DUBLIN, Ohio — Collin Morikawa had one of best weeks of his life at Muirfield Village Golf Club, culminated by winning the Workday Charity Open in a three-hole playoff over Justin Thomas on Sunday.
Four days later, the 23-year-old former Cal Bear looked like he was hanging on for dear life on Thursday in the opening round of the Memorial Tournament on the same golf course he’d scorched for 19-under-par the previous week.
After shooting 65-66-72-66 last week, Morikawa shot a 4-over 76 Thursday to stand in 96th place.
He was not alone. The struggle was real for some of the best players in the world.
Dustin Johnson, who won the Travelers Championship two weeks ago, shot 80. Rickie Fowler was one worse than that. Bubba Watson shot 78. Webb Simpson, who won the RBC Heritage the last time he played, shot 76.
Muirfield Village was not the same golf course that produced more birdies in the Workday Charity Open than the locker room staff at the club produces milkshakes during Memorial week.
“It’s not even remotely close to the same,’’ said Thomas, who struggled to a 2-over 74 four days after nearly winning the Workday. “I don’t want to say it was a disadvantage, but it was a totally, totally different golf course. The course is in fantastic shape right now. [But] it’s very tough. Obviously, I had a pretty tough time with it.’’
There were only a few who didn’t on Thursday, beginning with Tony Finau, who shot a 6-under 66 to seize a one-shot lead. Ryan Palmer shot a 5-under 67 and was followed by Gary Woodland and Brendan Steele each shooting 4-under 68s.
Charles Howell III, Lucas Glover and Jon Rahm all shot 3-under 69s.
“On a golf course like this in these conditions, it really forces you to think about every shot and stay in the present, and that’s what I was able to do today and score the golf ball,’’ Finau said. “[The conditions] were tough — fast greens, tough pin locations and then the wind.’’
Palmer missed the cut at last week’s Workday event, went home for a couple days and then posted his 5-under Thursday. Go figure. He called the difference in the golf course from last week to this week “night and day.’’
“The greens, they’re 2-, 3-feet faster for sure,’’ he said. “I enjoy these kinds of courses when you’ve got to grind your way around.’’
The golf course is having its greens replaced as soon as the tournament is completed Sunday, so the club isn’t concerned about losing the greens for the members once the event is over.
“They’re going to push it to the brink,’’ Palmer said.
“With the changes they’re going to make to the golf course starting next week, they don’t have to put as much water on it as they typically would,’’ Woodland said. “It was a beast of a test today. Last week, you were trying to make birdies. Guys were shooting 19, 20-under, so you’re out there playing aggressive.
“Today was more typical of like a major championship. You’re plotting your way around trying to keep the golf ball in the fairway, trying to pick your target.’’
Morikawa said when he returned to the golf course Tuesday after taking Monday off he immediately noticed “the greens get about a foot, foot-and-a-half faster.’’
Bryson DeChambeau, who entered the week as the favorite to win, called the conditions “very difficult out there’’ after shooting 1-over par.
“The wind played tricks with us today,’’ DeChambeau said.
Even Steele, who took the early lead among the first wave of tee times at 4-under, called the golf course “very difficult right now.’’
“The course is much firmer and faster’’ than it was last week, Steele said. “That goes for the fairways and the greens. The greens are firm and fast, much more the speed that we’re used to playing when we get here, and then obviously the wind is whipping. That combination makes for pretty tough scoring and a big difference from last week.’’
Steele sounded less like a guy who was basking in the 68 he shot and more like someone who’d just survived the day.
“They definitely firmed things up quite a bit more than I thought they could,’’ Howell said. “After playing last week, I’m surprised at how different they could get the golf course. I didn’t expect it to blow this hard, so in a way it got my attention a bit. From seeing it last week to this week and the difference in it, it’s quite a bit. It’s more than I thought.’’