A tournament so popular it had no need for designated status received just that anyway this season as Muirfield Village Golf Club once again welcomes the world's best for the 2023 Memorial Tournament. Hosted by Jack Nicklaus, the Memorial has proven to be a breeding ground for breakthrough victories, career moments and everything in between as players vie for a coveted handshake with the Golden Bear on the 72nd hole come Sunday.
World No. 2 Jon Rahm has been lucky enough to shake the 18-time major champion's hand. A winner here in 2020, Rahm's victory was sandwiched by a pair courtesy of world No. 4 Patrick Cantlay, who was the beneficiary of a bizarre situation in 2021 when Rahm had to withdraw while holding a six-stroke 54-hole lead due to a positive COVID-19 test.
Rahm will look to get back on track after a disappointing PGA Championship as he eyes his fifth victory of the PGA Tour season. A win at Jack's Place would pull alongside the likes of Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day as recent players to accomplish such a feat.
While Rahm remains ever present, he has relinquished his world No. 1 status to Scottie Scheffler. The back-and-forth affair at the top of the golf world continues as summer rolls on. Scheffler has been incredible since the fall, collecting 15 straight top-12 finishes, notching two victories and posting ball-striking metrics never seen before. Two wins almost feels light given his statistical profile, but a trip to winner's circle in Dublin, Ohio could fix that real quick.
Thomas, Spieth, Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Cameron Young and Sungjae Im all look to grab their first victories of the season. Still among the best in the world, this group has been left without a trophy due to runs had by Rahm, Scheffler and Tony Finau.
2023 Memorial Tournament schedule
Dates: June 1-4 | Location: Muirfield Village Golf Club -- Dublin, Ohio
Par: 72 | Yardage: 7,533 | Purse: $20 million
2023 Memorial Tournament field, odds
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
- Scottie Scheffler (6-1)
- Jon Rahm (7-1): Rahm may have the victory total over Scheffler's head, but the consistency sides with the Texan. The Spaniard comes in off a poor start at the PGA Championship and has only a pair of top-10 finishes in his last seven starts. Granted, one of those is his triumph at the Masters, but Rahm has considerably cooled since his torrid stretch around the New Year. After consistently gaining more than four strokes per tournament on the greens, the Masters champion is struggling to find his form with the putter in hand.
- Patrick Cantlay (10-1): He has played too well this season to be without a win, and if there was ever spot for him to break through, it is at the Memorial. Twice a winner, the 31-year-old has three additional top-10 finishes in his last six showings here. He arrives riding nine straight top-21 finishes including a T9 at the PGA Championship. After getting off to a slow start at Oak Hill, Cantlay clawed back with an admirable performance tee to green. Over the last six months, Cantlay ranks second only to Scheffler in strokes gained tee to green.
- Xander Schauffele (12-1): Similar to his good pal Cantlay, Schauffele is enjoying a fantastic statistical season without bearing any fruit. Since withdrawing from the season opener, Schauffele has 10 top-20 finishes in 12 starts including four top fives in his last six. He checks in behind only Scheffler and Rahm in total strokes gained since the beginning of the new year courtesy of strong efforts with his scoring clubs and his putter. Muirfield Village has been kind to him in the past as he has five straight top-20 results.
- Rory McIlroy (14-1): Who knows what to expect from McIlroy this week? He captured yet another top-10 finish in a major championship at Oak Hill and did so with his C-game. He is currently going through the most inaccurate driving season of his career, and that doesn't bode well for his prospects around Muirfield. The matter of fact is that McIlroy hasn't played a ton of golf this year -- over the last two months, he only has 10 rounds under his belt. Luckily, this has historically been a decent spot for him with seven top-20 finishes in 11 appearances.
- Viktor Hovland (18-1)
- Collin Morikawa (22-1)
- Tyrrell Hatton (25-1)
- Jason Day (28-1)
- Justin Thomas (30-1): He has done everything but win around these parts. Thomas fell to Morikawa in a playoff at the 2020 Workday Charity Open and has three other top-20 finishes in his last six showings at Muirfield Village. Like many others, it has been a somewhat strange season for the two-time PGA champ. He ranks 11th in strokes gained tee to green over the last six months, buoyed not by his iron play but his around-the-green presence. The putter might be showing signs of life, but the approach numbers will need to improve if he is to enter the winner's circle.
2023 Memorial Tournament expert picks
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
| Winner (6-1): Despite notching another multiple-win season, Scheffler may be underachieving at the moment. With 15 straight top-12 finishes to his credit, the world No. 1 only has two wins. Over the last six months, he ranks first in total strokes gained, first in strokes gained tee to green, first in strokes gained approach and second in strokes gained off the tee. Oh, and by the way, he is ninth in strokes gained around the green. The putter has been holding him back, but if it begins to cooperate watch out and get out of the way. He finished solo third in 2021 and has gained strokes on these greens in all three attempts. | |
| Contender (35-1): After a hiccup at the PGA Championship, Fowler is back on the prowl. He has already earned invitations into the U.S. Open and The Open and continues to play like a top-20 player in the world. Fowler is fresh off a T6 effort at Colonial and marked his 11th top-20 finish in 16 starts this season. Everything seems to be working for him at the moment as his iron play is trending towards a career-best effort and his short game has remained steady. Since 2017, the 34-year-old has five top-25 finishes at Muirfield Village. | |
| Sleeper (65-1): Kim's quality may be getting overlooked at the moment. The South Korean is a just a couple starts removed from falling one stroke short of Day at the Byron Nelson and has turned a corner with his ball striking. He ranks top 50 in each strokes gained category over the last six months and remains one of the most accurate drivers of the golf ball. More importantly, Kim has proven to like the spotlight late on Sundays. Where many players will wilt, Kim thrives -- the moment never seems too big. He arrives with three straight top-20 finishes in this tournament. | |
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