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Rory McIlroy charges to a three-shot lead with a 63 at the Memorial

Rory McIlroy hits out of a bunker alongside the 17th green during the first round of the Memorial golf tournament on Thursday.
(Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
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One week after finally getting a big win, Rory McIlroy showed Thursday that he might be ready for another in the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio.

McIlroy had two eagles on the back nine at Muirfield Village and opened with a nine-under-par 63 despite making a double bogey with a wedge in his hand on the 14th hole.

That gave him a three-shot lead over Masters champion Bubba Watson, Paul Casey and Chris Kirk.

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McIlroy won the BMW PGA Championship last week in England. That was the strongest field he had beaten in more than two years.

Adam Scott, the Colonial winner last week in his debut at No. 1 in the world rankings, had a 69.

Phil Mickelson was within range of McIlroy until dropping five shots on the last three holes for a 72.

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Sweden’s Jens Dantorp and England’s Eddie Pepperell each opened with a six-under-par 66 to share the lead after the first day of the Nordea Masters in Malmo, Sweden.

Boosted by the support of family, friends and other fans in Malmo, the 25-year-old Dantorp had six birdies and no bogeys on his home course.Looking ahead to the second round, Dantorp said, “I can not promise another bogey-free round but I’ll try to keep playing and putting well.”

Pepperell surged to the top of the leaderboard with three birdies on the last five holes. Scotsman Stephen Gallacher, Daan Huizing of the Netherlands, Northern Ireland’s Gareth Maybin and Swedes Rikard Karlberg and Sebastian Soderberg trailed the top duo by one shot.

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