Shane Lowry had the ball “on a string” as he produced a brilliant driving display and signed for an excellent opening 69 in the Memorial Tournament at a soggy Muirfield Village.

Building on his tie for fourth alongside Pádraig Harrington in the PGA Championship, the Offaly man was four-under with four holes to go when play was suspended due to a dangerous weather situation.

After restarting with a par at the 16th, he was disappointed to find sand from the centre of the fairway at the 17th and miss a five-footer for par before being forced to making similar putt for par at the 18th.

“I don’t want to jinx myself, but I’m driving the ball pretty good at the minute,” said Lowry, who was first for strokes gained off the tee. “I think I was pretty good at Kiawah and I just had it on a string out there today. So hopefully I can keep that going.

“Out here you need to be out in the fairway because the rough is so thick and so penal. I’m not sure I was in the rough once today. Couple of fairway bunkers maybe.”

At three-under, he was tied with the likes of defending champion Jon Rahm and world No 2 Justin Thomas, just three strokes behind Collin Morikawa whose six-under 66 gave him a one-shot lead over Adam Long.

Harrington found water twice as he made two double-bogeys and a triple-bogey seven at the 18th in an outward seven-over 43 before making three birdies and two bogeys coming home to sign for a a six-over 78.

In the US Women’s Open, England’s Mel Reid shot a four-under 67 to lead by a shot from American Angel Yin as Stephanie Meadow made six bogeys and a birdie in a five-over 76 at Olympic Club in San Francisco.
Memorial, live, 5.0, 
US Women’s Open, live, 12.0am,
both Sky Sports