Tourney could become Love affair

D.L. III tied with O'Hern, Merrick for lead at six-under in St. Jude Classic

By: Teresa M. Walker Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Sunday, Jun. 10, 2012

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Davis Love III thinks he's playing as well as he did earlier this year before pulling a rib muscle at Bay Hill. Now the U.S. Ryder Cup captain is eager to see just how much he might do.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/06/2012 (5184 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Davis Love III thinks he’s playing as well as he did earlier this year before pulling a rib muscle at Bay Hill. Now the U.S. Ryder Cup captain is eager to see just how much he might do.

Love III shot his third straight 2-under 68 on Saturday to join Nick O’Hern and John Merrick atop the leaderboard at the windy St. Jude Classic. Asked what his first PGA Tour win since 2008 would mean, the 48-year-old Love had a quick answer.

“Be a lot of Ryder Cup points,” Love said.

Mark Humphrey / the associated press
Rory McIlroy drills an iron shot from the seventh fairway Saturday. He shot 72 and is one back. — Mark Humphrey / the associated press Rory McIlroy drills an iron shot from the seventh fairway Saturday. He shot 72 and is one back.

With a win, Love is projected to jump from 63 into the top 30 in the Ryder Cup standings. Love started off this year excited about how he was playing before injuries slowed him down. He wound up not playing at all for about six weeks after withdrawing on the final day at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in late March before returning at The Players Championship.

Love tied for 16th at the Memorial last week, then played 36 holes in Columbus, Ohio, to qualify for his 23rd U.S. Open. He committed late to play in Memphis, making sure he was healthy enough to use this event as a final tuneup.

Love had three birdies and only one bogey Saturday to match O’Hern and Merrick at 6- under 204, the highest 54-hole lead on tour this year. O’Hern had a 67, and Merrick shot 69. The man with 20 career PGA wins said obviously there’s a lot of pressure and he wants to win. He has only two wins since winning four times in 2003.

“Is it a big huge deal in my career that I have to win this week? No. But when you get up there at the top … the old feeling kicks in. You concentrate better, you focus better and my routines of the day were coming down those last four, five holes. And I missed a couple putts, but I felt like I was right in like old times … focused and playing and enjoying it,” Love said.

“So it would mean a lot to win for sure. Anytime you win out here is important. But it’s fun to be in it.”

Rory McIlroy, who will try to defend his U.S. Open title next week at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, had a one-stroke lead when he teed off. He shot a 2-over 72 in a round that featured six bogeys and four birdies to drop into a tie at 5 under.

Dustin Johnson, making his second start after a 2 1/2-month layoff recovering from back pain, also was in the group at 5 under after a 67 that included a bogey on No. 18. J.B. Holmes was in that knot atop the leaderboard going to No. 18, but hit his tee shot into a bunker and three-putted for a double bogey to finish at 4 under.

David Hearn (70) of Brantford, Ont., is tied for 39th at 1-over par, while Matt McQuillan (76) of Kingston, Ont., is tied for 72nd at 6 over.

Conditions got tougher Saturday as the greens firmed up at the TPC Southwind course along with the wind picking up through the day and gusting up to 37 km/h at times. PGA Tour officials already have pushed up tee times Sunday morning and will use threesomes off both tees hoping to squeeze in the final round before thunderstorms expected in the afternoon.

“This course is sneaky,” said Merrick, who had one bogey and two birdies. “Once the wind starts blowing, the greens get firmer. You don’t need to make a ton of birdies. You need to play smart and make a bunch of pars, kind of grind it out you can move up the leaderboard.”

McIlroy bogeyed two of his first five holes to fall off the pace. He tied Kevin Stadler at 7 under only to bogey No. 9 and fall back again.

Love took advantage of his experience to keep his ball out of the rough, giving himself better chances to score. He said he only hit driver a couple times, instead using his three-wood or irons for strong tee shots leaving him plenty of wedge shots in hitting 14 of 18 greens.

— The Associated Press