DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Tiger Woods is nursing his surgically repaired left knee and isn't in the Memorial Field. But that doesn't mean no one is thinking about him.
Phil Mickelson was asked what he thought of when he heard the name Jack Nicklaus, the Memorial Tournament's founder.
"Best of all time," Mickelson said before adding, "Maybe not for long, but best of all time."
FIRST TIME: Mathew Goggin leads the Memorial Tournament without ever having played a competitive round on the Muirfield Village course.
He had his chance, back in 1999, before his 25th birthday got in the way.
"I was staying with some friends," the Aussie said after shooting a 7-under 65 on Thursday. "We got so drunk. We were going to play the course the next day. I was all fired up. I was playing the Nike Tour and I didn't get to play (courses like) Muirfield."
This was no way to gear up for a championship course designed by Jack Nicklaus.
"We had a big night and I think (we played) like eight holes," he said to loud laughter from reporters. "I had such a bad hangover we decided to pull the pin and get out of the sun."
The friend he was staying with? Gary Nicklaus, Jack's youngest son.
"He was a bad influence," Goggin cracked.
BETTER THAN WINNING: Pat Perez has never been more desperate to find success in these parts, and it has nothing to do with winning the Memorial.
Perez missed the cut in his five previous starts at Muirfield Village, and his 2-under 70 on Thursday was the first time he broke par in the opening round. He is playing well, and there is reason to believe this could be his week.
But all he cares about is Monday.
Perez is more concerned with the 36-hole U.S. Open qualifier the day after the Memorial, particularly because the Open will be played at Torrey Pines, a public course in San Diego that he played practically every day as a teenager.
How badly does he want to play the U.S. Open this year? He was asked if he would rather make it through qualifying or win his first PGA Tour event at a tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus.
"Qualifying," Perez said with no hesitation. "If I knew I was in that tournament, I'd pull out (of the Memorial) now. I guarantee it. Nothing against Jack. I've never made the cut here, anyway. Right now, I would take that over a win. Very much."
Perez nearly made it into the Open field off his world ranking, shooting 67-65 on the weekend to finish sixth at Colonial. But that only moved him up to No. 54 in the world, and the top 50 are exempt.
"We'll just see what happens Monday," he said. "If I don't get in, I'll be off for about a month. I won't even watch it on TV."
