Blog#337M Memorial Tournament Muirfield Village GC Dublin OH

Blog#337M Memorial Tournament Muirfield Village GC Dublin OH

June 4 to 7, 2026 PAR 72

Purse $20M Same as last year

HISTORY

This is the 50th Memorial and is one of my favorite tournaments. I lived in Westerville OH from 1978 to 1983 and had the good fortune to attend the tournament every day for 5 years. The course is magnificent from a player and patron standpoint. Like the Masters it is an Invitational and as a signature event will have a field of 72. However at Jack Nicklaus’ insistent it will have a cut which will be the top 50 players. The the first tournament in 1976 was won by Roger Maltbie who made $40,000. Last year Scottie Scheffler won for the 2nd year in a row and won $4M.

My PREDICTION TO WIN Scheffler and McIlroy are 1-2 but I think #3 Cameron Young has the best chance. Ludvig Aberg is picked 5th, but Matt Fitzpatrick, picked 6th, is the better bet.

FAVORITES I believe that *4 of these top 9 will win.

*1 S Scheffler 3/1 One win 3 seconds, 2 thirds, 1 fourth in 11 tournaments, can he win?

*2 R McIlroy 10/1 Only played 7 PGA events 1 win, 1 second, 1 seventh.

*3 C Young 16/1 Won Players & Cadillac $8M, #26 at PGA but he wins.

4 X Schauffele 18/1 Another good possibility, 5 top 10s in 11 tournaments this year.

4 L Aberg 18/1 I picked him to win last week and he just never was in it.

6 M Fitzpatrick 22/1 Three wins this year, #2 at Players.

*6 Si Woo Kim 22/1 He keeps coming close but someone always outplays him.

8 Tommy Fleetwood 35/1 Has played well this year not good enough to win.

8 R Henley 30/1 I don’t see how he follows last week magical last 4 holes.

LONG-SHOTS If the *4 above don’t, the winner may come from the 7 below.

33 B Griffin 33/1 Low FinalRD 65 last week and 1 bogie away from joining playoff.

15 H Matsuyama 45/1 As usual if he can put 4 good RDs together he could win.

18 M McNealy 50/1 Six top 20’s in 13 tournaments this year usually 1 RD kills him.

18 JJ Spahn 55/1 Inconsistent year with 6 missed cuts but a wins Texas Valero Open.

19 Chris Gotterup 60/1 Could be best bet in this group, 10th at PGA.

51 Brian Harman 150/1 Finished 11th at Players, but I think his OPEN win in 2023 was a fluke.

51 Eric Cole 150/1 Should have gotten his 1st win at Schwab but only shoots par last 16 holes.

COMMENTARY

Jack Nicklaus came up with the idea of honoring the games greatest achievers each year. They are remembered with a plaque in Memorial park (pictured below) along the first fairway which now has 86 plaques of famous golf contributors. One or more is added each year. Bobby Jones was the first in 1976 followed by Walter Hagan, Francis Ouimet, Gene Saracen, Byron Nelson, Harry Vardon and the list goes on. This years honorees are Australian golfer

David Graham 79, winner of the PGA 1979, Memorial 1980, US Open 1981.

He is quoted, “ This is one of the greatest honors I have ever received”.

Scottish professional golfer Alan Robinson is a Scottish golfer(1815-1859) considered the 1st professional. He was born in St Andrew’s and buried in St Andrews Cathedral Cemetery.