The Memorial Tournament 2023

[MattyO1984]

Muirfield Village Golf Club, Ohio is the destination this week for the great and the good of the PGA Tour to converge for the 43rd staring of the Memorial Tournament. Having managed to complete the first sentence without making mention of Jack Nicklaus, it would be sacrilege if I were to get through the second without mentioning the Golden Bear. Muirfield Village is his course and the Memorial is his tournament and 120 guys teeing up this week will want to be the guy shaking his hand to the side of 18 green late on Sunday afternoon. Billy Horschel has that honour last year and whilst (that one is for you @Duct Tape) he will want more than anything to defend his title, his form this year would tend to suggest that making the weekend will be an achievement. The field for this one has always been good but with designated event status and $3,600,000 heading to the winner the field is stacked. Current world number 1 will be looking in his rear view mirror as his number one contender, Jon Rahm, has some serious history with this event. He picked up a win in 2020 and but for catching Covid19 in 2021 would have surely walked it having finished round 3 with a 6 shot lead over eventual winner Patrick Cantlay. Talking of Cantlay, he is a two time winner having also triumphed in 2019. 

 

Defending Champion:-

Billy Horschel

 

Notables in the Field:-

Scottie Scheffler

Jon Rahm

Rory McIlory

Patrick Cantlay

Xander Schauffele

Viktor Hovland

Jordan Spieth

Justin Thomas

Matt Fitzpatrick

Cameron Young

Collin Morikawa

Jason Day

Hideki Matsuyama

 

Course:-

Muirfield Village Golf Club

Par 72

7,533 yards

 

 

[Hankshank]

Muirfield village, one of the better finishing stretch of holes on the tour, and each hole with a character. A lot of drama and good battles the last years. One I definitely will follow. Why not that big boy battle this week? Rahm obviously knows his way around that golf course.

[BNGL]

Easily the best conditioned golf course on Tour year in and out. Hats off the Chad Mark who took over after the highly (HIGHLY) esteemed Paul Latshaw. 
 

https://golfcourseindustry.com/news/muirfield-inverness-mark-superintendent/

[woahnelly]

Hard to pick against J Day in his home state 

[bcjim]

4 minutes ago, woahnelly said:

Hard to pick against J Day in his home state 

He voluntarily lives in Ohio?

[woahnelly]

41 minutes ago, bcjim said:

He voluntarily lives in Ohio?

Strange, but true. Possible his wife has roots there? 

Edited May 29, 2023 by woahnelly

[Duct Tape]

In for the conversation. Great field.  Thanks Matty!

 

 

Edited May 29, 2023 by Duct Tape

[So_Cal]

2 hours ago, bcjim said:

He voluntarily lives in Ohio?

Even as a native Michigander I attest that Ohio has great golf courses.  

[Duct Tape]

26 minutes ago, So_Cal said:

Even as a native Michigander I attest that Ohio has great golf courses.  

But pretty hard to top Crystal Downs. One of the best in America IMO 

[HomaComa]

I hope Cantlay misses the cut by a million!

Edited May 30, 2023 by HomaComa

[So_Cal]

43 minutes ago, Duct Tape said:

But pretty hard to top Crystal Downs. One of the best in America IMO 

I’ve played Crystal and it’s wonderful.  Don’t feel the need to compare as someone always gets put down.  

[aenemated]

One of my favorite tournaments to watch. I fear Jack won't be around for too many more of these. 

[bladehunter]

4 hours ago, bcjim said:

He voluntarily lives in Ohio?

Well. Sometimes a step up is a step up.  Even if small.  

[BNGL]

4 hours ago, woahnelly said:

Hard to pick against J Day in his home state 

Hometown even he lives in Columbus. But in typical JDay fashion I’m sure he’ll have a sniffle or crick in the neck that we’ll all hear about.

Edited May 29, 2023 by BNGL

[grm24]

4 hours ago, woahnelly said:

Strange, but true. Possible his wife has roots there? 

His wife is from Ohio. They currently live not far from Muirfield Village.

[jkumpire]

Great event, my favorite tour event. It will be interesting to see how the latest changes are doing after a coupe years of settling in.

[buckI]

1 hour ago, grm24 said:

His wife is from Ohio. They currently live not far from Muirfield Village.

There is a You Tube video of his backyard practice area.   Think there is 3 or 4 bunkers all with different sand, etc.   Really cool watch.

 

 

Believe he met his wife at a Memorial tournament a number of years ago.   Typically does not play well and on the video said he is now staying in the bus at home during tournament week just to get a way of some of the distraction having it in the hometown.

 

 

[Klubster]

I used to attend that tournament when I lived near Muirfield.  Immaculate course.  I could have putted on those fairways.  I think they were better than some of the greens I played on.  Saw my first hole in one there.

[Avidswampthing66]

4 hours ago, Duct Tape said:

But pretty hard to top Crystal Downs. One of the best in America IMO 

One of the very best in the whole wide world.

[iBanesto]

I feel Schauffele has been lurking for a win.

 

[chillybilly]

We used to attend the tournament regularly. As many here will know, it had a very deserved reputation for abysmal weather. It became a grim stock bit of gallows humor with each Jack Nicklaus speech at the trophy presentation.

 

Given Jack's stature in the game the Memorial was frantically shifted around the calendar by the Tour in an almost superstitious attempt to get a good week of weather. To add insult to injury, if the previous year's schedule had been kept for the current year the weather would be glorious while the current year would have rain again. This week, however, the only threat from nature appears to be some fairly intense (for Ohio) heat - 90 deg or better each day. And, since it's Ohio, with heat comes humidity.

 

When Jack was still playing his own event it was fun & fascinating to watch him as he fretted more about his baby than he did his own golf game. He clenched his teeth and shook his head if he spotted any brown patches or poa invading his greens. He obsessively tamped down spike marks while waiting to putt etc. I believe at one point the poa issue was 'nuked' by redoing all the greens. It was also rumored that players arriving at the course to play that day would have their shoes taken by a clubhouse attendant before the round to be cleaned in an effort to eliminate one common vector of poa infestation.

 

And, as we know, Jack has never stopped tinkering with MVGC in ways large and small. But unlike many courses that are 'loved to death,' the changes have only served to improve the course and, in the case of Tour stop, keep it challenging for the top players. The deep-furrow bunker rakes were a rare point of controversy/opposition. Jack's heart was in the right place - bunkers should present (more) difficulty - but he took the complaints on board. With or without furrowed bunkers and/or rain the course itself is, as others have noted, in top condition every year. Easily top 2-3 in the state and, according to polls of players, top 5 on Tour.

Edited May 30, 2023 by chillybilly

[Bye]

The Memorial is one the better stops on tour as it seems to offer all types of player the chance to prevail. 

[MK7Golf21]

13 minutes ago, Bye said:

The Memorial is one the better stops on tour as it seems to offer all types of player the chance to prevail. 

 

I've attended a few times, tough course. Rough is no joke.

[Robby_Hughey]

Great tournament & better course. Feel like rain is always in the equation here. Anyone have a beat on the forecast outlook this week?

[mikewohlwend]

I was looking at tickets to go this weekend. Not sure if I want to pay the $125 for a single day.

[LimaSierra]

Hate to be morbid but does anyone think this could be Jack’s last tournament? I remember when Arnie looked at his last invitational. Saw an interview and Jack looked pretty bad.

 

hope he is well but he is 83

Edited May 30, 2023 by LimaSierra

[Rob G 89]

Any sneak plays gambling wise? Gonna bet on Akshay and Chris gotterup looking for more, my book in NV doesn’t have Sam bennett otherwise I’d take him

[doubleeagle]

6 hours ago, Robby_Hughey said:

Great tournament & better course. Feel like rain is always in the equation here. Anyone have a beat on the forecast outlook this week?

Looks like it might actually be nice this year.

 

[buckI]

If the weather forecast holds could be a great year with the course playing firm and fast.   Usually it gets hit with rain and the fairways are pretty wide so that helps the driving.

[Justsomeguy]

Has Rory ever won here?