The PGA Tour returns to Dublin, Ohio for its annual stop at Muirfield Village Golf Club for the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. Played every year since 1976, the tournament is hosted by Jack Nicklaus and played on a course designed by the 18-time major champion. The Memorial Tournament is one of the 17 designated events on the PGA Tour, along with one of five invitational-only tournaments.
The defending champion of Jack’s tournament is Billy Horschel, who picked up his seventh win on Tour with a commanding four-shot victory over Aaron Wise. Horschel’s four-day total of 275 matched that of Patrick Cantlay’s winning tally in 2021.
With the elevation to a designated event, the purse for the tournament increased from $12 million to $20 million this year, with the winner earning $3.6 million of the purse.
A Stiff Test Awaits the World’s Best
Jack’s Place presents a challenging test for the world’s best golfers, with frequent tweaks and yearly enhancements made under the watchful eye of Nicklaus to keep the course relevant for today’s pros. The course was established in 1974, with Jack putting an emphasis on strategy and course management.
A par-72 on the scorecard, the course runs over 7,500 yards in length and underwent major renovations following the playing of the 2020 tournament. The greens feature bentgrass and can run up to 13 on stimpmeter, making the putting surfaces tricky and tough for pros.
Ball-striking is at a premium here, with various lengths to many of the holes requiring every shot in the bag. Accuracy off the tee, accurate approaches, and touch on the greens are key components if a player wants to have a shot to walk off the 18th green on Sunday as a winner.
Top Players Ready to Go at Muirfield
The invitational status brings a smaller field of 120 players to the state of Ohio. The strong field is highlighted by the top eight players in the world expected to tee it up this week. World no. 1 Scottie Scheffler headlines that list that includes the likes of Jon Rahm, winner here in 2020, Rory McIlroy, and two-time winner Patrick Cantlay.
Billy Ho returns to defend his title, looking to get back into the winner’s circle for the first time since winning this event, and is joined by other past winners in Jason Dufner, William McGirt, David Lingmerth, Hideki Matsuyama, and Matt Kuchar.
Other notables in the field include Justin Thomas, Max Homa, Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, and elite international players Shane Lowry, Tyrrell Hatton, and Corey Conners.
Pre-Tournament Betting Favorites
It is no surprise to anyone that has followed golf over the last year that Scheffler comes into the week as the tournament favorite. He has been a machine this season, collecting 11 top 10s in 15 events played. Over at BetOnline, Scheffler tops the board at +700 to win this week.
Rahm, a past winner, is right behind Scheffler at +800. The Masters champion has won four times already this season and comes into the week ranked second in Strokes Gained: Total and third in Strokes Gained: Approach to Green.
Two-time winner Patrick Cantlay is there for the taking at +1100 as the 31-year-old tries to get back in the winner’s circle for the first time this season. Cantlay is trending in the right direction, with three top-10 finishes over his last four starts.
Rounding out the top 5 favorites are Schauffele (+1500) and McIlroy (+1600). Schauffele’s worst finish over his last four tries here is T18.
