Round 1 Notebook
by Dave Weissman, Columbus Wired

What a glorious and exciting day it was.  The rain did not come until the last golfers were finishing their round, and even then it was not the normal 'Memorial' rain.  Charles Howell III is atop the leader board with an 8-under par, while last week's winner at the Colonial, Kenny Perry is in second place one stroke behind the leader.  It is important to note that no 1st round leader at the Memorial has held on to win the tournament. 

Maybe it's the milkshakes that Howell enjoys or the terrific golf he showed in carding his round. 

John Huston is in third place while Tiger Woods, Chad Campbell, Reteif Goosen, Lee Janzen, Brad Faxon, Vijay Singh and Adam Scott are all tied at 5-under par.  Defending champion Jim Furyk is 4-under

The weather prognosticators has predicted rain by early afternoon, but as Jack Nicklaus said in his pre-tournament press conference, they are 97% correct, 3% of the time.

These Europeans Had A Rough Day
Carlos Franco had a tough time on 18. On his second shot, he hit the rough just outside of the green. His chip towards the green did not make it and was forced to shoot another shot chip. It rolled past the hole and he would two-putt for a double-bogey to end his round tied at 101st.

Bernhard Langer must not like his ball. On the 9th hole, he put his second shot into the water just short of the green. After a two-putt for a double-bogey, he threw his ball into the water.

This European Is Glad To Be Here
Retief Goosen, who won the U.S. Open two years ago, is tied for 4th place in his first appearance at the Memorial.

Twice In A Row?
Kenny Perry who won last week at the Colonial in Ft. Worth, Texas fired a 7-under 65 to position himself in 2nd place after the round. He has never won twice in a row.

Tiger In The Hunt
Fan Favorite Tiger Woods is in the middle of the pack after carding a 67. The highlight for the day was his putt on 18, just off the fringe. He holed the shot and earned a birdie to end his day with a 67. This was the first tournament this year that he has shot in the 60’s on a Thursday.

Will This Be Duval's Year?
David Duval, who has struggled the last few years during the first round shot a 1-over par 73 (tied for 57th). Last year he made a push during the last round to earn a fourth place tie. He was last seen on the driving range after his round working on his tee shots.

Jack Need Help For The Weekend
Founder and host Jack Nicklaus may be sitting on the sidelines come the weekend. He carded a 4-over par 76.

Change In European Tour Schedule Opens Memorial to New Field
by Stephanie Morgan, Columbus Wired
This year, The Memorial Tournament boasts a full third of the field from outside the United States. In particular, the movement of the Volvo PGA has allowed many players, including Reteif Goosen, to make time in their schedules for The Memorial...more
 

There’s Something in the Milk Shakes: Charles Howell III Leads First Round
by Stephanie Morgan, Columbus Wired
At twenty-three, Howell is one of the youngest competitors The Memorial. Named PGA Rookie of the Year in 2001, Howell has already managed a very successful career path. Just last year, he surpassed four million in earnings, besting Carlos Franco’s prior record as the player with the most money won in his first two seasons on tour...more
 

Balance After Winning the Masters
by Stephanie Morgan, Columbus Wired
Fresh off of the practice round, Mike Weir is seemingly unfazed by his Defending Masters Champion status. In coming to The Memorial, Weir has been concentrating on his putting game. Today’s practice with Jack Nicklaus was a chance to get an even better idea of the changes made to this year’s course. While most may assume that constant practice was high on Weir’s list after The Masters, what Weir found most important was taking time off to spend with his family...more