The second round of the 2025 Memorial Tournament was dominated by rain, complicating play at Muirfield Village. The softened course allowed competitors to navigate more easily, with Ben Griffin and Nick Taylor finishing the day at 7 under par to share the top spot.
Both players have won earlier this season and lead a competitive leaderboard, which includes only 11 players in the red. Although birdies remained elusive, avoiding bogeys proved challenging, with Taylor’s second-round score of 68 being the only flawless round of the week.
“It was a fantastic round,” Taylor noted. “My iron game was especially sharp, and I made several crucial 5- to 6-foot putts for par on the back nine. At this course, staying in the fairway is crucial; if you land in the rough, you’re usually in for some trouble.”
Chasing the leaders is world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who posted back-to-back rounds of 70, now sitting at 4 under. The three-time major champion started strong but faced some missteps, resulting in him falling behind both Griffin and Taylor, with Akshay Bhatia in between at 5 under.
“The course is playing really long and challenging,” Scheffler said. “Wet rough makes for difficult lies, so it’s crucial to keep the ball in play and avoid getting wet.” Sam Burns, a close friend of Scheffler, delivered the round of the day with six birdies and an eagle, improving his performance significantly from the previous round.
Several other notable players also made significant progress, including Russell Henley, who shot a remarkable 68 amid heavy rain. Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele finished strong, ending the day at 3 under and 2 under, respectively.
Leaderboards
T1. Ben Griffin, Nick Taylor (-7): Griffin faced the challenge of maintaining his lead but managed an even-par round with 13 greens in regulation despite battling the wet conditions. “It was a grind, but fortunately my tee time allowed me to avoid the worst of the weather,” he remarked.
3. Akshay Bhatia (-5)
4. Scottie Scheffler (-4)
T5. Jordan Spieth, Sam Burns, Shane Lowry (-3)
T8. Tom Hoge, Russell Henley, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele (-2)
