Golf’s ‘Big three’ take big wins to U.S. Open tuneup at the Memorial

Jason Day had the golf world’s stage to his own after the world No. 1 left the other two members of the so-called “Big 3” in his wake following his Players Championship victory two weeks ago.

This week, though, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy get the band back together as Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, roll into Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament fresh off impressive, slump-busting victories.

Spieth, still smarting from an epic Masters collapse despite claims to the contrary, used a fan’s late-inning comment Sunday at Colonial to ignite a fiery back-nine birdie barrage that propelled him to a three-shot triumph.

“‘Remember the Masters, Jordan,’” the eight-time PGA Tour winner said a spectator yelled at him on the 10th tee before he made three straight birdies to kick off his incoming nine holes.

Spieth, who won a tourney in his home state of Texas for the first time as a professional, came home on the back of another consecutive trio of birds to polish off his first victory since rinsing two balls in Rae’s Creek on the 12th hole at Augusta.

“There’s a little red-ass in me, and it came out on the next few holes,” added Spieth, who hoped he had laid to rest concerns that any and all post-Augusta bad shots were due to a lingering Masters nightmare.

“I wasn’t sure how long it would take to get over the hurdle, of having to come into every interview room, having to listen to the crowds, talking only about what happened a month ago, and it’s very difficult,” Spieth said.

“I’m 22,” Spieth, who snapped a four-month mini-slump, reminded the gathered scribes. “It’s not like I hadn’t won … we’ve won two majors. It’s very difficult to stay present, stay positive when that’s happening, when those are the only questions. In our third tournament back, to come back and close this one out the way we did is really, really special.”

McIlroy, who entered the Irish Open without a win since the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in November, authored a similarly dramatic end to the wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth over his drought.

“I don’t usually get emotional about golf or about wins, but this one, it means just a little bit more, because it’s not just for myself. It’s for a lot of other people,” McIlroy said after rebounding from one shot back of Russell Knox with three holes to play at the K Club. “It’s a day I’ll not forget for awhile.”

The two formerly top-ranked players notched their W’s just in time to take on the winner of three 2016 PGA Tour contests in the stretch drive toward the U.S. Open — the season’s second major, which launches the most frenzied seven weeks probably in the tour’s history. Spieth’s national championship begins at Oakmont on June 16, the British Open commences a month later on July 14, with the PGA Championship opener just two weeks after that.

While all eyes at the Memorial will be on the world’s top three players, it remains to be seen whether the two closest challengers — as well as a robust supporting cast that includes golf’s five best — can make a dent in Day’s lead atop the world rankings. He did, after all, prevail over the deepest field on tour at TPC Sawgrass, where Spieth missed the cut and McIlroy finished eight shots back in a tie for 12th.

Day, however, hasn’t played since his impressive victory, and McIlroy took the week off between the Irish Open and the Memorial. Spieth enters the week on a roll but recognizes the competition to get back to No. 1 will be fierce.

“I knew there was a large gap. I had been told before last week that had I won last week and this week, I still wouldn’t take over, which just speaks to what Jason has been able to do,” Spieth said Sunday. “Rory rounding into form, he’s always in form, and he’s the one out of us three with double my major championships, with four of them. He’s certainly a scary person to be teeing up on the other side of when he’s on his game. Same with Jason.

“For me it’s big just to take a big step and a small chunk into Jason’s lead right now,” he said. “As long as we stay focused, strike the ball like we are and putting like we are, then try and work our way back into contention again.”