BlogMemorial Tournament Preview and Picks

The Buzz:

So it’s back to Muirfield Village but with one important change. Last year, the event was held the week before the U.S. Open.  It wasn’t well accepted by not only the players, but also by Nicklaus and the Memorial.  So it’s changed back two weeks before the U.S. Open.  With the Travelers also being a signature event and played the week after it, it became challenging to ask players to participate in two signature events with the U.S. Open in between.

Last year, with the Open being played at Pinehurst, playing Memorial the week before was no help in prepping players for that Open.  However, this year, with it being played at Oakmont, Memorial is ideal for preparing for the Open.

Memorial has many characteristics and traditions of a U.S. Open course, such as tight fairways, the need to hit big irons into the greens, and putting on tricky undulating greens. So this year it will be welcomed playing Memorial before the U.S. Open.

This would have been a great field except Rory McIlroy ruined it.  He is taking Memorial week off to play instead at the Canadian Open next week.  In a way, I can understand taking this week off from the Memorial. In 13 starts, he has achieved only five top-ten finishes, with his best result being T-4th back in 2016.  Last year he was T-15th.  The big problem is that Rory has to tell Nicklaus he isn’t playing. Nicklaus won’t be happy.

The players who are playing well right now are Scheffler, who was T-4th last week at Colonial.  Ben Griffin is also hot, winning at Colonial and the team event last month in New Orleans.  Also, I have to watch Tommy Fleetwood, who was T-4th at Colonial and Truist, and also finished 7th at the Heritage.

A couple of other players who look close are Xander Schauffele and Colin Morikawa.  They both have good records at Colonial, but keep an eye on Morikawa, who was runner-up last year and in 2021.  Many people won’t remember, but in 2020, they played the Workday event at Memorial, and Morikawa won that.

One player we won’t see this week is Will Zalatoris.  He was a superstar when he broke onto the PGA Tour in 2021.  But a strange thing happened: he won for the first time at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship, but the next week, he hurt his back.  After trying to rest it, in April of 2023, he had back surgery, which derailed him for the next 18 months.  He seemed healthy in 2024, and we were looking for him to regain his form in 2025.  But that never happened; he missed nine of 11 cuts, and his back was giving him problems.  After the PGA, he was told he “re-herniated two discs” and last Friday had surgery; he will not play for the rest of the 2025 season and hopefully come back in the fall.

Also struggling with their games is Ludwing Aberg, who was T-5th last year at Memorial.  He had surgery last September for a torn meniscus on his left knee.  Things seemed good as he won the Genesis, but since he was 7th at the Masters, the rest of the year has been a mess.  He missed the cut at the Players, Texas Open, and PGA Championship, and we have to wonder if he is healthy.  We know he is the future of golf, but hey, others with great games like Jordan Spieth have struggled.

Another player struggling with his game is Patrick Cantlay, who has won twice at Memorial.  This year hasn’t been a banner season except for finishing T-5th at Genesis and T-4th at Truist.  Last week, he missed the cut at the PGA Championship, so we don’t know in which direction his game is headed.  Others to worry about are Viktor Hovland, Sahith Theegala, Max Homa, and Wyndham Clark.  However, the worst is Cameron Young.  After a brilliant 2022 season in which he had 12 top ten finishes, including five runner-ups, we thought it wouldn’t be long for him to get into the winner’s circle.  However, he dropped off in 2023 with five top tens and one runner-up, and then experienced a slight decline in 2024 with just one runner-up, for a total of seven.  This year has been a struggle; in 14 starts, he has missed six cuts, and his best finish was T-7th at Truist.  He has never played well at the Memorial, and I don’t see him breaking out this week.

I have to think that both Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler will be good. It’s hard to believe that Xander never finished in the top ten in six of the previous Memorials before last year, when he was T-8th.  However, we can see things improving in every start and think this could be the week for him.  At the same time, we can never count out Scottie Scheffler, who struggled a bit with the putter last week.  He has a good record at the Memorial, with four starts resulting in a pair of 3rd-place finishes and a win last year.

Things you need to know about the Memorial

This is the 50th annual Memorial Tournament. The first one was played in 1976 and has been played at Muirfield Village ever since. 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 Nicklaus always thought was the best run on a great course.

The tournament is named after a different golfer who is recognized for contributing to golf annually. The first Memorial Tournament honoree was Bobby Jones in 1976. This year, Barbara Nicklaus is the honoree.  She will be the first non-player to receive the award since USGA president and PGA Tour commissioner Joseph C. Dey received it in 1992. In the Journalism category, the 2025 selection is Bob Baptist, who was a writer for the Columbus Dispatch for 39 years. The ceremony is on Wednesday afternoon.

Course information:

• Muirfield Village Golf Club
• Dublin, Ohio
• 7,571 yards  Par 36-36–72

Muirfield Village has a 76.9 rating and a 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 the 2023 tournament, so with another year of growth, they should be great for this week.

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 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 as Augusta National, and Nicklaus wanted the event to mirror Augusta National.

After the Masters, Nicklaus and his trusted friends conducted secret site surveys around the Columbus area and found the site he thought was perfect in the Northwestern part of town. In 1967, Nicklaus began purchasing the land that would become Muirfield Village with his own funds.

By 1970, Nicklaus realized 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 numerous delays, including excessive rainfall that ultimately postponed its completion until late 1973. The project also nearly bankrupted Nicklaus, who had funded the entire endeavor. 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 being voted one of the five best sites by PGA Tour players, not only because the course is excellent, but also because the players are pampered here. This 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 in mind. Along with the Memorial, which began in 1976, the course has hosted almost every other major tournament, except for a U.S. Open or a PGA Championship. Other championships 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 features a long, challenging 7,571 yards, with Nicklaus’s new revamp of 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, allowing fans to look down upon most of the action. This setup mirrors the typical stadium seating arrangement found at major sporting events.

Over the years, Nicklaus tweaked the course, and after the 2020 event, he undertook a complete revamp by redoing all 18 greens, recontouring all the bunkers, 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 that, at the age of 81, 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 that scoring-wise, it will be about the same as last year.

For last year’s event, everyone will see a redone 16th hole. The changes Nicklaus made in 2020/21 caused many complaints, so Jack softened it up by moving the lake further from the green and redoing the bunkers.

For the first time in the history of the tournament, Nicklaus didn’t alter anything.

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

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Muirfield Village. Jack Nicklaus initiated this project in the 1960s to create a championship course in the city where he grew up. Nicklaus also wanted his course to host major championships, but Jack wasn’t about to wait; two years after the course opened, the Memorial Tournament began in 1976. Over the five decades of the Memorial, there have been many historic moments, one of the reasons the course is among the most popular on the PGA Tour, and one that Nicklaus continues to refine.
Nicklaus does less and less major work each year as he gets older. The changes he makes now are more cosmetic than making the course harder. When Nicklaus turned 80 in 2020, he realized there weren’t many changes left. In 2021, Nicklaus made numerous “cosmetic” changes to perfect the course. He realized that in the 50 years since the course opened, he had painted his Mona Lisa, which was as perfect as possible. A perfect example of trying to make the Mona Lisa look better and hurting the painting was when, in 2021, Nicklaus put a lake in front of the par-3 16th, making it drastically harder. In 2023, Jason Day didn’t realize Nicklaus was within earshot and called the changes harsh, saying it was a “stupid hole. Jack realized he had gone too far in making the hole a little more challenging and worked on the hole for last year’s Memorial.

So, for this year, we have a rarity, no fundamental changes to the course. Still, the thing about Muirfield is that it’s a challenging course but very manageable. In its 51 years, the winning score has ranged from even par to 20 under. Last year, Scottie Scheffler won at eight under par. In 2023, Viktor Hovland won at seven under, the highest since Greg Norman shot even par in 1990. Much of it concerns the weather; the conditions were similar last year and in 2023, as the wind blew between 15 and 20 mph over the weekend. But last year, the weather on Thursday and Friday also saw winds blowing between 10 and 20 mph. But no rain with temperatures between 75 and 80. This year, temperatures will be between 70 degrees on Thursday and 79 degrees on Saturday, with it being 77 degrees on Sunday.The good news is that there shouldn’t be any rain, and the winds will be around 10 to 12 MPH each day, so these are perfect conditions for low scoring.

One thing is for sure: the course is always “perfect” year after year, and in Jack Nicklaus’s mind, he has made Muirfield Village as good as it can be. Last year, the Memorial field’s scoring average on the par-72 course was 73.50, making it the 4th hardest of the 50 courses on the PGA Tour in 2024. It was the hardest non-major course behind Pinehurst (72.89 on par 70), Royal Troon (73.85 on par 71), and Augusta (73.91 on par 72). The only thing that made the scoring higher was the windy conditions, which blew up to 20 mph over all four days.

Here is a look at the scoring average at Muirfield Village over the past few years:
*2023 – The average was 73.52, making it the 5th most challenging of the 58 courses on the PGA Tour that year. It was the second hardest non-major course behind Torrey Pines South. The only thing that made the scoring higher was the windy conditions, which blew up to 20 mph over the weekend.
*2022 – The average was 73.06, making it the 8th most challenging of the 50 courses on the PGA Tour that year. One of the significant changes to the course was the addition of sub-pumps under the course to make it firmer in wet conditions.
*2021 – Averaged 72.97, the 10th hardest of the 51 courses on the PGA Tour that year. The course was soft. It rained on Thursday and part of Sunday. The wind was normal, 10-15 mph, but the course was perfect for low scores.
*2020 – Average was 74.01, the 2nd hardest of 41 courses on the PGA Tour that year. The weather was terrible over the weekend, with lots of wind, one of the reasons it was 74.01 for the week.
*2019 – Averaged 72.08, the 13th hardest of 49 courses on the PGA Tour that year.

Looking at our four categories and knowing the course is 100% perfect, our first for Muirfield Village is Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green, which considers distance and accuracy off the tee and greens hit. Driving and greens hit are essential when looking at Muirfield Village’s stats over the past few years. Each year, greens hit and driving accuracy have always been critical and key to playing the course well.
The course ranked 1st in Greens in Regulation hit last year (53.58%). It ranked 32nd for driving accuracy (65.29%) and 27th for Driving Distance all holes (288.5 yards).
Last year’s tournament winner, Scottie Scheffler, was 20th in Driving Distance all drives, averaging 289.8 yards per drive, T-22nd in Driving Accuracy, hitting 38 of 54 fairways, and T-1st in Greens in Regulation, hitting 50 of 72 greens. Between the three stats, he ranked 1st in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green (gaining 3.197 shots).

Here is a look at the Driving Distance, Driving Accuracy, and Greens in Regulation for Memorial winners in recent years:
*2023 – The course ranked 20th in Driving Distance with an average drive of 292.6 yards (out of 58 courses), 29th in Driving Accuracy (58.48%), and 1st in Greens in Regulation (52.19%).
Winner Viktor Hovland was 14th in Driving Distance, averaging 300.2 yards per drive, T-51st in Accuracy, hitting 30 of 54 fairways, and T-19th in Greens in Regulation, hitting 41 of 72 greens. Between the three stats, he ranked 12th in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green (gaining 1.777 shots).
*2022 – The course ranked 12th in Driving Distance with an average drive of 285.7 yards (out of 50 courses), 39th in Driving Accuracy, and 4th in Greens in Regulation.
Winner Billy Horschel was 42nd in Driving Distance, averaging 285.2 yards per drive, T-7th in Accuracy, hitting 43 of 54 fairways, and 1st in Greens in Regulation, hitting 53 of 72 greens. Between the three stats, he ranked 1st in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green.
*2021 – The course ranked 14th in Driving Distance with an average drive of 286.5 yards (out of 51 courses), 31st in Driving Accuracy, and 7th in Greens in Regulation.
Winner Patrick Cantlay was T-23rd in Driving Distance, averaging 290.3 yards per drive, T-28th in Accuracy, hitting 37 of 54 fairways, and T-1st in Greens in Regulation, hitting 54 of 72 greens. Between the three stats, he ranked 1st in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green.
*2020 – The course ranked 22nd in Driving Distance with an average drive of 294.5 yards (out of 29 courses), 6th in Driving Accuracy, and 5th in Greens in Regulation.
Winner Jon Rahm was T-15th in Driving Distance, averaging 302.1 yards per drive, T-4th in Accuracy, hitting 36 of 54 fairways, and T-3rd in Greens in Regulation, hitting 48 of 72 greens. Between the three stats, he ranked 1st in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green.
*2019 – The course ranked 15th in Driving Distance with an average drive of 282.5 yards (out of 35 courses), 43rd in Driving Accuracy, and 14th in Greens in Regulation.
Winner Patrick Cantlay was 2nd in Driving Distance, averaging 292.4 yards per drive, T-51st in Accuracy, hitting 38 of 54 fairways, and T-11th in Greens in Regulation, hitting 50 of 72 greens. Between the three stats, he ranked 2nd in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green.
Interestingly, three of the five winners were 1st in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green, while one was 2nd.

Our 2nd category for The Memorial is putting inside 10 feet. We chose this because 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 12 on the stipmeter, you will do very well if you make a lot of putts at that distance. Now, for last year, Muirfield Village ranked 16th in putting inside 10 feet out of 38 courses played for the year. As for winner Scheffler, he ranked T-38th, making 66 of 76 putts inside 10 feet (86.84%).

Here is a look at the putting inside 10 feet of the Memorial winners in recent years:
*2023 – The field made 87.93% of their putts inside ten feet, the 21st toughest of the 41 courses that tracked putts that year.
Winner Viktor Hovland made 61 of 64 putts inside 10 feet (95.31%) ranking 5th best.
*2022 – The field made 87.93% of their putts inside ten feet, the 19th toughest of the 36 courses that tracked putts that year.
Winner Billy Horschel made 64 of 71 putts inside 10 feet (90.14%) for a T-25 ranking.
*2021 – Those who putted inside 10 feet made 88.83% of their putts, which was the 35th hardest of the 51 courses that tracked putts for the year.
Winner Patrick Cantlay made 59 of 70 putts (84.29%) and finished 61st.
*2020 – 87.57% of putts were made for those putting inside 10 feet, as it was the 13th hardest of the 29 courses that tracked putts for the year.
Winner Jon Rahm made 65 of 71 putts inside 10 feet (91.55%) and finished T-11th.
*2019 – 87.24% of putts were made for those who putted inside ten feet, as it was the 12th hardest of the 35 courses that tracked putts for the year.
Winner Patrick Cantlay made 64 of 71 putts inside ten feet (90.14%) and ranked 19th.
Yes, making putts inside ten feet at Muirfield Village is tough.

Our third important stat is scrambling, and you can see why. Since the course is a shot-maker’s delight, you can see that if you miss a lot of greens, you better get it up and down to play well. Last year, Muirfield Village ranked 11th out of 47 courses in scrambling (55.43%), while winner Scheffler ranked 21st, getting up and down on 14 of the 22 greens he missed (63.64%).

Here is a look at the scrambling of Memorial winners in recent years:
*2023 – Muirfield Village ranked 8th in scrambling out of the 58 courses that tracked scrambling for the year, getting it up and down 54.03% of the time.
Winner Viktor Hovland was T-12th, getting it up and down 19 of the 31 greens he missed.
*2022 – Muirfield Village ranked 14th in scrambling out of the 50 courses that tracked scrambling for the year, getting it up and down 54.92% of the time.
Winner Billy Horschel was 1st, getting it up and down 16 of the 19 greens he missed.
*2021 – Muirfield Village ranked 11th in scrambling out of 51 courses that tracked scrambling for the year, getting it up and down 53.60% of the time.
Winner Patrick Cantlay was T6, getting it up and down on 12 of the 18 greens he missed.
*2020 – Muirfield Village finished 1st in scrambling out of the 41 courses that tracked scrambling this year, getting it up and down 48.40% of the time.
Winner Jon Rahm was T-3rd, getting it up and down 16 of the 24 greens he missed.
*2019 – Muirfield Village was ranked 7th in scrambling out of the 49 courses that tracked scrambling for the year, getting it up and down 55.06% of the time.
Winner Patrick Cantlay ranked 5th, getting it up and down 16 of the 22 greens he missed.
The winner has to do a great job of getting it up and down on the greens he misses.

Our final category is Par Breakers because making eagles and birdies is significant. Last year, Muirfield Village saw 750 birdies made, which was 6th in the number of birdies made for the event. Last year 21 eagles were made, which ranked T-11th. Thanks to that, 17.13% of the holes were played under par (Par Breakers), and the Memorial ranked 5th in Par Breakers. Winner Scheffler was T-2nd with 17 birdies and one eagle. He was T-1st in Par Breakers

Here is a look at the Par Breakers of the Memorial winners in recent years:
*2023 – Made 1,181 birdies (22nd hardest) and 29 eagles (T-29th) as 18.27% of holes were under par, making it the 12th hardest of the 58 courses that year.
Winner Viktor Hovland made 19 birdies (T-2nd) and no eagles as 26.39% of the holes played were under par, and he ranked T-2nd in Par Breakers.
*2022 – Made 1,237 birdies (22nd hardest) and 26 eagles (T-19th) as 18.61% of holes were under par, making it the 13th hardest of the 50 courses that year.
Winner Billy Horschel made 15 birdies (T-24th) and had one eagle as 22.22% of the holes played were under par, and he ranked T-20th in Par Breakers.
*2021 – Made 1,229 birdies (20th hardest) and 24 eagles (13th) as 18.71% of holes played were under par, making it the 16th hardest of the 51 courses that year.
Winner Patrick Cantlay made 20 birdies (3rd) and no eagles as 27.78% of the holes played were under par, ranking him 3rd in Par Breakers.
*2020 – Made 1,212 birdies (21st hardest) and 28 eagles (T-16th) with 16.97% of holes played under par, making it the 5th hardest of the 41 courses that year.
Winner Jon Rahm made 18 birdies (T-3rd) and no eagles as 325.00% of the holes played were under par, ranking him T-3rd in Par Breakers.
*2019 – Made 1,448 birdies (30th hardest) and 26 eagles (18th) as 21.33% of holes played were under par, making it the 27th hardest of the 49 courses this year.
Winner Patrick Cantlay made 25 birdies (1st) and no eagles as 34.72% of the holes played were under par, ranking him 1st in Par Breakers.
So the winner has to make a lot of birdies and eagles.

So you can see there are many ways to win at Muirfield Village, but you still have to hit the fairways and stay out of the rough. Then you have to hit the greens, and if you’re a good putter, you’ll do well at the Memorial.

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

*Putting inside 10 feet: This is very easy. Count every putt from ten feet in to see who makes the most.

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

*Par Breakers: Percentage of eagles and birdies made during the course of a tournament

The 71 of the 72 players from this year’s field with stats from 2025.

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

DraftKings tips

Most DraftKings points earned

We have compiled a database covering the last 56 events on the PGA Tour, beginning at the start of the 2024 season and ending with the 2025 Charles Schwab. The database includes the number of points a player won during each event, along with its associated cost. From the database, we can determine the total DraftKing points earned, the players’ average points earned per event, and the average points based on the number of rounds played.

Of the players in the field, here are the top 60 playing in at least eight events:

DraftKings tips

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

• Scottie Scheffler – $13,300
• Xander Schauffele – $10,900
• Justin Thomas – $10,100
• Collin Morikawa – $9,900
• Patrick Cantlay – $9,500
• Tommy Fleetwood – $9,400
• Ludvig Aberg – $9,300
• Corey Conners – $9,100
• Hideki Matsuyama – $9,000

Scottie Scheffler is the top dog at $13,300, and that is a boatload of money to risk on just one pick. But each week, Scheffler comes through and earns a lot of points. He has scored over 88 points per event in his last six tournaments, dating back to the Houston Open.  Xander Schauffele, at $10,900, is also a significant investment, but the good news is that he is improving with each start.  Justin Thomas at $10,100 is a no for me, sorry, but he missed the cut at the PGA Championship and has struggled at Muirfield Village.  Collin Morikawa at $9,900, has also struggled; he was T-17th at Truist and T-50th at the PGA Championship.  Good news: he plays well in this event, having achieved two runner-up finishes in his last four starts.  Patrick Cantlay at $9,500 is on paper a great pick, has won the Memorial twice.  When you think things are going right for Patrick, he goes and misses the cut at the PGA Championship.  Still think he will contend this week. Tommy Fleetwood at $9,400 is someone I rag about not being able to win.  He has played well of late, was T-4th at Truist and Charles Schwab, he doesn’t have that great of a record at the Memorial.  Still think it could be his week.  Ludvig Aberg at $9,300 has been struggling, missing the cut at the Masters, but after taking some time off, he comes to a course he did well at last year.  Corey Conners at $9,100 is barely worth the price for what he offers.  He isn’t going to win, but he will likely find a way to secure a spot in the top 25.  Hideki Matsuyama at $9,000 is a no, sorry, he just hasn’t shown us much since winning in Hawaii over four months ago.

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

Sepp Straka at $8,800, has been great on the PGA Tour this year, but missed the cut at both the Masters and the PGA Championship.  Still, he is playing well and has gotten more at ease at Muirfield Village.  Jordan Spieth, at $8,500, has been very inconsistent, but he plays well at the Memorial, and I feel he can contend this week.  Si Woo Kim at $8,300 is a very good buy.  Has played well since the Heritage, with a strong record at the Memorial, including a top-15 finish in his last four starts.  Tony Finau at $8,200, is also a good buy. He seems to be in stride after his fall surgery, and comes to Memorial playing well in this event. This could be a good week for Matt Fitzpatrick at $8,000, break out of his slump, and win.  He seems to win when you least expect it, and now could be the time.  The same goes for Denny McCarthy at $7,900; he is due for a good week, and Memorial has been good to him, with a couple of top 5s, including a 2nd-place finish in 2023.  Sam Burns at $7,900 is another of those that could surprise us this week, has played well of late, including a T-5th at the Byron Nelson.  Robert MacIntyre at $7,700 could be a good pick, he plays well on tough courses and seems to be his best in June and July.  Max Homa at $7,500, could be a good pick because his game has improved, and he performs well at the Memorial.

Some of the “bargains” this week at the Memorial

Taylor Pendrith at $7,300, is a good bargain, having finished T-5th at the PGA Championship and T-33rd at the Memorial last year.  Adam Scott at $7,200, is also worth the cost; he has played well at the Memorial, the course is up his alley, and he will likely secure a top 20 finish.  Andrew Novak at $7,100 is making his Memorial debut. In his last six starts, he has a win, a runner-up, and a third, so he is a great pick.  Christiaan Bezuidenhout at $6,900, is a person to watch, having finished 4th last year at the Memorial, and has been consistent in 2025.  Bud Cauley at $6,800, is also worth the price, having played great in his last seven starts and been consistent at the Memorial. Ryan Gerard at $6,700 is always a bargain, he has played great in 2025.  Eric Cole at $6,600 has been on a roll since the West Coast swing.  He also has been consistent at the Memorial.  Ryan Fox at $6,500 is another of those on a high in 2025, he won at Myrtle Beach and has seemed to find his game.