Round 1, the Memorial Tournament

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Jun. 4, 2009
By PGATOUR.COM staff

The first groups are ready to tee off in today's first round of the Memorial Tournament. Here's how it sets up:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time	Players
8:14 am ET No. 10		Geoff Ogilvy, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk Singh's game has recently started to turn around, while Furyk is looking for his first win since 2007.
12:43 pm ET No. 1		Zach Johnson, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els Both Woods and Johnson are playing well this year. Johnson remains the FedExCup points leader.
12:54 pm ET No. 1		Sean O'Hair, Dustin Johnson, Kenny Perry Defending champ Kenny Perry has won here three times, All three players in this threesome also have a victory in '09.

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR Network on-site correspondent Doug Bell previews Thursday's first round:

• Tiger Woods returns to the event he won three times from 1999-2001. The big difference between his game -- then and now -- is distance off the tee. In 2005, he averaged 316 yards a drive, and this year he is 42nd on TOUR with an average of just over 292 yards. Even Jack Nicklaus commented that Tiger seems to be protecting his surgically repaired knee, which is causing him to hit wayward tee shots by not getting out of the way of his swing.

Thursday's forecast

Cloudy
Temp: 71 high/51 low
Winds will come from the north-northeast at 10 to 15 mph.

• The fairways at Muirfield Golf Club should help the cause being among the widest on TOUR. Last year, more than 70 percent of the field found the fairways. When Tiger finds the fairway, he hits it 14 feet closer to the hole, which should help his putting. Right now, Tiger ranks 67th in that category, compared to third and fourth the last two years.

• Despite all the dissecting of his game, Tiger is still scoring at a 69.70 clip this year with five top-10s in six starts. He will be playing with Zach Johnson and Ernie Els at 12:43. Defending champion Kenny Perry will be playing in virtual anonymity with Dustin Johnson and Sean O'Hair in the group right behind.

• I'm anxious to see if Englishman Brian Davis, can extend his scoring streak of 24 straight rounds of par or better. The current iron horse of the PGA TOUR is playing for the eighth week in a row.

• Paul Casey returns to the PGA TOUR, boasting a fast start on both the PGA TOUR and European Tour in 2009. He plays early on Thursday morning at 8:03, and could set the pace. He told me he feels rested, and is confident he will play well.

Stat of the day

Kenny Perry has made 15 straight cuts, last not making it to the weekend in 1992 the year after winning his first Memorial Tournament title. He also missed the cut the first two times he played the event, in 1987 and 1989.

The Film Room

	Opening Shot Marc Fein and Brian Katrek update the latest news on Phil Mickelson's return, and preview the Memorial at Muirfield Village. Watch it
	Fantasy Insider: 2009 Memorial Tournament Need help with your fantasy picks for the 2009 Memorial Tournament? John Swantek and the Fantasy Insider can help you out. Watch it
	Preview: 2009 Memorial Tournament The PGA TOUR heads to Dublin, Ohio for Jack Nicklaus' Memorial Tournament. Watch it