Power Rankings: the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday
4 Min Read
Scottie Scheffler defends his title at the Memorial
If you haven’t been paying much attention to the PGA TOUR this season but have glanced at the FedExCup standings and saw Scottie Scheffler at the top, there’s a high likelihood that you assumed that he’s won multiple times. Nope, just once. Seriously.
As you digest that reality, you can draw the conclusion that Scheffler has contended often. In fact, he has another five top-three finishes, four of which in his last five starts. It’s that kind of brute force that he’s displayed at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday after which he hogged the congratulatory handshakes in the previous two editions from tournament host Jack Nicklaus, himself also familiar with a few podiums as a competitor.
The world’s top-ranked talent is among the 72 commits as he chases his third straight victory at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Details for how the course in Nicklaus’ backyard sets up, what’s up for grabs at the seventh Signature Event of the season and more are below.
Yeah, so even when Scheffler isn’t lifting trophies and smiling in the direction of digital cameras, he’s applying pressure to the competition simply with his presence. That’s what the great ones do, except he slays ‘em with kindness.
It’s a remarkable dichotomy to what Muirfield Village can do to a scorecard. It’s a stock par 72, and it’s still among the most challenging of all courses in relation to par every season. Last year’s field averaged 73.381, which essentially is the norm on the Nicklaus design.
The World Golf Hall of Famer gives those who sign up to do battle room off the tee, but contrary to conventional wisdom, it checks in among the lowest in distance of all drives as compared to all other courses the PGA TOUR visits. Primary rough that’s allowed to grow to at least 4¼ inches is one deterrent, but so are the relatively cozy 5,000-square-foot greens. Oh, and they’re groomed to exceed 13 feet on the Stimpmeter if reached fairly on a given day ... or two ... or three ... or four.
The narrative at Muirfield Village always has been that the challenge increases as the golfer nears the hole with the longest clubs. Case in point, if a guy hits even just 10 greens in regulation in a round, he’ll be at or above average. And then if he salvages par five of his other eight times, he’ll be lifting the field average in scrambling, and that’s mildly surprising given that the putting surfaces provide some hope as they rate out somewhat average on paper relative to the other four dozen courses measured.
At 7,569 yards, Muirfield Village remains unchanged. Unlike the opening at the top, if you have been paying attention, you know the absence of a notable modification on this course is a headline in and of itself. OK, so the rough used to be “only” 4 inches high, but only the keenest of experienced eyes will notice that difference.
With sensational weather in advance of and extending through Friday’s second round, Muirfield Village will be permitted to present its best self. Winds will be calm for the opener before freshening on Day 2. Daytime temperatures will rise into the mid-80s throughout, including when the potential for rain enters the chat on Saturday and lingers into the finale.
That forecast all but demands a strong start but also because this is the last of the three Signature Events with a cut. The low 50 plus ties and all within 10 strokes of the lead after two rounds will survive to play the remainder.
In addition to 700 FedExCup points and $4 million, the champion will receive a three-year PGA TOUR membership exemption as the winner of this tournament and a spot in THE PLAYERS Championship through 2029. The Memorial also is a stop on The Open Qualifying Series, whereby the highest finisher who makes the cut and not already exempt into The Open Championship will gain entry into that major.
ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE
PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton previews and recaps every tournament. Refer to the timing of his contributions below. He’s also active as @RobBoltonGolf on X, where you can connect with him.
MONDAY: Power Rankings
TUESDAY: Sleepers**; Expert Picks*; Fantasy Insider
SUNDAY: Points and Payouts; Qualifiers
* Rob also is included in Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf that publishes on Tuesday.
** Sign up now for content found exclusively in “The Early Card” newsletter, arriving to your inbox each Tuesday.
