Both Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy were among those to have their rounds cut short
Shane Lowry(Image: Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Memorial Tournament is proving quite the challenge for all competing in Ohio, with Saturday’s action ended prematurely due to thunderstorms and rain.
The poor conditions arrived the day after Justin Thomas described his second round as “probably the most difficult” he has ever played on the PGA Tour.
Both Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy were among those to have their rounds cut short on Saturday, with Lowry on par for the day through nine holes and one-under for the tournament after a birdie on the par-fourth third that was cancelled out with a bogey on the par-four sixth.
Persistent rain led to an early abandonment of play, with the leaders having managed just five holes before the stoppage.
Second-round frontrunners JT Poston and Ryan Gerard held a one-shot lead at nine under par at Muirfield Village when proceedings were halted following a second weather delay.
Sam Burns sat in third position on eight under, while Tommy Fleetwood was joint fifth on four under, having navigated his opening six holes at level par.
Masters winner McIlroy, who started the day at one over, was one under through 16 holes – matching the score of world number one Scottie Scheffler, who had completed 14.
Play was scheduled to resume at 7.30am local time on Sunday morning in Dublin, Ohio, with the fourth round set to commence at 11am, featuring players in threesomes starting from two tees.
McIlroy, competing in only his sixth regular PGA Tour tournament this year, had barely begun his round at the first when the initial suspension occurred.
After a delay of approximately one hour and 45 minutes, he regained his composure to card a birdie at the first, before adding another with a 15-foot putt at the par-three fourth.
Dropped shots at the par-five seventh and ninth slowed his momentum approaching the turn, but he responded with birdies at the 13th and 15th before play was suspended once more.
Scheffler had been finding it difficult to reach par in his attempt to claim the title for a third consecutive year, and his third round began with a bogey. He bounced back with consecutive birdies before landing an eagle on the par-five seventh. A further birdie at the 10th pushed him to four under for the round, though bogeys at the 12th and 14th holes brought him back down to earth.
At the top of the leaderboard, Poston had navigated his opening five holes at level par, after his birdie on the second was cancelled out by a bogey on the fourth. Gerard had drawn level following two birdies, offset by a bogey five on the third.
Justin Rose made partial amends for Friday’s disappointing 76, climbing into a share of ninth place at two under, sitting three under for his third round having completed 15 holes.
US PGA champion Aaron Rai (eight holes) and Alex Fitzpatrick (eight) joined Lowry on one under.