By avoiding bunkers, Flesch moves to top of leaderboard

Steve Flesch was one of the few players who had no issues with the bunkers at the Memorial, and for good reason.

He wasn't in any of them Thursday, which might explain why he was atop the leaderboard.

Flesch made sure he kept his ball in the lush grass of Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, playing his best golf of the year to reach 6 under through 17 holes when the first round was suspended because of storms. He was in the 18th fairway, typical of his day.

Sean O'Hair made double bogey from a bunker on No. 3, then responded with four birdies on his next six holes. He saved par the next time he was in the sand, birdied the 18th and finished one of his best rounds this year with a 5-under 67.

The large group at 69 included Masters champion Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III, Fred Couples and Nick Price, most of whom had one thing in common -- they could do without the furrows left behind by the gap-tooth rakes being used as an experiment this week.

"I don't like it at all," Price said. "It's a bit of pot luck, to be honest."

Love didn't bother stopping to talk, perhaps because he would have said something that offended tournament host Jack Nicklaus.

Wales Open

Philip Archer missed shooting the first 59 in PGA European Tour history when he lipped out a 6-foot putt on the 18th hole in the Wales Open.

The Englishman set up his chance with a wedge shot from 134 yards. Archer finished with a 9-under 60 on the short 6,743-yard, par-69 Roman Road Course at Celtic Manor.

-- The Associated Press