Starting the Memorial Tournament with a 5-under 67 is usually a reason for a happy grin for most golfers. But Tommy Fleetwood wasn't smiling. Despite the impressive score, he was pretty critical of his performance.

Fleetwood shared a slice of the opening-round lead at 5-under par after Thursday's play. While he managed a clean 32 on the front nine, his inconsistent ball control from the fairway left him searching for answers.  

When a reporter asked why he liked the demanding layout, Fleetwood quickly shut down the premise. "I didn't say I liked it," he laughed, exposing his frustration with the grueling track.

The witty exchange occurred during his post-round press conference at Muirfield Village. Journalists asked him about his affinity for the venue after he notched an impressive first-round score with five birdies and zero bogeys.

Fleetwood opened up about how he struggled with his iron play from the fairway. He said he ended up relying heavily on his short game and lucky breaks, like hitting the flagstick on wayward approach shots, to get through the afternoon.

"I was just getting a little frustrated at the end not being able to execute the iron shots that I wanted to," Fleetwood added. This irritation stood out, especially compared to the bigger problems he faced on these fairways about a year earlier.

Shaking Off Past Muirfield Village Struggles

This explosive opening round marks a massive structural improvement compared to Fleetwood's performance at Jack Nicklaus's signature venue last year. During the 2025 edition, the Englishman lacked this scoring spark entirely.

Last year, Fleetwood played all four rounds with scores in the 70s, which were 72, 75, 72, and 70. That 1-over par total was barely decent, putting him tied for 16th, way behind the leaders.

But right now, Fleetwood is cruising at 5-under 67, which is way better than what he did last year. He carded five birdies on Thursday, which has got to be boosting his confidence. It’s quite the contrast to his recent PGA Championship, where he didn’t even make it past the weekend cut.

"Today is the great example of getting the most out of a round, and I would like to do that more," Fleetwood explained, analyzing his statistical efficiency.

During the early part of the day, he really took control, thanks to some critical putts. He had a great front-nine score of 32, and he used the first part of the game to his advantage. The tough course made things harder later on, though.

"You don't have to hit a terribly poor shot to be in a really tough spot," Fleetwood said.

Now aiming for his first PGA Tour win of 2026, Fleetwood looks to hit the practice range, getting himself ready for Friday’s challenge. Knowing full well that one bad swing could take him down from his current lead.

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Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Koushik Biswas