The Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley Opening Rounds
At last check, this week was not the Australian Open...was it?
With the Australians top-ranked golfer leading the way, Australian golfers account for the top three spots on the leaderboard with a total of six in the top-12.
Adam Scott led the way for the foreign contingent. Scott was 9-under par through 12 holes and 59 was a distinct possibility. But Scott only made two more birdies along with a bogey to settle for a measly 62, and the lead through two rounds at The Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley.
First round co-leader, Rod Pampling, backed up his first round 65 with a 5-under 67 to sit only one shot behind fellow countryman Scott.
And only one shot behind Pampling is another Aussie in Aaron Baddeley.
Defending U.S. Open champion and Australian native, Geoff Ogilvy, is in a tie for eighth place at 8-under par. His second round 67 was matched by another foreigner in Trevor Immelman and stood as the second best round of the day to Scott by an astonishing five strokes.
Yep, you guessed it, another Australian is in the mix. Nick O'Hern shot a 2-over 74 after his first round 65 which had him in a tie for first after the opening round.
This must just be a golf course the men from down under feel comfortable with, right? Well, not really. This entire group of Australian players has played well recently. Scott won the Shell Houston Open earlier this year before the Masters. Pampling has five top-20s and a top-10 this year. Baddeley also was a winner this year at the FBR Open. Ogilvy is the defending U.S. Open champ and has three top-10s this year, including a second place finish to Henrik Stenson at the WGC-Match Play event. And Nick O'Hern took out Tiger Woods for the second time in his career at the same match play event.
Sitting in the middle of this Aussie love fest are some Americans.
Bubba Watson shot a 68 and is tied with Baddeley at 10-under par. Watson briefly held a share of the lead with Scott, but three bogeys over his final six holes dropped him out of the top spot.
Ryan Moore and Sean O'Hair are tied at 9-under par. O'Hair is beginning to develop as a major contender. Fresh off his crushing 11th place finish at THE PLAYERS, which had him in contention with Phil Mickelson until a quadruple bogey on the 17th hole, he is again in contention and showing the world he is a premier player in all facets of the game.
With the top-ranked Australians playing so well, the top-ranked Americans must be playing well too, right? Ehhh.
World numero uno, Tiger Woods, is a disappointing ten shots off the pace at 2-under par after rounds of 70 and 72.
Recently bumped to number three in the world, Jim Furyk is faring the best between the top-3 ranked Americans in the world at 5-under.
And the new world number two and newest rival to Woods (for about the third time in his career), Phil Mickelson, withdrew after the first round with a wrist injury. The injury could keep him sidelined until the U.S. Open in two weeks.
