BlogMemorial Preview and Picks

The Buzz:

So it’s back to Muirfield, and a lot changed last year. The most significant change was fans that attended the tournament. This event is one of those big-time events where the whole town gets in the back of it. Other than maybe the Ohio State Michigan game, the Memorial is the second most significant event in Columbus. Last year, the other change was the major renovation of the course, with all of the greens being replaced and bunkers being updated. It was more of a cosmetic change and was well-received by all.

With the U.S. Open just two weeks away, the Memorial used to be the place to get ready. Muirfield Village is set up with many features that The Country Club will have, high rough in the fairways that are tight, challenging, and quick greens. The big difference is the RBC Canadian Open, which is back after a two-year hiatus due to COVID. St. George’s C&CC is being used next week, and it has similar conditions that you will find at Muirfield Village and The Country Club. So many players will not play this week and will play in Canada instead.

Some of the big names not in this event are Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, and Sam Burns. Both Scheffler and Thomas will be in Canada. Now I can understand all of them not playing. For Scheffler and Burns, they had played in the last three events in Dallas, Tulsa, and Ft. Worth. But for Scheffler, he was 3rd last year, so you thought that possibly he would play. As for Thomas hasn’t played well in the Memorial since he finished T-8th in 2018 and T-4th in 2017, so it’s understandable him not playing.

Some others are not attending. Dustin Johnson has been on a very long honeymoon. He has struggled with the course, and despite three top-tens in 12 starts, the course may not suit him. He will be in Canada next week. I also don’t understand Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau, but the schedule is pretty full, and they have to take some time off.

Of those playing, this will be a big week for Jon Rahm. Yes, he won in Mexico, but he was T-55th at the Players, T-27th at the Masters, and T-48th at the PGA Championship, which didn’t please him. So he comes to a course in which he won in 2020 and last year had a six-shot lead going into the final round, but because he tested positive for COVID had to withdraw. This will be an important week, not only for retribution for what happened to him last year but to go into the U.S. Open, which he is defending with some momentum.

This week will also be important for Patrick Cantlay, Patrick Reed, Collin Morikawa, and Viktor Hovland. All four of them have been miserable in the big events. For Cantlay, he won the team event with Xander Schauffele and was runner-up at the Heritage, but at the Players and PGA Championship missed the cut and was T-39th at the Masters. He has seen a lot of success at the Memorial, winning in 2019 and last year, plus finishing 4th in 2018. Like Patrick Reed, he was 5th last year at the Memorial and T-10th in 2020, but his spring has been miserable, finishing T-26th at the Players, T-35th at the Masters, and T-34th at the PGA Championship. He had his first top-ten in 2022 with a T-7th finish at the Charles Schwab, so this week will indicate which way his game is going.

The same with Collin Morikawa, who was 2nd last year at the Memorial, losing a playoff to Patrick Cantlay. But many had forgotten that Morikawa won at Muirfield Village in 2020 when he won the Workday Charity Open, a one-time event due to the pandemic. The beginning of 2022 was promising, but since finishing 5th at the Masters, he hasn’t been in the top-25 and was T-55th at the PGA Championship. Lastly, we don’t know what to say about Viktor Hovland. Since joining the PGA Tour in 2019, he has won twice on the PGA Tour and twice on the European Tour and the Hero World Challenge. Of those six victories, none of them have come on U.S. soil. On top of that, he has been a bust in the majors. His best finish was T-12th at the British Open last year and in 2019 at the U.S. Open as an amateur. His record at Memorial is terrible, T-48th in 2020 and T-47th previous year. His spring hasn’t been promising as he was T-27th at the Masters and T-41st at the PGA Championship, so we have to wonder about the deal. We can’t seriously back Hovland, and this is something to watch as the spring turns to summer.

A good cheat sheet is this list of odds from the top bookmakers in England.

Another cheat sheet is this list of odds from the top bookmaker in Las Vegas.

Things you need to know about the Memorial

This is the 47th annual Memorial Tournament. The first one was played in 1976, and it has always been played at Muirfield Village. There are close ties between the Memorial Tournament and Jack Nicklaus. The tournament was a long-time vision of Nicklaus, who grew up playing at the famous Scioto Country Club, which hosted the 1926 U.S. Open. But the course wasn’t large enough to hold a major championship, so Nicklaus built Muirfield Village with that in mind. In some ways, the Memorial mirrors the Masters because it’s the tournament that Nicklaus always thought was the best run on a great course. 

The tournament got its name because a different golfer is recognized for their contribution to golf every year. The first Memorial Tournament honoree was Bobby Jones in 1976. This year, Ben Crenshaw is the honoree and posthumous Charles Sifford. In the Journalism category, the 2022 selection is Michael Bamberger. The ceremony is on Wednesday afternoon.

Course information:

• Muirfield Village Golf Club
• Dublin, Ohio
• 7,533 yards Par 36-36–72

Muirfield Village has a 76.9 rating and slope rating of 153 from the championship tees. The course is very private. The tees and Fairways are Bentgrass Poa Annua, while the rough is Kentucky Bluegrass with ryegrass and fescue. The greens are bentgrass. They were redone before last year’s tournament, so with another year of growth, they should be great for this week.

We saw that the course changes had nothing to do with making the course “hard.” Last year the scoring average was 72.97, it was the 10th hardest course on the PGA Tour in 2021. Compare it to 2020, when the scoring average was 74.01, and it was the 2nd toughest average for the year. In 2021 the course was soft. It rained on Thursday and for parts of Sunday. The winds were typical, 10-15 mph, but the course was perfect for low scores.

The tournament got its start, thanks to Jack Nicklaus. During the 1966 Masters, Nicklaus told some of his closest friends that he wanted to bring a major championship to the Columbus area. Unfortunately, the best course in town, Scioto Country Club, was not big enough to hold the tournament that Nicklaus envisioned. He was getting into course designing, so he knew just enough to be dangerous on the subject. He also imagined that his course would have the same characteristics that Augusta National had, plus Nicklaus wanted the event to mirror Augusta National.

After the Masters, Nicklaus and his trusted friends made secret site surveys around the Columbus area and found the site he thought was perfect, on the Northwestern part of town. In 1967 with his own money, Nicklaus started buying the land that would be Muirfield Village.

By 1970, Nicklaus realized that he had a future in building golf courses. He started his own company, and in 1972, under the supervision of Golden Bear Inc., construction began in Dublin, Ohio. The project encountered many delays, including excessive amounts of rain that ultimately postponed the completion of the project until late 1973. The project also almost bankrupt Nicklaus, who funded the whole thing. Nicklaus played the inaugural round of golf at Muirfield in October 1973. Fittingly, his round was marred by torrential rainstorms. The course officially opened on May 24, 1974, with an exhibition match between Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf. Nicklaus shot a 66, which stood as the course record until 1979.

Over the years, Muirfield Village has racked up numerous prestigious awards. Still, the essential accolade that Muirfield Village gets every year is when it is voted one of the five best sites by PGA Tour players, not only because the course is excellent but because of how well the players are pampered here. It goes beyond even the PGA Tour rules. It’s the only tournament on Tour that bans equipment manufacturers, tournament representatives, and the media from the practice facilities and locker rooms. 

When Nicklaus built the course in the ’70s, he had championships in mind and a yearly PGA Tour event. Along with the Memorial, which started in 1976, the course held just about every other major tournament, except for a U.S. Open or a PGA Championship. Other championships held at Muirfield include the 1986 U.S. Junior Amateur, the 1987 Ryder Cup Matches, the 1992 U.S. Amateur, the 1998 Solheim Cup, and the 2013 Presidents Cup.

The par 72 course has 73 bunkers, with water coming into play on 11 holes. Muirfield Village plays a long, challenging 7,533 yards, with Nicklaus’s new revamp on the course in 2020/21. With a course rating of 76.9 and a slope rating of 153, it is one of the most challenging venues on the Tour.

Nicklaus didn’t just design this course with the golfer in mind; he was one of the first designers to account for the fan. The 220-acre venue strategically incorporates hills and mounds that allow fans to look down upon most of the action. This setup mirrors most traditional stadium-seating arrangements found at major sporting events.

Over the years, Nicklaus tweaked the course, and after the 2020 event, he did a complete revamp by redoing all 18 greens, redoing all the bunkers and contouring, and making changes to 16 of the 18 holes. The only ones he left untouched were the 12th and 14th holes. Along with the greens, all fairways were resurfaced, and additional drainage was installed.

Nicklaus had no sinister plot to make the course harder. He just felt at his age of 81 that there were things he wanted to do. The changes were made to make the holes more playable and enjoyable. So we shouldn’t see any complaints this week that the course is too severe. If anything, Nicklaus may have taken some of the toughness out of the course, but many feel scoring-wise, it will be about the same as last year.

Let’s take a look at vital stats that are important for those playing at Muirfield Village.

So after last year’s changes, the course is now settled in and ready to go. As we saw with the way the course played, the changes made in 2021 were more cosmetic than making the course harder. All Nicklaus wanted to do was make the course as perfect as possible. He realized that since he turned 80, he didn’t have much more time to make the course what he wanted. Nicklaus may have made many changes, but they are all cosmetic in nature. It’s as if 40 years after he painted the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci decided to make some “improvements” to that perfect picture.
The course is always “perfect,” and in Jack Nicklaus’s mind, he has made Muirfield Village as good as possible.
We saw that the course changes had nothing to do with making the course “hard.” Last year the scoring average was 72.97, it was the 10th hardest course on the PGA Tour in 2021. Compare it to 2020, when the scoring average was 74.01, and it was the 2nd toughest average for the year. In 2021 the course was soft. It rained on Thursday and for parts of Sunday. The winds were normal, 10-15 mph, but the course was perfect for low scores. Not the case in 2020. The weather was terrible over the weekend, with lots of wind, one of the reasons it was 74.01 for the week. In 2019 the scoring average was 72.08, and it was the 13th hardest course of the year. I bet that is what Nicklaus is looking for this year. Again Jack didn’t make the changes after the 2021 Memorial to make the course harder, just more enjoyable to play. One thing that we saw last year, part of the changes was that tournament officials could control the moisture in the fairways and greens. With the sub-pumps under the course, they could make the course firmer in wet conditions. But of course, we have seen a lot of rain and storms in the years the Memorial has been played. This year is no different as rain will hit Wednesday and Thursday, but it will be dry for the rest of the tournament.
The good news for the players, the winds will be below 10 mph each day.

In looking at our four categories and knowing the course is 100% perfect, our first for Muirfield Village is Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green We get this by combining two stats. Last year, Muirfield Village was 31st in Driving Accuracy, 16th in Driving Distance, and 7th in Greens in Regulation. So our choice of Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green makes sense when you see that last year’s winner Patrick Cantlay was 1st in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green, while in 2020, the winner Jon Rahm was 3rd. Going even further, 2019 champion Patrick Cantlay ranked 2nd, 2018 champion Bryson DeChambeau ranked 12th, 2017 champion Jason Dufner ranked 1st, 2016 winner William McGirt ranked 7th, and 2015 champion David Lingmerth ranked 9th. So this is a great first choice.
The next important is putting inside 10 feet. Muirfield Village has some great greens, they are only 5,000 square feet but have a lot of undulation, and the bentgrass is easy to read. Still, with the greens running at 12 on the stipmeter, you will do very well if you make a lot of putts in this distance. Last year the course ranked 5th easiest, so many folks did well, so to keep up, the winner needs to do well in this category. Last year’s winner Patrick Cantlay wasn’t that great, ranking 61st as he made 59 of 70 putts in this range. Jon Rahm did a lot better the year before as he was 11th, completing 65 of 71 putts. 2019 winner Patrick Cantlay was 19th making 64 of 71 putts. You have to putt well to score well at Muirfield Village. Last year the field made 88.83% of the putts in that distance, so look for players that make lots of putts.
Our third important stat is scrambling, players will miss greens and have to get it up and down. The course ranked 11th last year, 1st last in 2020, 7th in 2019, 11th in 2018, 2nd in 2017, 14th in 2016, and 13th in 2015. Last year Cantlay ranked 6th in scrambling, while Rahm ranked T-3rd in 2020. In 2019 Cantlay ranked 5th, DeChambeau ranked 1st in 2018, Dufner in 2017 was 30th, McGirt was 6th in 2016, and Lingmerth was T-9th.
Our last category is birdie average. Last year it ranked T-16th, it was 5th in 2020, and it was T-28th in 2019. In 2018 it ranked 42nd, in 2017, it ranked 29th, in 2016 it ranked 48th and in 2015 was 43rd, which means a lot of birdies were made with the average number of birdies by players being 3.30 average last year, 2.99 average in 2020 and 3.77 in 2019. For the year 2018, it was 4.02. In 2017 it was 3.61 and 4.24 per round in 2016. So how did our winners do, Cantlay made 20 birdies ranked 3rd, in 2020 Rahm made 18 birdies, and that ranked T-3rd. In 2019 Cantlay made 25 birdies, in 2018 DeChambeau was T-7th, Dufner was T-2nd in 2017, averaging 5.25, McGirt was at 5.00, which ranked T-16th and Lingmerth averaged 5.50 and ranked T-6th.
So we can see that there are many ways to win at Muirfield Village, but you still have to hit the fairways and stay out of the rough. You then have to hit the greens, and if you’re a good putter, you will do well at the Memorial.

*Strokes Gained tee-to-green: The per round average of the number of strokes the player was better or worse than the field average on the same course & event minus the players’ strokes gained putting value.

*Putting inside 10 feet: Very easy, counts every putt from ten feet in to see who makes the most.

*Scrambling: The percent of the time a player misses the green in regulation, but still makes par or better.

*Birdie Average: Average number of birdies made over the course of a round

The 107 of the 120 players from this year’s field with stats from 2022:

Click any column title in the table header to sort columns.

Here is the link back to get you all 107 player stats

DraftKings tips

Of the 120 in the field, 102 have played at least once at Muirfield Village in The Memorial since 2010:

• Matt Kuchar is 73 under in 38 rounds, playing 11 years
• Patrick Cantlay is 42 under in 20 rounds, playing 5 years
• Adam Scott is 37 under in 32 rounds, playing 8 years
• Rickie Fowler is 36 under in 40 rounds, playing 12 years
• Rory McIlroy is 33 under in 36 rounds, playing 10 years
• Kevin Streelman is 31 under in 42 rounds, playing 12 years
• Ryan Moore is 31 under in 42 rounds, playing 11 years
• Patrick Reed is 28 under in 24 rounds, playing 6 years
• Jordan Spieth is 27 under in 34 rounds, playing 9 years
• Jason Dufner is 25 under in 32 rounds, playing 9 years
• Bryson DeChambeau is 23 under in 18 rounds, playing 5 years
• Hideki Matsuyama is 23 under in 28 rounds, playing 8 years
• Jon Rahm is 21 under in 9 rounds, playing 3 years
• Anirban Lahiri is 17 under in 16 rounds, playing 4 years
• Emiliano Grillo is 13 under in 20 rounds, playing 6 years
• Jason Day is 13 under in 34 rounds, playing 10 years
• Francesco Molinari is 10 under in 6 rounds, playing 2 years
• David Lingmerth is 9 under in 32 rounds, playing 9 years
• Gary Woodland is 9 under in 38 rounds, playing 11 years
• Marc Leishman is 9 under in 46 rounds, playing 12 years
• Xander Schauffele is 8 under in 14 rounds, playing 4 years
• Joaquin Niemann is 7 under in 12 rounds, playing 4 years
• Collin Morikawa is 5 under in 8 rounds, playing 2 years
• Pat Perez is 5 under in 36 rounds, playing 9 years
• Max Homa is 4 under in 10 rounds, playing 3 years

*Here are the ones with the best under par totals averaging it per years played (2 or more starts)

• Patrick Cantlay is 42 under, playing 5 years (-8.4)
• Jon Rahm is 21 under, playing 3 years (-7.0)
• Matt Kuchar is 73 under, playing 11 years (-6.6)
• Francesco Molinari is 10 under, playing 2 years (-5.0)
• Patrick Reed is 28 under, playing 6 years (-4.7)
• Adam Scott is 37 under, playing 8 years (-4.6)
• Bryson DeChambeau is 23 under, playing 5 years (-4.6)
• Anirban Lahiri is 17 under, playing 4 years (-4.3)
• Rory McIlroy is 33 under, playing 10 years (-3.3)
• Rickie Fowler is 36 under, playing 12 years (-3.0)
• Jordan Spieth is 27 under, playing 9 years (-3.0)
• Hideki Matsuyama is 23 under, playing 8 years (-2.9)
• Ryan Moore is 31 under, playing 11 years (-2.8)
• Jason Dufner is 25 under, playing 9 years (-2.8)
• Kevin Streelman is 31 under, playing 12 years (-2.6)
• Collin Morikawa is 5 under, playing 2 years (-2.5)
• Emiliano Grillo is 13 under, playing 6 years (-2.2)
• Xander Schauffele is 8 under, playing 4 years (-2.0)
• Joaquin Niemann is 7 under, playing 4 years (-1.8)
• Jason Day is 13 under, playing 10 years (-1.3)
• Max Homa is 4 under, playing 3 years (-1.3)

Historical ParBreakers

Here is a look at those playing this week and who has made the most eagles and birdies:

So it makes sense that the top players on this list are guys that will make lot’s of points this week

DraftKings tips

*Here are the guys that cost the most on DraftKings this week:

• Jon Rahm – $11,100
• Rory McIlroy – $10,900
• Patrick Cantlay – $10,700
• Collin Morikawa – $10,400
• Xander Schauffele – $10,200
• Cameron Smith – $9,900
• Jordan Spieth – $9,700
• Will Zalatoris – $9,400
• Viktor Hovland – $9,300
• Hideki Matsuyama – $9,200
• Matt Fitzpatrick – $9,100
• Shane Lowry – $9,000

Jon Rahm is the top dog at $11,100 and despite his record on this course, the cost is way too high.  Yes he won in 2020 and would of won in 2021 if not tested postive for COVID.  But after that, he played in 2017 and missed the cut, yes the course was perfect for Rahm in 2020 and last year, but his game is a bit different, so I am taking caution due to his playing record this year and not pick him.  Yes I know he won in Mexico, but that course was a bombers delight that suited his game, he got away with a lot in winning.  I do like Rory McIlroy at $10,900, yes he hasn’t completely gotten rid of his one bad round per event, but his game is so perfect and I am waiting for him to go on a tear.  As for Patrick Cantlay at $10,700, I know he missed the cut at the PGA Championship and played terrible.  Have to think of that as a big anomaly and that the course didn’t suit his game, look for him to bounce back and contend this week.  Collin Morikawa at $10,400 is a maybe, yes the course suits his game.  People tend to forget that he won the Workday Charity in 2020, on this course.  He was 2nd last year so the course is good for him.  I worry about his putting that is what has held him back in his last four starts.  Xander Schauffele at $10,200 is my second favorite behind McIlroy, he has played ok on the course and his game has come around, his core stats in tee-to-green play, putting, scrambling and par breakers are strong and show he is close.  Cameron Smith at $9,900 is a big no.  Yes, he won in Maui and at the Players Championship.  He was also T-3rd at the Masters.  But in his other starts he has struggled with his game, his putting is what carries his game and when it doesn’t shine Smith has problems.  Maybe that is the reason he missed the cut at Heritage and was T-13th at the PGA Championship thanks to a final round 69.  But the reason not to pick him this week is due to his terrible record at the Memorial, in six starts has only made the cut twice, best finish being T-65th in 2017.  In 16 rounds at Muirfield Village has only broken par once, shooting a 71.  So he is a terrible pick for this week.  I can go in either direction with Jordan Spieth at $9,700.  He has had a good year, minus the fact that he missed the cut at the Players and Masters, along with being T-34th at the PGA Championship.  He has been sharp at the Memorial, in nine starts he makes cuts and was T-3rd in 2015 and T-7th in 2019.  Still he is nothing special so it’s a toss-up pick.  Will Zalatoris is a question mark at $9,400.  Has no record at the Memorial other than a missed cut in 2018 when he wasn’t the player he is today.  We can point out that he finished 2nd at the PGA Championship, despite missing the cut the week before and the week after.  I say he gets a top-ten this week.  Viktor Hovland at $9,300 is a no for me, he has struggled at the Memorial, in eight rounds has shot 74 or worst five times. On the PGA Tour has made cuts but in his last six starts has only one top-20 a T-18th at the Match Play.  Was T-41st at the PGA Championship and T-21st at the Charles Schwab, I don’t expect him to find any pixie dust this week.  Hideki Matsuyama at $9,200 is a big yes for me.  His record at Memorial is good when he was healthy and his game has set up since the Masters, I think this week will be good especially since he is putting better.  Matt Fitzpatrick at $9,100, he is one of those surprises just waiting to happen.  He knows how to play well at the Memorial, was 3rd in 2020.  This year has seen a lot of good finishes, has been in the top-ten six times in his last ten starts and was T-2nd at the Wells Fargo and T-5th at the PGA Championship.  I also like Shane Lowry at $9,000, he was T-6th last year at the Memorial and his game has been razor focused since his first PGA Tour start at the Honda.  Has been on the cusp of winning at least three times, just needs to be in the right place at the right time.

Here is our feature in which we help you decide which guys make the cut the most in a tournament.  The importance of picking six players that play 72 holes is vital in playing well in Draftkings, and this list will help.  It’s a look going back to the 2010 Memorial on who has made the most cuts.  Of course, those who make a lot of cuts and are priced low are very helpful.  To get on this list, you have to make at least three Memorial starts:

• Adam Scott made 8 cuts in 8 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,700.
• Pat Perez made 9 cuts in 9 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,600.
• Patrick Reed made 6 cuts in 6 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,900.
• Patrick Cantlay made 5 cuts in 5 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 10,700.
• Anirban Lahiri made 4 cuts in 4 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,200.
• Danny Willett made 3 cuts in 3 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,200.
• Abraham Ancer made 3 cuts in 3 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 8,200.
• C.T. Pan made 3 cuts in 3 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,200.
• Harris English made 3 cuts in 3 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,100.
• Corey Conners made 3 cuts in 3 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 8,400.
• Joel Dahmen made 3 cuts in 3 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,900.
• Marc Leishman made 11 cuts in 12 starts for a 91.7%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,500.
• Ryan Moore made 10 cuts in 11 starts for a 90.9%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,200.
• Stewart Cink made 9 cuts in 10 starts for a 90.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,000.
• Jordan Spieth made 8 cuts in 9 starts for a 88.9%.  His DraftKings cost is 9,700.
• Camilo Villegas made 8 cuts in 9 starts for a 88.9%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,000.
• Luke Donald made 6 cuts in 7 starts for a 85.7%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,000.
• Russell Knox made 6 cuts in 7 starts for a 85.7%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,000.
• Scott Stallings made 5 cuts in 6 starts for a 83.3%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,900.
• Si Woo Kim made 5 cuts in 6 starts for a 83.3%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,600.
• Matt Kuchar made 9 cuts in 11 starts for a 81.8%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,800.
• Rory McIlroy made 8 cuts in 10 starts for a 80.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 10,900.
• Bryson DeChambeau made 4 cuts in 5 starts for a 80.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,800.
• Brendan Steele made 8 cuts in 10 starts for a 80.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,600.
• David Lingmerth made 7 cuts in 8 starts for a 77.8%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,000.
• Jason Dufner made 7 cuts in 8 starts for a 77.8%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,100.
• Charles Howell III made 7 cuts in 9 starts for a 77.8%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,400.
• Hideki Matsuyama made 6 cuts in 8 starts for a 75.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 9,200.
• Kevin Streelman made 9 cuts in 12 starts for a 75.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,800.
• Hudson Swafford made 3 cuts in 4 starts for a 75.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,500.
• Xander Schauffele made 3 cuts in  starts for a 75.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 10,200.
• Billy Horschel made 6 cuts in 7 starts for a 75.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,900.
• Lucas Glover made 9 cuts in 11 starts for a 75.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,500.

(Those that I like are in bold)

*Players in that $7,500 to $8,900 price range, which ones are worth the money?:

Have to say that that off the bat I like two guys that will have a stigma attached to their names.  Cameron Young at $8,800 and Davis Riley at $8,600 are the hottest players in the game.  But they are both playing at the Memorial for the first time.  Winning on your first try at the Memorial is a rarity.  In it’s 46 year history it has only been done twice, Roger Maltbie won the first Memorial in 1976 and 2014 Hideki Matsuyama played the Memorial for the first time.  These players are playing well and can join Matsuyama as rookie winners.  I like both and they will be on my cards when I pick.  Another good choice is Max Homa at $8,700, he was T-6th last year at the Memorial and has played well this year, in his last three starts won at Wells Fargo, T-12th at the PGA and T-23rd at Colonial.  Joaquin Niemann at $8,300 is a person to look at, he missed the cut in his last two Memorial starts but was T-6th in 2018.  He has done well of late, I like that he won at Riviera a course like Muirfield Village.  Seamus Power at $8,000 is another good choice, yes playing in his first Memorial but has been solid all year including a T-9th at the PGA Championship.  Patrick Reed at $7,900 is also good.  He quietly comes out of nowhere and strikes like a rattlesnake when you least expect him to.  This could be one of those weeks, Reed was 5th last year at Memorial, T-10th in 2020.  His game seems to be waking up after some mediocre play, was T-7th last week at the Charles Schwab.  Also Matt Kuchar at $7,800 is good, like his record at the Memorial and played well of late. Adam Scott at $7,700 has not done anything in a bit, but at the Memorial he always seems to cash a check and has a few good finishes including a 2nd in 2019.

Some of the “bargains” this week at the Memorial

Hard to believe that you can get Cameron Tringale for $7,400.  He won’t win but he will make the cut and get you a lot of points at a cheap price.  Rickie Fowler at $7,200 is worth the risk, yes he isn’t the same player he was four years ago, but his record is good at the Memorial and he could make the cut at get you some points.  Another $7,200 player is Anirban Lahiri, he has played at the Memorial four times cashing a check each year.  But like that he has had some good finishes in 2022 including a 2nd at the Players and T-6th at the Wells Fargo.  Stewart Cink at $7,000 is a good choice for the Memorial.  Has played in 24 of them making the cut 22 times, yes he isn’t a top-choice but for the price he will make the cut and get points.  One last person is Lucas Glover at $6,500.  He makes a lot of cuts at the Memorial, he won’t get you a top-ten, but he will made the cut and at $6,500 a good choice.

Here are some of the secrets of what it takes to play well at the Memorial:

Key stat for the winner:

• Those that embrace the changes to the course will do well.  In the long run they are mostly cosmetic and wont make the course any harder.  Muirfield Village is a course that will get you ready for a U.S. Open.  No matter how comfortable, you can’t overpower this course, you have to hit it in the fairway and think each shot to the green.

Another key:

• Those that do well in majors do well at Muirfield Village.  Of the 35 different champions of the Memorial, they have accounted for 528 wins on the PGA Tour while 20 have won a total of 71 major championships. What’s more, 17 of the last 29 Memorial champions have been a winner of a major championship.
• In the history of the Memorial, only three leaders after the first round have won (Ernie Els in 2004, Justin Rose in 2010 and Jason Dufner 2017). 15 second-round leaders have won, and 20 third-round leaders have won.  Between 1994 and 2006, 11 of the 14 winners were in the lead after the third round.  But since 2007, only 5 champions had the lead going into the final round so again look for someone coming out of the pack to win. 
• 13 of the last 25 winners were in the top four in greens hit. In 2009 Tiger Woods was T3rd in greens hit while Justin Rose was T-13th in 2010, Steve Stricker was T30th in 2011, Tiger Woods was T-1st in 2012, Matt Kuchar was also 1st in 2013.  In 2014 Hideki Matsuyama was T-22nd while David Lingmerth was T-16th in 2015.  In 2016 William McGirt was T-7th in greens hit while in 2017 Jason Dufner lead greens hit.  In 2018 Bryson DeChambeau was T-12th in greens hit while in 2019 Patrick Cantlay was T-11th.  In 2020 Jon Rahm hit 48 of the 72 greens and was 3rd best in the field.  Last year Patrick Cantlay hit 54 greens and was T-1st.
• Overpowering the par fives is important, but Patrick Cantlay still won last year even though he was just 5 under.  Things were different in 2019 when Patrick Cantlay was 12 under the best of the winners since Tiger Woods was 14 under in 2001.
• In past years hitting greens has been significant, as Muirfield Village has some of the hardest set of greens to hit from the fairway.  Once you miss the greens, it’s hard to get it up and down, in 2014 of the 2,631 greens missed only 1,375 par or better was made, it was the fourth hardest course in scrambling at 52.26%.  In 2015 of the 2,504 greens missed only 1,382 par or better were made making it the 13th hardest.  In 2016 of the 2,386 greens missed only 1,240 par or better were make making it the 14th hardest on tour.  In 2017 of the 2,810 greens missed only 1,433 were able to get it up and down making it the 2nd hardest on tour.  In 2018 2,419 greens were missed with 1,315 able to get it up and down the 11th hardest on tour, in 2019 2,579 greens were missed with 1,420 able to get it up and down making it the 7th hardest on tour. In 2020 2,579 greens were missed with 1,501 able to get it up and down making it #1 ranked on the PGA Tour.  Last year 2,789 greens were missed with 1,490 players able to get it up and down making it #11 on the PGA Tour.
• Accuracy is key to winning at Memorial, 12 of the last 19 winners have been in the top-10 in driving accuracy, which proves the point that you have to drive the ball well at Muirfield Village.  In 2009 Tiger Woods was 2nd while in 2010 Justin Rose was T-10th.  In 2011 Steve Stricker kept the tradition up as he was T-3rd but in 2012 Tiger Woods broke the tradition when he was T-14th in driving making him the first player out of the top-ten in driving since Ernie Els won in 2004.  Even worst things got bad in 2013 as Matt Kuchar was T-37th in driving accuracy, in 2014 Matsuyama was T-11th while in 2015 Lingmerth was T-11th. In 2016 McGirt was 38th in fairways hit while 2017 winner Jason Dufner was T-7th in fairways hit.  In 2018 Bryson DeChambeau was 4th while in 2019 Patrick Cantlay was also 4th in driving accuracy.  In 2020, Jon Rahm hit 36 fairways and was T-4th in Driving Accuracy.  Last year Patrick Cantlay hit 37 fairways and was T-28th in Driving Accuracy.
• In its 46-year history, there have been 9 playoffs, last year Patrick Cantlay beat Collin Morikawa with a par on the first extra hole.  Now between 1976 and 2013, the tournament saw only four playoffs the previous was in 1992 when David Edwards beat Rick Fehr on the second hole.  Since then every Memorial except for three (2005, ’07 and ’11) has been won by at least two shots or more.
• Active tournaments that have the least amount of playoffs since 1976:
• 5 – Players championship
• 6 – Arnold Palmer Invitational
• 8 – Shriners Hospital
• 8 – Honda Classic
• 8 – John Deere Classic
• 9 – Memorial
• Only eleven times in the history of the Memorial has a player shot four rounds in the 60s with eight of them winning. The last time it happened was in 2019 when Patrick Cantlay did it. Before that Byeong Hun An did it in 2018, before that Steve Stricker did it in 2011 but the last time that happened before that was in 2005 when Bart Bryant prevailed.
• Last we have to talk about the weather.  This tournament has always had its share of severe weather.  I remember when I use to attend this event between 1988 and 2003, one year Barbara Nicklaus hired an Indian chief to do dances to avoid bad weather.  This year it will rain but only Thursday morning and once that blows through it will be dry for the rest of the week.