Ben Griffin and Nick Taylor kicked off Saturday’s third round of the 2025 Memorial Tournament both tied for the lead, holding a two-shot advantage over the rest of the field and three shots ahead of defending champion Scottie Scheffler, who was closely following. By the end of the round, however, Scheffler had taken sole ownership of the 54-hole lead at 8 under, thanks to a flawless 68 on a challenging day at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.
As the round progressed, it initially appeared that Griffin might create significant distance from the competition. He surged ahead with birdies on holes 6 to 8, reaching 10 under, which put him five shots ahead of Taylor and six ahead of Scheffler, who had only made nine pars by the turn.
The tide of the tournament shifted dramatically afterward. Griffin’s momentum stalled as he made four straight bogeys, plummeting to 6 under. Meanwhile, Scheffler maintained his composure, carding 13 consecutive pars to start his round. He then made back-to-back birdies on holes 14 and 15, briefly tying Griffin at 6 under.
Griffin responded by birdieing the same two holes from the group behind, reclaiming his lead at 8 under. Yet Scheffler wasn’t finished; he birdied the 17th and capped off his round at the difficult 18th with an impressive sweeping birdie putt, concluding a bogey-free 68. This marked his first time without a single bogey after 19 rounds at Muirfield, a remarkable feat in tough conditions.
“Today was a grind,” Scheffler reflected on his round. “The conditions were challenging, with strong winds, and I felt like I was playing well on the front but not scoring. I kept having solid chances and managed to finish strong.” In contrast, Griffin faced disappointment on the final hole, making a bogey after missing a short par putt, which left him at 7 under with a 72. He will need to chase Scheffler, currently the world’s No. 1 player, for a chance at consecutive wins.
The Leader
1. Scottie Scheffler (-8): Saturday exemplified what has made Scheffler the top player in the world. Despite the challenging conditions, he maintained his composure, never forcing plays. Although birdies eluded him on the front nine, he stayed patient, setting himself up for scoring opportunities that paid off later.
Other Contenders
2. Ben Griffin (-7)
3. Nick Taylor (-5)
T4. Jordan Spieth, Sepp Straka, Keegan Bradley (-3)
T7. Rickie Fowler, Patrick Cantlay, Shane Lowry (-2)
Despite his struggles, Griffin remains in contention and demonstrated a capacity to score at Muirfield this week. He needs to avoid major mistakes, particularly the four consecutive bogeys he experienced, as Scheffler is unlikely to give away any strokes in the final round.
Taylor had a rollercoaster 74, recovering from a double on No. 12 and a bogey on No. 13 to make a hole-out eagle on No. 15, propelling himself back into third place. He will certainly need a strong round Sunday to contend for the win.
