Memorial Tournament R1: Scottie Scheffler five behind in-form Ben Griffin

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Newly-crowned PGA Championship winner Scottie Scheffler is five strokes adrift of the lead after the first round of the 2025 Memorial Tournament. 

Scheffler went round Muirfield Village in 2-under 70 on Thursday afternoon. 

The three-time major champion was not at his best and only hit six of 14 fairways. 

He hit four birdies and two bogeys and trails the in-form Ben Griffin by five shots after 18 holes of the signature event. 

"I'll have to be a little sharper the next few days, but overall, a good job posting a score," Scheffler said. 

Collin Morikawa is in solo second on 5-under one stroke clear of Max Homa. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley (69), Shane Lowry (69) and Robert MacIntyre (71) have also started well. 

Masters champion Rory McIlroy has decided to skip the tournament for the first time since 2017. 

McIlroy will play the Canadian Open next week in Toronto before heading back to the USA for the U.S. Open at Oakmont. 

Griffin grabbed his first individual win of the 2025 season at the Charles Schwab Challenge last week and is making a strong case to be included in the conversation for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. 

Griffin rattled in seven birdie putts and drained an 11-foot eagle putt at the par-5 7th in his opening 65. It could've been even better had he not made back-to-back bogeys at 11 and 12. 

"It was an incredible day," Griffin said. 

"[I am] kind of building on what I kind of was doing last week, making a ton of birdies, staying aggressive. 

"This is one of the toughest golf courses we play on Tour and you've got to kind of be on your game to make birdies and give yourself a lot of looks. I felt like I kind of did that."

Griffin said his energy levels are still high despite taking a few days off to celebrate his maiden win on the circuit. 

The 29-year-old briefly quit the game in 2021 but his excellent form this season has seen him rise to a career-high 24 in the world rankings. 

"This is nothing," Griffin said. "I started out the year playing 13 events in a row. I mean, this is, I think, week six and it doesn't feel like much. 

"Honestly, I feel great. Energy level's high. It's funny, I talked to a lot of my peers out here, and they don't understand how I do it. 

"I think it's because do I a really good job resting on Mondays and Tuesday mornings. 

"I don't really prepare for tournaments until pretty much Tuesday afternoons, unless it's a course that I'm not familiar with or maybe a major championship, I try to get a little extra prep in.

"So I feel great. I'm excited for the rest of the week."

The Memorial Tournament is the penultimate signature event of the season.

On Sunday, the winner will walk away with a cheque for $4m. 

The Travelers Championship, which is played in the week after the third men's major of the year, is the final signature event of the PGA Tour schedule.