J.T. Poston took the lead at the Memorial Tournament on Friday, firing a seven-under 65 at Jack Nicklaus’ Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, and reaching nine under overall after the second round. He birdied six of the front-nine holes, made only one bogey and finished with a sand save for par on 18 to separate himself from a packed leaderboard.
The third round now arrives with the weekend setup exactly where the field wanted it to be and where Poston did not want to waste it. Ryan Gerard sits one shot back at eight under after a 69, and the two will go out together in the final pairing at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, a slot that puts the tournament’s clearest pressure point right at the start of the moving day chase.
Poston sounded aware Friday that Muirfield Village was going to ask for patience. He said he knew the course would play tough, and his round fit that script early, with a few long putts helping him build momentum before he kept the card moving. He is trying to win for the fourth time on the PGA Tour and for the first time since the 2024 Shriners Children’s Open, while Gerard is chasing the second victory of his career after the 2025 Barracuda Championship.
The gap at the top is small enough that one bad swing can undo two good hours, and Sam Burns is still within range at six under and alone in third, three shots off the lead. That makes Saturday’s broadcast window matter as much as the pairing: Golf Channel will show the third round from 12:30-2:30 p.m. ET, CBS from 2:30-6 p.m. ET, and PGA Tour Live on + begins streaming at 9 a.m., with Paramount+ carrying the CBS simulcast.
Jordan Spieth and Jason Day have already missed the cut, leaving the title chase to the players who survived the wind and the pressure. Poston enters Saturday with the lead and Gerard on his shoulder, and if either man is going to own the Memorial Golf Tournament by nightfall, the separation has to start in that first hour together at Muirfield Village.
