DUBLIN, OHIO (TICKER) -- Jack was tickled while Tiger lost a bit of his roar.
Jack Nicklaus shot a very respectable 1-under-par 71 while Tiger Woods failed to break par for the first time all year in the opening round as the $4.5 million Memorial got under way Thursday.
While Nicklaus and Woods are among the biggest names in golf history, Bob Tway stole some of their thunder in the first round, shooting a 7-under 65 to assume a one-stroke lead over Stewart Cink. Stuart Appleby is two shots back.
A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, the 62-year-old Nicklaus has struggled with back problems recently and almost didn't compete for the first time at the 7,221-yard course that he designed.
But Nicklaus, who has 70 career victories on the PGA Tour and 10 more on the Senior Tour, showed some of his old luster with a round that included five birdies, a bogey and double bogey in his first PGA Tour event since last year's Memorial.
It was Nicklaus' first sub-par round on the PGA Tour since he fired a 2-under 70 in the opening round of the 2001 Genuity Championship. Nicklaus has not made cut on the PGA Tour since the 2000 Memorial, where he finished tied for 64th.
"Not a great round," Nicklaus said. "I mean a good round for me, and it's a good round in relation to the field today. But years ago, if I would have shot 71, I wouldn't be real happy. But I'm tickled pink today."
Woods, who seemingly always is compared to Nicklaus, clearly is the world's best golfer now. But he struggled Thursday as he attempts to make history this weekend.
Trying to become the first player in 75 years to win the same tourmanent four years in a row, Woods shot a disappointing 74, including a double-bogey on the par-4 18th hole. Woods was so angry afterward that he refused to meet the media.
Seeing a struggling Woods at this event has to be considered a surprise since he won the last two years rather easily, finishing seven strokes in front last year and five the previous year.
Woods has not faced this large of a deficit in an opening round since he was nine shots behind at the PGA Championship in August, where he tied for 29th in the worst showing at a major in his career.
The round by Woods could be attributed to fatigue after he won an event in Germany last week.
Woods may have struggled but Nicklaus found success at the Muirfield Village Golf Course, especially on the back nine, where he birdied four of his final five holes following a bogey on the par-4 13th.
Nicklaus' day did get off to a rough start with a double-bogey on the par-4 second and a bogey on the next hole. But he recovered, and by the time he reached his the final tee, the "Golden Bear" was receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.
"I don't want to go out there, walk around, shoot 85, wave to everybody with a false smile on my face. That's not me," said Nicklaus. "I got to be able to play and I get my enjoyment from playing golf, not waving."
Nicklaus finished with a lower round that Woods for the first time since shooting a 70 in the 2000 Masters, when Woods shot a 72.
A former PGA Championship winner who has not won since 1995, Tway did not seem surprised by the round of either Nicklaus or Woods.
"I'm glad Jack shot -- I didn't realize he shot a 1-under," Tway said. "But obviously if Jack is healthy, he's going to play good golf. The man's too good. I know it's disappointing for him to be healthy where you can play. So I just hope he gets back healthy again and we see him a whole lot more.
"Tiger being (2)-over, I don't know. I think it would be difficult to fly to Germany and win a tournament and fly back and play good. But he doesn't seem to have any trouble. But like I say, he probably shoots a 65 tomorrow."
Tway started in impressive fashion, rolling in birdie putts of 20, 30 and 10 feet on the first three holes. He had two more birdies around a bogey on the par-4 14th hole before making his biggest shot of the afternoon.
At the par-5 15th, Tway hit 5-wood that stopped behind the cup before he tapped in for eagle. He had two pars around a birdie on No. 17, capping his strong round.
"I never birdied the first three holes here, so that was awfully nice," Tway said. "I hit two good shots at five, and made another birdie. So like I say, it's good to have a good start."
Cink stayed in contention by being the only player among the field of 105 to have a bogey-free round. He converted six birdies and 12 pars.
"Well, today is one round," said Cink, a former PGA Tour Rookie of the Year who is winless since the 2000 season. "I feel like I'm one of the biggest underachievers on the PGA Tour for the last two or three years. I've had some good finishes. I've been close to winning some and close to winning more but I just don't feel I've been getting the results I should. I just feel I'm a better player than my results are showing."
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