J.T. Poston surged into the lead at the Memorial Tournament with a brilliant seven-under-par 65 in extremely difficult, windy conditions at Muirfield Village Golf Club. His eight-birdie round left him at nine under overall, one shot ahead of fellow American Ryan Gerard heading into the weekend.
While many players struggled with the gusty conditions, Poston thrived after switching to a new golf ball designed to perform better in the wind. He combined strong ball-striking with exceptional putting, needing just 24 putts and gaining significant strokes on the field.
The conditions drew strong reactions from the field. Justin Thomas described it as the hardest round of golf he could remember, while Tommy Fleetwood called it “brutal.” World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler battled to a 72 after an erratic round, and Rory McIlroy carded a 74, leaving both 10 shots behind the leader.
Sam Burns sits three shots off the pace after a second straight 69, while Gerard remains firmly in contention after grinding out a 69 on a day he described as a major test of patience.