By Chris Havlicek
Updated 6/4/24 3:36pm ET
The PGA Tour heads to its seventh of eight signature events when the Memorial Tournament begins Thursday morning at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
Reigning Masters champion Scottie Scheffler finds himself in his usual position atop the betting board, listed as the +360 favorite. He has not finished outside the top 10 in any of his last 10 starts on the PGA Tour, and he has finished third in the previous two years at Muirfield Village.
Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy is next at +900, and PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele also has +900 odds. Collin Morikawa is +1400 and defending champion Viktor Hovland, who beat Denny McCarthy in a playoff last year, is +1800.
Of note, Robert MacIntyre of Scotland withdrew from this week’s Memorial Tournament on Monday, one day after winning his first PGA Tour title at the RBC Canadian Open.
Dates/Location:
- The Memorial Tournament – June 6-9
- Muirfield Village Golf Club – Dublin, Ohio
- 7,569 yards, Par 72
- Purse: $20 million, $4 million to the winner
- Defending Champion: Viktor Hovland
The Course:
Known as “Jack’s Place”, the Jack Nicklaus-designed course at Muirfield Village has been a regular Tour stop since 1976. This is the 49th edition and fourth since the second renovation in 2020.
Muirfield Village continually evolves as a challenging course and 2024 reveals a 7,569 yard Par 72 set-up. This track has always been one of the toughest regular courses on tour and has hosted the 1987 Ryder Cup and the 2013 Presidents Cup. As you’d expect from an 18-time Major Champion designer, the course challenges the world’s very best with tree-lined fairways, tough bunkering, 13 holes with water in play, and over 110 acres of primarily Kentucky bluegrass rough, which tends to be thick and penal. Severely undulating Bentgrass green complexes are new, and will be a major factor throughout the weekend.
The biggest differences post-renovation are on the par-5s which used to play relatively short. New tee boxes were added to all 4 of them adding 100 yards to the overall yardage. Player feedback has been that the course plays significantly harder than it has in the past.
The Field:
The contingent of 73 players features six past tournament winners and is highlighted by 2022 and 2023 PGA TOUR Player of the Year, reigning Masters champion, and current World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
This week’s field of 73 includes everyone in the top 30 in the world. The highest-ranked player not in the field is No. 35 Min Woo Lee.
Viktor Hovland is the defending champion; the Norwegian won in a playoff last year over Denny McCarthy and would go on to win the FedEx Cup. After a slow start in 2024, Hovland is back in good form after a solo third at the PGA Championship. Other past champions in the field include Billy Horschel, Patrick Cantlay, and Hideki Matsuyama.
Odds to win (courtesy of FanDuel)
Scottie Scheffler +360
Rory McIlroy +900
Xander Schauffele +900
Collin Morikawa +1400
Viktor Hovland +1800
Ludvig Aberg +2500
Patrick Cantlay +2500
Justin Thomas +3000
Tommy Fleetwood +3500
Hideki Matsuyama +4500
Keys To Victory:
Muirfield Village has always been a great all-around golf test where both ball-striking and short-game experts can contend. In a typical Nicklaus design, each hole gets more difficult further away from the tee, so those with consistent approach play have always been able to access flatter parts of the green complexes close to hole locations. Birdies are available for those with excellent course navigation, elite scrambling, and a hot putter. Muirfield is a second-shot golf course where those who can find the right layers of the green complexes can make birdies and will contend over the weekend.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock
