Hopes for fiery Memorial washed away

A heavy rainstorm last evening will level the playing field at Muirfield Village Golf Club today for the start of the 35th Memorial Tournament.

It wouldn't be surprising to see a lot of low scores in the first two rounds now that the greens have been softened and slowed by the rain. After yesterday's Skins Game, Ernie Els remarked he thought the greens were faster than at Augusta National for the Masters. But the rain no doubt will have taken a lot of the fire out of the greens and changed the complexion of the tournament. Muirfield Village ranked as the sixth most difficult course on the PGA Tour in 2009, and the third most difficult in non-major events. Those are statistics tournament host Jack Nicklaus would like to see matched or topped. But that probably won't be the case this year unless the course dries out considerably for the third and four rounds.

If the Skins Game is any indication of what will unfold this weekend, then a shootout between the game's No. 1- and No. 2-ranked players might transpire. Woods picked up six skins out of possible nine and Mickelson picked up all nine while playing in separate groupings. Both appeared to be playing in top form in the just-for-fun event. Mickelson, in particular, looked sharp in shooting a 30 on the back nine.

Mickelson has had the upper hand in his rivalry with Woods of late, finishing better the last five times they've played in the same event, including three wins and a second-place finish. From the 2009 Tour Championship through the 2010 Masters, Mickelson won all three of the events he and Woods played together.

Over a longer period of time, Woods still holds an edge in a telling category. He has missed just six cuts in 242 PGA Tour starts as a pro, or just 2.5 percent of the time. Mickelson has missed 59 PGA Tour cuts as a professional in 395 career starts, or 14.9 percent of the time he's teed it up.

Mickelson, who missed the cut last week in Fort Worth, usually bounces back strong from early exits. In his last five starts following missed cuts, he has finished sixth or better three times, including winning at Riviera in 2008. Mickelson's best career finish at the Memorial is a tie for fourth in 2006. Woods is the defending champ and has won the title four times.

Besides wanting to win the Memorial for the first time in his career, Mickelson thinks Muirfield Village is a good place to prepare for the U.S. Open in two weeks at Pebble Beach. "I think course management is critical here," he said. "I think the short game and the opportunity to hit shots into these greens, it's one of the best golf courses, best shot values that we play. Because of that, it really couldn't be a better spot to get ready for a major championship like the U.S. Open."

Looking beyond the Woods-Mickelson angle, one can see many contenders in the field who could wind up stealing the spotlight. Zach Johnson is coming off a 64-64 finish at Colonial Country Club where he won the Crowne Plaza Invitational by three shots, and Jim Furyk, who won the Memorial in 2002, is returning to a course where he has four top-10 finishes in his career.

If you're looking for a youthful candidate, look no further than Rory McIlroy, who is back in America for the first time since following his stunning Quail Hollow victory with a missed cut at The Players Championship. If you're looking for a seasoned veteran, Kenny Perry is a good bet. No player in the field has more rounds at Muirfield Village at par or below than Perry. His 51 rounds at par or better at the Memorial ranks second to Jay Haas' 68. Should Perry win this week, he would tie Woods with most Memorial wins.

Tournament television coverage can be seen on the Golf Channel (today: 3-6 p.m.; Friday: 3-6 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday: 3-6 p.m.; Sunday: 1:30-6 p.m.).

Information from PGATOUR.com and ESPN.com contributed to this post.