Justin Suh grabs lead at star-packed Memorial Tournament

OHIO – Golf fans are starting to learn the name Justin Suh as he contends at one big tournament after another.

For his latest trick, the 25-year-old American fired a six-under 66 in Friday’s second round to take the lead at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio.

He stands at eight-under 136, one ahead of Hideki Matsuyama. The Japanese shot the round of the day – a bogey-free 65 – to leap into contention at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Patrick Cantlay (67) and David Lipsky (69) are tied for third on 138. Other big-name players like Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth are lurking at the tour’s latest “designated event” but everyone is looking up at Suh.

The 25-year-old won the Korn Ferry Tour Finals in 2022 en route to securing his PGA Tour card. He has excelled at difficult courses, tying for fifth at the Honda Classic, tying for sixth at The Players Championship and shooting 69-68 to start the PGA Championship before fading to a joint-26th finish.

“I’ve done a lot better in, I think, tougher tournament conditions,” Suh said. “And I think just the way we kind of piece a course together in our strategy and how we play courses, I think the tougher it is, the better.

“I think off the tee, I find a lot of fairways and I try not to get into too much big trouble. I definitely enjoy faster greens.”

Suh rolled in seven birdies on Friday and made just one bogey. That bogey came at the par-three 16th, when his tee shot found a greenside bunker, but he got the stroke back with a birdie at the par-four 18th after his approach shot landed inside 10 feet of the pin.

Suh said he was “pretty aware” he was putting for the outright lead.

“That leaderboard is pretty big on 18, so I saw that,” he said. “I’ve been in this situation before, so I think – I mean, Hideki’s also a great guy. I really enjoy playing with him, so I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun.”

Matsuyama, the 2021 US Masters champion, is vying for his first PGA Tour win since the Sony Open in January 2022. He started Friday’s round on the back nine and made four birdies before adding three more at Nos. 5, 7 and 8.

He drained a birdie putt from about 33 feet at the par-three eighth hole – right after making a 25-footer for birdie at No. 7.

“To make those putts at 7 and 8 were huge,” he said.

McIlroy rebounded from a triple-bogey on the last on Thursday to card a 68, and said it was not difficult to refocus.

He said: “I can’t let that one sort of unlucky break sort of hide the fact that everything else was working pretty well.”

Rahm, who could overtake Scottie Scheffler atop the world rankings with a victory on Sunday, joined the group on 140 with his second-straight 70.

“I feel really comfortable tee-to-green all day,” said the Spaniard, who opened with back-to-back bogeys but had four birdies the rest of the way. REUTERS, AFP