After that? Three birdies and an eagle hole-out at the par-4 15th to shoot 66 and share second place. “The round was just good in four holes,â€� Knox said. “It was nice. I haven’t hd one of those bang-bang runs in a while.â€� … Abraham Ancer also had one of those runs to finish his bogey-free 66, making four birdies in his last six holes. “Some putts didn’t go in on the front nine and I just stayed patient and made some coming in,â€� Ancer said. QUOTABLES They might be taking an early weekend. Should be in school studying.I’ve learned more about my game this year than any other season, no doubt. SHOT OF THE DAY

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AUSTIN, Texas — The four-man groups at this week’s World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play will be determined Monday night. Players in the 64-man field will be seeded according to their position on the Official World Ranking as of Monday. Players are then placed into four pools of 16 players (Pool A: 1-16; Pool B: 17-32; Pool C: 33-48; Pool D: 49-64). The top 16 ranked players will head the 16 groups. Monday’s draw will determine the random selection for the other three players in each group. Group members will play each other in the first three days of group stage. The 16 group winners will then advance to sudden-death play starting with Saturday morning’s Round of 16 at Austin Country Club. PGATOUR.COM is on the scene Monday and will provide live coverage from downtown Austin as the groups are determined. The draw begins at 7:30 p.m. ET. Group draw Here are the draws for group play. Current Official World Golf Ranking in parentheses. The first name in each group was determined by their world ranking. The other three were drawn randomly. GROUP 1: Dustin Johnson (1) GROUP 2: Justin Thomas (2) GROUP 3: Jon Rahm (3) GROUP 4: Jordan Spieth (4) GROUP 5: Hideki Matsuyama (6) GROUP 6: Rory McIlroy (7) GROUP 7: Sergio Garcia (10) GROUP 8: Jason Day (11) GROUP 9: Tommy Fleetwood (12) GROUP 10: Paul Casey (13) GROUP 11: Marc Leishman (15) GROUP 12: Tyrrell Hatton (16) GROUP 13: Alex Noren (17) GROUP 14: Phil Mickelson (18) GROUP 15: Pat Perez (19) GROUP 16: Matt Kuchar (20)

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