After last week’s Charles Schwab Challenge, it’s time for the next PGA Tour tournament.
The 2023 Memorial Tournament tees off today, June 1st, at Jack Muirfield Village Dublin, Ohio, and will feature some of the biggest names in the golf world.
Who is likely to challenge for the top spot at the 2023 Memorial Tournament?
The world’s top-three ranked players – Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and Rory McIlroy will grace the Memorial Tournament among other top talents, including 23 of the top 50. Billy Horschel beat 13 under to defeat Aaron Wise by four strokes and win the 2022 Memorial Tournament.
However, Billy has undergone a deep decline in his form over the last year and is a long shot to repeat the success in this year’s event.
Patrick Cantlay and John Rahm have enjoyed success in the previous tournaments, with the former winning the 2019 and 2021 editions. Rahm won the 2020 event but withdrew from the 2021 edition when he was the favourite to defend the title.
In his six Memorial Tournament career appearances, Cantlay has won twice, finishing top-4 four times. He has gained strokes on approach and off the tee in all six outings and has always been on top form, putting on fast Bentgrass greens.
Rahm will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing PGA Championship Tour as he aims at clinching the fifth win of the PGA Tour season. A win here will place him alongside Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, and Jason Day as recent players to win five titles in a PGA Tour season.
Rahm will also aim to use this chance to take back the World No.1 position from Scottie Scheffler, whom they have been alternating recently.
Scottie Scheffler (6/1), Jon Rahm (7/1), and Patrick Cantlay (10/1) are the favourites to emerge victorious at the 120-player Memorial Tournament invitation field. Rory McIlroy (12/1) and Xander Schauffele (14/1) are also strong contenders this weekend.
The Muirfield Village Golf Club
The last four Memorial Tournaments at the Muirfield Village have produced different playing conditions but still presented similar leaderboards. Patrick Cantlay won the 2019 edition at -19 with only eight players reaching double digits under par.
The 2020 Covid-19 disruptions made the organizers schedule back-to-back events at the Muirfield Village in July. The first occurred at the Workday Charity Open, where Collin Morikawa beat Justin Thomas in playoffs at -19. The field was filled with greens that slowed the game and made it more receptive.
A week later, the greens had completely changed at the Memorial Park, increasing the game’s pace and making it extremely firm. This made it difficult to play with a long-iron approach. Jon Rahm dominated the event winning by three strokes at -9.
After the conclusion of the 2020 Memorial, the staff at Muirfield Village embarked on an extensive renovation of the field. After the renovations in 2021, the field had longer yardage, featuring new greens complexes and other modifications.
Rahm started the 2021 event in high gear and was six strokes clear in the first three rounds tallying at -18, placing him in a great position to defend the title. However, he withdrew mid-through after testing positive for Covid-19. John Cantlay lifted the title at -13 after beating Morikawa in the playoff.
The 2022 tournament was also won at -13 by Billy Horschel, playing in calm conditions to defeat Cantlay, Aaron Wise, and Max Homa.
2023 Memorial Tournament odds
| Player | Odds |
| Scottie Scheffler | 6/1 |
| Jon Rahm | 7/1 |
| Patrick Cantlay | 10/1 |
| Rory McIlroy | 12/1 |
| Xander Schauffele | 11 |
| Viktor Hovland | 14/1 |
| Collin Morikawa | 22/1 |
| Cameron Young | 30/1 |
| Jordan Spieth | 30/1 |
| Justin Thomas | 30/1 |
| Jason Day | 30/1 |
| Rickie Fowler | 35/1 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | 35/1 |
| Sungjae Im | 40/1 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 40/1 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | 40/1 |
| Corey Conners | 40/1 |
| Russell Henley | 45/1 |
| Sam Burns | 45/1 |
| Shane Lowry | 55/1 |
| Sahith Theegala | 55/1 |
| Tom Kim | 60/1 |
| Adam Scott | 65/1 |
| Si Woo Kim | 65/1 |
| Wyndham Clark | 65/1 |
| Matt Kuchar | 80/1 |
| Gary Woodland | 80/1 |
| Keith Mitchell | 100/1 |
| Denny McCarthy | 100/1 |
| Keegan Bradley | 100/1 |
| Cam Davis | 100/1 |
| Emiliano Grillo | 100/1 |
| Byeong Hun An | 125/1 |
| Kurt Kitayama | 125/1 |
| Billy Horschel | 125/1 |
| Harris English | 125/1 |
| K.H. Lee | 125/1 |
| Brian Harman | 125/1 |
| Adam Hadwin | 125/1 |
| Chris Kirk | 150/1 |
| Ryan Fox | 150/1 |
| Taylor Montgomery | 150/1 |
| Hayden Buckley | 150/1 |
| Nicolai Hojgaard | 150/1 |
| Patrick Rodgers | 150/1 |
| Lucas Herbert | 175/1 |
| Christiaan Bezuidenhout | 175/1 |
| Seamus Power | 175/1 |
| Beau Hossler | 175/1 |
| Tom Hoge | 175/1 |
| Stephan Jaeger | 175/1 |
| J.T. Poston | 200/1 |
| Thomas Detry | 200/1 |
| Andrew Putnam | 200/1 |
| Matt NeSmith | 200/1 |
| Aaron Rai | 200/1 |
| Adam Schenk | 225/1 |
| Davis Riley | 225/1 |
| Justin Suh | 225/1 |
| Mark Hubbard | 250/1 |
| Adam Svensson | 250/1 |
| Alex Smalley | 250/1 |
| Brendon Todd | 275/1 |
| Joseph Bramlett | 275/1 |
Memorial Tournament recent winners
| Year | Golfer |
| 2022 | Billy Horschel |
| 2021 | Patrick Cantlay |
| 2020 | Jon Rahm |
| 2019 | Patrick Cantlay |
| 2018 | Bryson DeChambeau |
| 2017 | Jason Dufner |
| 2016 | William McGirt |
| 2015 | David Lingmerth |
| 2014 | Hideki Matsuyama |
| 2013 | Matt Kuchar |
| 2012 | Tiger Woods |
| 2011 | Steve Stricker |
| 2010 | Justin Rose |
If you want more content like this on the golf, check out our Golf section.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks