DUBLIN, Ohio – Whether it’s his health or his personal life, Rory McIlroy is not easily distracted when he’s on top of his game.

McIlroy made two eagles and three birdies on the back nine at Muirfield Village – along with a double bogey – on his way to a 9-under 63 and a three-shot lead Thursday after the opening round of the Memorial.

A week ago, McIlroy began his week at Wentworth by announcing he and tennis star Caroline Wozniacki had broken off their engagement. Then, he went out and won the BMW Championship for his strongest win in more than two years.

At the Memorial, McIlroy caught his spikes in the turf on his second shot at the seventh hole and felt pain the rest of the round, especially when he had to put a little extra pop into tee shots or long irons. He was limping when he walked off the stage after talking about how he made five birdies and two eagles after hurting his knee.

It was the lowest opening round in 39 years at the Memorial.

“I don’t think it’s anything more than just being confident with my game,” McIlroy said. “I was expecting this to happen. I’ve been playing well. I’ve been posting good numbers, good rounds. And I knew my game was close. And honestly, I don’t think it’s anything to do with what’s happening off the golf course. It’s just I’ve been trending in the right direction, and it’s starting to all come together.”

Masters champion Bubba Watson, Chris Kirk and Paul Casey each had a 66 while playing in calmer and slightly softer morning conditions. Keegan Bradley was at 67, notable not because it was his best score at Muirfield Village but because it was his first time in his four years on the PGA Tour that he did not use a belly putter.

Adam Scott, who won at Colonial last week in his debut at No. 1 in the world, lost momentum with a shot into the water for double bogey on No. 9, and he missed some birdie and eagle chances on the back nine that would have allowed him to stay close with McIlroy. He settled for a 69.

Phil Mickelson also looked sharp – at least for 15 holes. He was at 5 under after a birdie on the 15th hole – at the time, just one shot out of the lead. But he hit into the water on the par-3 16th and did well to escape with bogey. He came up short on the 17th and muffed two flops shots on his way to double bogey. And he finished with another double bogey by three-putting the 18th. That gave him a 72.

“Just threw away a good round,” Mickelson said.

The course began to get firm under a hot sun late in the afternoon, which didn’t appear to bother McIlroy. Jordan Spieth picked up birdies on the par 5s, had a good par save on the 16th and squeezed out a 69 that left him pleased.

“Anything under par is a good score,” Spieth said. “Obviously, Rory didn’t think that.”

McIlroy was more than nine shots better than the field average. His only scare came on the seventh hole when his spikes caught and applied a little more torque on his knee. McIlroy said he had never experienced that before, though he felt some ice and work in the fitness trailer should take care of it.

“The inside of it is sore, a little swollen,” McIlroy said. “Some treatment and I should be fine for the morning.”

The golf after that was simply spectacular.

From the deep rough right of the 10th fairway, he hammered a shot to the middle of the green and it caught a slope and settled 4 feet away. He hit 4-iron to 25 feet on the par-5 11th and holed a 25-foot birdie putt in the center of the cup. He holed a tough 15-foot birdie on the 13th, and then hit a towering 5-iron to 15 feet on the par-5 15 for another eagle. McIlroy picked up his final birdie with a 12-foot birdie after a great tee shot to the deceptively tough front pin on the par-3.

He finished his round with an 8-foot putt to save par from the bunker.

His only blunder came on the 14th when he tugged a wedge too hard and too far left into a plugged lie in the bunker. He played well away from the flag to avoid going down the slope and into the water, but left it in the sand. His next shot had to be good to get within 6 feet of the flag, and it wasn’t. The ball ran off the green and down a slope. He had to get up-and-down for a double bogey.

McIlroy answered by smashing another tee shot into the fairway and hitting that high 5-iron onto the green for eagle, erasing the double bogey.

It’s just one round, but considering it was McIlroy, it was an attention-getter. McIlroy is one of those players who can follow up a win with more great play. When he won the PGA Championship by eight shots in 2012, that was the start of three victories in four starts against the strongest fields of the year.

DUBLIN, Ohio – By most standards this has been a good year for Jason Day. He won the Match Play Championship and finished 20th at the Masters.

But to put the season in perspective, Tiger Woods has played more competitive rounds since February than Day has.

The Aussie has missed most of the last three months due to a bad thumb, while Woods is on the shelf for the foreseeable future after back surgery.

After his long layoff, Day can’t wait to tee it up in Thursday’s first round of the Memorial Tournament.

“It was frustrating. It was really frustrating,” Day said of a ligament injury in his left thumb that sidelined him for six weeks after he played in pain at Augusta. “Because everything felt great. My whole body felt great except for one thing – my thumb.”

That appendage not only kept Day, seventh in the world golf rankings, from earning a living but even practicing.

“You can probably get away with maybe a bad back or a bad knee, but if you can’t hold a club, then that’s not fun,” he said.

But now Day – a member of Muirfield Village – will be surrounded by friends, neighbors and family when he finally gets to return to action.

“I went through phases,” he said of the time he killed during his recuperation. “I’d be like very happy during the week and on Sunday I’d be moody because I’d see the guys winning. I guess my wife, Ellie, knew when to come and talk to me and when not to.”

Ellie and the native of Beaudesert, Australia, have found a home in the Columbus area. She is from an hour or so away. So the Days, including son Dash, settled in the suburbs. Now he works on his game on the course that Jack (Nicklaus) built instead of some warmer clime.

“To be able to win in front of Jack and the fans here, it would be obviously a great honor,” the 26-year-old said.

Woods, who has won the Memorial five times, won’t be competing. He called Nicklaus on Wednesday morning, wished him luck and passed along his regrets.

“He said he’s doing well, progressing well, and he’s looking forward to getting back into the game,” said Nicklaus, the Memorial’s founder and host. “He misses it.”

There are still plenty of other candidates to challenge for the title in the 39th Memorial, including defending champion Matt Kuchar, world No. 1 Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Rory McIlroy, in addition to 2010 Memorial winner Justin Rose.

Kuchar captured the 2013 Memorial by two shots over Kevin Chappell and likes his odds at a repeat.

“I feel optimistic about my chances,” said Kuchar, behind only Woods in terms of scoring average in tournament history. “This course has been really good to me – one of my favorite places. I’ve had great success in the past and feel the state of my game is still pretty good.”

Scott ascended to the top spot in the world rankings and then solidified his position by winning last week, beating Jason Dufner in a playoff at the Colonial.

“I just had a random lunch with Luke Donald and he made a comment something like, `It feels pretty good up there’ or something like that,” Scott said. “And for sure it does. The feeling for me is I’m motivated to work hard and try to stay there for a little bit.”

Mickelson does not have a glittering history at Nicklaus’ Muirfield Village – just two top-fives in 13 starts – but is coming off a two-week respite at home where he’s worked on his game and tried to get in the proper mindset for the U.S. Open in two weeks at Pinehurst.

“I’m not worried about results as much as I am getting the game sharp,” said Mickelson, needing only a U.S. Open title to complete a personal Grand Slam. “But I do think the results are going to come if I just play well. I’m not worried about finishing first or second or top 10 or what have you, but building momentum, building confidence in my game over the next couple of weeks.”

Watson, like Mickelson also a lefty, has not played well at the Memorial. He’s never finished higher than two ties for 23rd in his eight starts. But that doesn’t mean he’s conceding anything.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a real high finish, but I look forward to the challenge,” the two-time Masters champion said. “Hopefully, now that I’m playing a little bit better, it’ll show on Sunday afternoon.”

McIlroy won on the European PGA Tour last week at Wentworth in the wake of the breakup of his engagement with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki. He declined to discuss details of the separation on Wednesday.

Everyone, of course, is chasing the $1.1 million first-place check and the congratulatory handshake from Nicklaus on the 18th green. But everyone also is looking ahead to Pinehurst.

“It was really nice to get that win last weekend,” McIlroy said. “It gives me some confidence coming into here – and obviously the U.S. Open in a couple weeks’ time.”

DUBLIN, Ohio – Tiger Woods withdrew from the U.S. Open on Wednesday as he recovers from back surgery that has kept him out of golf for nearly three months.

It will be the second U.S. Open, and sixth major, he has missed because of injury over the last six years.

The U.S. Open is June 12-15 at Pinehurst No. 2, where Woods tied for third in 1999 and was runner-up in 2005. The announcement on his website was not surprising. A week ago at a promotional event for the Quicken Loans National at Congressional, Woods said he still had not taken a full swing with a golf club and did not know when he could.

He had microdiscetomy surgery to relieve a pinched nerve on March 31.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be there because I’m not yet physically able to play competitive golf,” Woods said. “I’d like to convey my regrets to the USGA leadership, the volunteers and the fans that I won’t be at Pinehurst. The U.S. Open is very important to me, and I know it’s going to be a great week.”

Woods last played on March 9 at Doral, where he closed with a 78 while suffering what he called back spasms. He withdrew in the middle of the final round at the Honda Classic with back pain a week earlier.

Woods is a three-time U.S. Open champion, one short of the record shared by Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones and Willie Anderson. His most recent U.S. Open victory was in 2008 at Torrey Pines, where he won in a playoff over Rocco Mediate a week before he had season-ending knee surgery.

That was his 14th victory in 46 majors, a winning rate of 30 percent as a pro. He has not won a major since Torrey Pines, leaving him four short of Nicklaus’ record.

Woods missed the British Open and PGA Championship after knee surgery in 2008. He missed the U.S. Open and British Open while allowing leg injuries to heal in 2011. He missed the Masters for the first time in April because of back surgery.

Nicklaus said earlier Wednesday that Woods’ health would be the biggest obstacle in breaking his record in the majors. Woods called Nicklaus earlier Wednesday to express regrets about missing the Memorial, and Nicklaus said that Woods indicated he was making progress.

“If he’s healthy, I think Tiger has got 10-plus years to play top quality tournament golf,” Nicklaus said. “And I’ve said many times, he’s got a little over 40 tournaments to play the major championships; he’s only got to win five to pass my record. As good a player as he is, I don’t think that should be a big deal. But then again, he’s got to do it. Plus, he’s also got to be healthy to be able to do it.”

Woods has not indicated when he might be able to return to competition, saying that would be up to his doctors and how he recovers from the surgery.

“Despite missing the first two majors, and several other important tournaments, I remain very optimistic about this year and my future,” he said.

DUBLIN, Ohio – Adam Scott celebrated his rise to No. 1 in the world by rallying to win at Colonial. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Rory McIlroy capped off a busy week in the news by winning for the first time this year at the European Tour’s biggest event in England.

In a golf world that has been without Tiger Woods for the last few months, it gave the sport some life at just the right time.

Scott and McIlroy headline a strong field at the Memorial that includes nine of the top 12 players in the world, most of whom have never had a chance to share a winner’s handshake with tournament host Jack Nicklaus behind the 18th green at Muirfield Village.

The Memorial typically has one of the best fields among PGA Tour events, and it signals the start of a big summer in golf – the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in two weeks, a month ahead of the British Open and the PGA Championship right behind it.

Woods, a five-time winner of the Memorial, last played March 9 at Doral. He is recovering from back surgery and has not indicated when he will be able to return, though it’s virtually certain he won’t be at the U.S. Open.

Nicklaus said Woods called him Wednesday morning to wish him well and offer his regrets for not playing, which Nicklaus said was a “very, very nice call.”

“He was saying that he felt bad about not being able to be here,” Nicklaus said. “He said he’s doing well, progressing well, and he’s looking forward to getting back into the game. He misses it. I just pass that on.”

Golf had been missing some excitement in his absence. It has been a peculiar year in which hardly any of the top players have won – until last week.

In 28 events on the PGA Tour this season, Scott was only the third winner who was among the top 10 in the world. The others were Zach Johnson (No. 9 at Kapalua) and Matt Kuchar (No. 6 when he won at Hilton Head).

Scott nearly missed the cut at Colonial, and then closed strong on the weekend. Not since Vijay Singh in 2004 at the Canadian Open had a player won the week after he became No. 1 in the world for the first time in his career.

“It’s satisfying, absolutely,” Scott said. “But I think all the things I did leading up certainly helped put me in the right mindset to play well last week, and it took a couple of days for it to show up really on the weekend. But that’s when it counts. … Getting to No. 1 was such a journey and so much work went into it. I wasn’t going to settle for just staying there for a week.”

With his win, Scott is assured of staying No. 1 when he gets to the U.S. Open.

McIlroy was equally intriguing. He started his week at Wentworth by announcing that he had broken off his engagement with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, right after the wedding invitations had gone out in the mail. McIlroy then birdied his last two holes and won the BMW PGA Championship.

It was an important win for the former No. 1 and two-time major champion. He had not beaten a field that deep and strong since Dubai at the end of 2012, the sensational year that took him to No. 1 and made it look as though he would stay there.

Since then, he has gone through an equipment change and a management change. And right when it looked as though his game was trending in the right direction, he went through a public breakup of what had been a very public relationship.

McIlroy declined to answer one question about newspaper reports that he split up with Wozniacki over the phone saying that he was only talking about his golf. And with that win at Wentworth, golf became a fun topic of conversation again.

He had squandered good chances in Abu Dhabi and the Honda Classic, all while posting a string of top 10s. For him to win at Wentworth with that much scrutiny on his personal life gave him a life.

“I think I showed quite a lot of mental strength or focus or whatever you want to call it last week during the whole tournament,” he said. “I think mentally, it gave me a lot of confidence knowing that when I did get myself into contention, I could close it out, which I wasn’t able to do at Honda.

“And yeah, it gives me a lot of confidence going to the second half of the season.”

FAR HILLS, N.J. – The United States Golf Association today announced that 25 additional golfers, including 2000 U.S. Open runner-up Miguel Angel Jimenez, have earned full exemptions into the 2014 U.S. Open Championship, to be played June 12-15 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2, in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C. These exemptions bring the number of fully exempt players to 75.

All 25 exemptions were awarded to players who earned a place in the top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking as of May 26. Jimenez, who tied for second with Ernie Els, 15 strokes behind Tiger Woods in the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links, is ranked No. 27. He has played in 12 previous U.S. Opens and has two top 10s, including a tie for sixth in the 2008 U.S. Open, also won by Woods, at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego.

The other players who earned full exemptions through the current Official World Golf Ranking are: Thomas Bjorn, Jonas Blixt, Jamie Donaldson, Victor Dubuisson, Harris English, Matthew Every, Stephen Gallacher, Russell Henley, Thongchai Jaidee, Matt Jones, Chris Kirk, Pablo Larrazabal, Joost Luiten, Francesco Molinari, Ryan Moore, Ryan Palmer, Ian Poulter, Patrick Reed, John Senden, Kevin Stadler, Richard Sterne, Brendon Todd, Jimmy Walker and Lee Westwood.

Todd moved up six positions in the Official World Golf Ranking to No. 57 by tying for fifth in the PGA Tour’s Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, which ended May 25. Larrazabal climbed seven spots to No. 59 in the OWGR after tying for seventh in the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship last weekend. The number of fully exempt golfers may increase with the inclusion of the top 60 players from the OWGR as of Monday, June 9.

The first two sectional qualifiers for the 2014 U.S. Open were held May 26, in Japan, where six spots in the 156-player field were determined, and in Surrey, England, where 14 players qualified. Those 20 players are in addition to the 75 fully exempt players listed below.

Sectional qualifying in the United States, at 36 holes, will take place at 10 sites on Monday, June 2. The sites are: Lake Merced Golf Club & The Olympic Club (Ocean Course), Daly City, Calif.; Quail Valley Golf Club, Vero Beach, Fla.; Ansley Golf Club (Settindown Creek Course), Roswell, Ga.; Woodmont Country Club (North & South Courses), Rockville, Md.; Old Oaks Country Club & Century Country Club, Purchase, N.Y.; Brookside Golf & Country Club & Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio; Springfield Country Club, Springfield, Ohio; Emerald Valley Golf Club, Creswell, Ore.; Colonial Country Club (North & South Courses), Memphis, Tenn., and Lakeside Country Club, Houston, Texas.

Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2 is hosting the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open in back-to-back weeks in June, the first time the championships will be held in consecutive weeks on the same course. The U.S. Open was previously held at Pinehurst No. 2 in 1999 (won by Payne Stewart) and 2005 (won by Michael Campbell).

A list of the 75 golfers fully exempt into the 2014 U.S. Open as of May 26 (not including the 20 international sectional qualifiers) is below. It can also be found here.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Adam Scott made a 7-foot birdie putt on the third hole of a playoff Sunday to end his first week as the world’s No. 1 player with a victory at Colonial.

Jason Dufner, who made a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 18 in regulation, slid a 40-footer past when he and Scott played the 18th hole for the second time during the playoff. Scott then made the 7-footer for his 11th PGA Tour victory.

The major champions parred No. 18 to start the playoff, then matched birdies at the 17th hole. Dufner, who won the PGA Championship last year, hit his approach pin high on 17 to 4 1/2 feet, but 2013 Masters champ Scott drained a 14-foot birdie before Dufner putted.

Dufner and Scott both shot 4-under 66 to finish at 9 under, the highest winning score at Colonial since 1999.

Scott replaced the injured Tiger Woods at the top of the ranking last Monday and will stay No. 1. Scott had to be in the top 13 at Colonial after Henrik Stenson finished in a five-way tie for seventh place in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

The win at Hogan’s Alley, which comes with $1,152,000 and a plaid jacket, made Scott the first player to win all four PGA Tour events in Texas. He is the 15th to win both the Byron Nelson Championship (2008) and the Colonial in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The 11th playoff in Colonial history was the first since 2009, and the longest since Jim Colbert beat Fuzzy Zoeller on the sixth extra hole in 1983.

Nicholas Thompson and Freddie Jacobson tied for third at 8 under. Thompson shot 66, a stroke better than Jacobson.

David Toms, in the final group, led at 9 under when he made his turn. But he had three bogeys over the next five holes and finished with a 70.

Toms ended up at 7 under with Brendon Todd (68), who last week got his first PGA Tour victory at the Nelson.

Jimmy Walker, No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings, shot a 70 and was among four players tied for 10th at 6 under.

About 30 minutes after Dufner made his long birdie at No. 18 to get to 9 under, Scott made a closing par when his 31-foot birdie chance – which would have wrapped up the victory – slid just past the hole. It was just less than an hour later when the two went back to No. 18 to start the playoff.

At the same time Scott was finishing, Toms was coming off a bogey at the par-3 13th that dropped him two strokes back.

Scott and Dufner started the final round part of a seven-way tie for 11th place, only two strokes behind a quartet of leaders that included Toms.

They were among 33 players within four strokes of the leaders when the day began.

Scott was 8 under after making a 6-footer at the 406-yard No. 6 hole, his fourth birdie in the round and already with a bogey at the par-4 third when he three-putted from 24 feet.

His only other three-putt at Colonial came from 17 feet at the ninth hole, dropping him to 6 under and three strokes behind Dufner.

But Dufner gave up a stroke when he missed a par putt from less than 3 feet at the straight 615-yard 11th hole. When his 12-foot birdie chance at the 440-yard 12th hole slid a half-foot past the cup, Dufner stood momentarily and stared at the ball before tapping in his par.

Scott caught up with consecutive birdies on those same holes, pitching to 9 feet at No. 11 before his approach at No. 12 to 4 feet.

Dufner had another near miss at No. 15, where another lengthy birdie chance slid inches by the hole.

When Scott made a 39-birdie putt at the 453-yard 14th hole, he was 9 under – then tied with Toms and one ahead of Dufner.

Graham DeLaet shoot a 68 to end the tournament in a tie for 14th, while David Hearn shoot a 66 to finish tied for 21st.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) —

 David Toms, Hideki Matsuyama, Chad Campbell and Chris Stroud shared the third-round lead at 7-under 203 on Saturday at Colonial, where plenty of others also are in contention.

There were 13 players within two strokes of the leading quartet.

The closest chasers included Adam Scott, the No. 1 player in the world, and Jimmy Walker, a three-time winner this season and No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings.

Kevin Chappell, whose early 7-under 63 was the low round of the day, moved from a tie for 60th to within one stroke of the lead.

Matsuyama, the 22-year-old from Japan with five wins at home, shot a bogey-free 64 Saturday. Toms, who got the last of his 13 PGA Tour victories at Colonial in 2011, had a 65, local resident Campbell shot 68, and Stroud had a 69.

Walker was 6 under after a 69, and Scott was another stroke back after a 66.

Walker and Campbell were playing together, and were tied for the lead at 8 under before both bogeyed the 161-yard 13th hole.

When Walker missed a 9-footer, it was his first bogey this week at Hogan’s Alley – and he had another two holes later when hitting from two greenside bunkers. Campbell held the lead alone only for a moment before missing his 4-foot par chance at No. 13.

They were on the 18th hole when play was suspended 1 hour, 8 minutes because of an approaching thunderstorm that brought only a brief downpour.

Walker saved par on the final hole after his drive settled near the edge of the water and he hit with an awkward stance into a greenside bunker. He blasted to 8 feet and made the putt.

Scott, who overtook injured Tiger Woods at No. 1 this week, started the round tied for 36th in the same group with Matsuyama. Chappell had to make a 6-foot par putt on his last hole Friday just to make the cut at 1 over, but quickly made up ground in his early-morning third round.

Second-round leader Brice Garnett fell back with a bogey at the 216-yard fourth hole, followed by a double bogey when he drove out of bounds at the tight fifth hole that runs parallel to the Trinity River. The PGA Tour rookie shot 74 and dropped into a tie for 25th at 3 under.

Matsuyama had three early birdies, including at Nos. 4 and 5 – the last two of a trio of holes known as the “Horrible Horseshoe” because of the layout of difficulty of the holes. There are two difficult par 4s with the course’s longest par 3 between them.

“Kind of set the tone for the rest of the round,” Matsuyama said through an interpreter.

To stay No. 1 for more than a week, Scott likely has to finish higher at Colonial than third-ranked Henrik Stenson does at Wentworth. Stenson was tied for seventh going into Sunday’s final round in Europe’s flagship event, though he was nine strokes off the lead. Scott was tied for 11th at Colonial, but only two back.

Since four bogeys in his first nine holes this week, Scott has had only one bogey his last 45 holes. He was bogey-free Saturday with his only four birdies his first eight holes. At the lone par 5 on the back nine, Scott hit his approach in a greenside bunker at No. 11 before blasting to about 6 feet, only to miss the birdie chance.

Graham DeLaet carded 68 to tie for 25th at the close of round 3 and David Hearn shot 74 tand will begin the final round tied for 56th.

FORT WORTH, Texas – PGA Tour rookie Brice Garnett grew up in a small Missouri town where his home course is a nine-hole layout.

Garnett has gone from Daviess County Country Club and then Missouri Western State to leading at Hogan’s Alley after two rounds at Colonial.

After starting with an eagle, Garnett shot a 4-under 66 on Friday and moved to 7-under 133. He had a one-stroke lead over long-putting Chris Stroud (64) and Robert Streb (68).

“I’m just keeping my head down and trying to make as many birdies as possible,” Garnett said. “I’m going to try to embrace it this weekend and have fun, and we’ll see where we stand come Sunday.”

Adam Scott, playing as No. 1 in the world for the first time, had birdies on three of his last seven holes for a 68 to get to 1 under. He has made the cut in his last 34 PGA Tour events, the longest active streak.

Matt Kuchar, ranked No. 4 in the world, had a chance to move to the top with a victory. But he missed the cut by a stroke at 2-over 142 after a 70.

The 30-year-old Garnett is from Gallatin, Missouri, a town of about 1,800 people. He has only one top-10 finish in his 18 previous starts on the PGA Tour, and has never won on the Web.com Tour. This is the first time he has even been in the top 10 after the second or third round on the PGA Tour.

“I think each and every week the rookies feel more comfortable. I know I have,” Garnett said. `You can’t get down on yourself being a rookie. … It’s been fun, and I’m learning each and every day.”

First-round leader Dustin Johnson (70) dropped into a seven-way tie for fourth at 5 under. That group also included Texas resident Jimmy Walker (68), a three-time winner this season and No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings.

Walker had a strange occurrence when his tee shot at the 17th hole appeared to nick a bird in flight – though the bird kept flying before Walker made another par.

“We saw (the ball) fly the whole way and then it kind of disappeared over the trees,” said Walker, the only player still without a bogey this week. “I didn’t see it.”

Stroud made five putts from over 20 feet, all coming in his last 12 holes. His made putts in the round combined for just under 221 feet, the most on the PGA Tour since Brent Geiberger covered 240 feet during the first round at Booz Allen in 2006.

And Stroud did that using a new putter he picked up this week.

“It has no lines on it. … I’ve been using another, but it had a bunch of lines on it,” Stroud said. “I simplified my putting. Get over it, line up and try to bring the putter back square and back to the ball square at impact. I’ve just been rolling it beautifully.”

Stroud drained a 16-footer on the 193-yard 13th hole, his third birdie of the day coming on his fourth hole. The Texas native was just getting started, with his first 20-footer coming at the par-3 16th when he made birdie from 23 1/2 feet.

There was a 22-footer for birdie at the par-5 No. 1 hole, and he rolled in a 56-footer across the green at No. 4, the difficult 211-yard par 3. There was a 26-footer at No. 6 and yet another long birdie putt at his last par 3, a 34-footer at No. 8.

“My driver has been bad. … I’ve hit it terrible the last two days. Really, really bad. But putted awesome,” he said. “So I don’t have to worry about the greens. I just need to get the ball on the greens. Usually it’s the opposite. I usually hit the ball really well and struggle to get the ball in the hole.”

On his final hole, the 406-yard dogleg-right ninth, Stroud’s approach was well left into a bleacher area near a concession stand. After a free drop and pitching to about 26 feet on the fringe, he two-putted from 26 feet for bogey.

Tim Clark was 7 under and tied for the lead after four consecutive birdies only six holes into his round of 68. But he three-putted at the par-3 16th and didn’t have another birdie until No. 9, his last hole, to get to 5 under and tied for fourth.

Canada’s David Hearn shot 69 in round 2 and moved into the group currently tied for 11th. Graham DeLaet scored 70 on Friday to move into 36th.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Dustin Johnson had played Colonial only once before, six years ago when he didn’t even make it to the final round.

In his return to Hogan’s Alley, Johnson took a one-stroke lead after the first round.

Johnson shot a bogey-free 5-under 65 on Thursday, driving a lot of 3-irons off the tees into the fairways and hitting 16 of 18 greens in regulation.

“I’ve got to keep doing what I’m doing,” Johnson said. “I’ve got a pretty good game plan for the golf course off the tee. So I’m going to stick to that, just trying to keep getting birdie looks on every hole.”

His only birdie on the back nine was a 2-footer at the 177-yard 16th hole. That was enough to lead after his front-side 31 that included a 45-foot birdie putt on the difficult par-4 fifth hole.

Hunter Mahan, playing in the group ahead of Johnson, led before a double-bogey 6 at the 433-yard 18th hole for a 66. He was tied for second with Harris English, Tim Wilkinson and Robert Streb.

Jimmy Walker, a three-time winner this season, and 20-year-old Dallas native Jordan Spieth were in the group of 10 players at 67.

Mahan started eagle-birdie and was already 6 under after a 3-foot birdie on the 178-yard eighth hole. He had two bogeys and two more birdies before his drive at the 18th hole into the right rough, with trees blocking a clear shot to the green. After punching the ball back into the fairway, his approach came settled on the edge of the fringe and he eventually two-putted from 7 feet.

“You have to get over it,” Mahan said about the disappointing 18th. “It’s all about the drive there.”

Adam Scott, playing as the No. 1 player in the world for the first time, shot 71 after playing his first nine holes at 4-over 39.

Scott had bogey-6 on the straight 631-yard 11th hole, his second of the day, when he hit twice from fairway bunkers. After a two-putt from 11 feet at the 433-yard 18th hole, Scott was bogey-free the rest of the way, with consecutive short birdies after making the turn.

“I thought I actually hit plenty of good shots,” Scott said. “All of a sudden, I had the momentum going the way I wanted and managed to hang on for the next few holes.”

The Australian said he felt the same as he did before this week when he overtook injured Tiger Woods for the top spot in the world ranking.

“There’s not a big difference,” Scott said. “It’s always the first tee nerves of starting a tournament out, but I certainly didn’t feel that much different.”

Johnson’s 65 was the highest score to lead after the first round at Hogan’s Alley since another 65 in 2002. There were opening 62s in two of the previous three Colonials.

When he first played at Colonial in 2008, Johnson made the initial cut. But after a 72 in the third round, he was among six more players trimmed to reduce the field to 73 for the final day.

Walker, the FedEx Cup points leader, also played a bogey-free round with a tremendous par-saver at the 470-yard fifth hole after hitting his drive left into the rough under trees. With the ball on a hill several inches below his feet, he hit an off-balance shot to the left of the green. He then chipped up over the bunker, and the ball rolled to inside 4 feet of the cup.

“I kind of had a shot, and I went for it,’ he said. “I had a big high cut over the trees, and didn’t hit a very good shot, but it came up just short of the green, and made a great up and down there.”

Matt Kuchar, ranked No. 4 in the world and with a chance to move to the top with a victory, had birdies at Nos. 11 and 12 early in his round. He then had five bogeys before finally getting his only other birdie on his 16th hole, an 11-foot putt on the 437-yard seventh hole, in a 72. That matched his highest score in his 29 career rounds at Colonial, where he finished second last year.

Rickie Fowler, who stars in a series of funny commercials for tournament sponsor Crowne Plaza, played with flu-like symptoms and had two triple bogeys in an 80, the worst score in the 123-player invitational field.

 Canada’s David Hearn ended the day tied for 6th after a 3-under 67. Graeme DeLaet carded a 1-under 69 and will be heading into the second round tied for 24th.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Adam Scott downplayed the world ranking and the idea of being the No. 1 player the past few months.

“Maybe I was trying to take some pressure off myself and just think about playing golf rather than other things that happen from it,” Scott said Wednesday. “I think that’s what I need to do now.”

The Australian finally made it to the top of the world ranking, overtaking injured Tiger Woods after a week at home in the Bahamas. Scott will play as No. 1 for the first time when he tees off Thursday at the Colonial.

“It’s only been realistic for the last week sitting at home,” Scott said, adding the accomplishment isn’t diminished by doing it that way instead of on the course.

“All the playing I did added up to this anyway. It’s just the way the system works,” he said. “Sure, it would have been awesome to win a tournament and jump to No. 1 like some guys have. … But hopefully I can get on and try to win a tournament this week or next week and start trying to keep myself up on top of the list.”

Scott is grouped for the first two days at Hogan’s Alley with two-time Colonial champion Zach Johnson and Jimmy Walker, a three-time winner this season and the FedEx Cup points leader. They will be right behind the threesome that includes Matt Kuchar, No. 4 in the world and with nine top-10 finishes in 13 starts this season.

When he finished second to Boo Weekley last year, Kuchar was No. 13 and the highest-ranked player in Colonial’s invitational field. With a victory this time, Kuchar could possibly take a turn at No. 1.

“I don’t pay a whole lot of attention. I think those are some of the things that take care of themselves, and I’ve always been good at focusing on the things I can control,” Kuchar said. “That being said, I think the No. 1 position is an awesome title. … It’s cool, it’s attainable. I know it wasn’t long ago that the No. 1 ranking was not attainable, and Tiger had such a lockdown on it.”

Second-ranked Woods isn’t sure when he will return from a back injury. No. 3 Henrik Stenson, playing in Europe’s flagship event, should be able to reach No. 1 if he places higher at Wentworth than Scott at Colonial.

Scott has six top-25 finishes in his seven PGA Tour events this season. His only time outside the top 25 was two weeks ago at The Players Championship, where rounds of 67 and 69 where sandwiched by an opening 77 and closing 73 to tie for 38th place. Then bad weather at home last week took him out of his normal practice routine.

“But it was also quite nice to get a bit of a rest. It’s a blessing in disguise,” he said. “I was getting a little frustrated as a player because my swing and everything felt in good shape and I didn’t get four rounds out of it. I got two rounds out of it. Sometimes when you get out of your own way, it’s a good thing, and I think I did that last week.”

Scott is the first No. 1 player in the Colonial field since Nick Price in 1995. When Woods made his only appearance in 1997, it was three weeks before he was the top-ranked player.

Weekley is coming off a season-best fifth-place tie at the Byron Nelson Championship, where he had three consecutive rounds in the 60s. Much better than last year, when he missed the cut at the first stop in the Texas two-step.

“Coming into here last year, I sat out on that driving range and I probably was averaging 400 or 500 balls in the morning and in the afternoon. Hitting balls and hitting balls because I missed the cut,” Weekley said. “I couldn’t figure out what was going on down there with the base angle. And this year I finished fifth there, so I got a little more confidence coming into here.”

Canada’s Graham DeLaet and David Hearn are the lone Canadians in the field this week. Stephan Ames will make his debut on the Champions Tour.