The latest signature event on the PGA Tour schedule is here as the best players in the world have made their way to Dublin, Ohio, for the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. This is the final event before all eyes turn to Pinehurst No. 2 for the 2024 U.S. Open, the third men’s major championship of the year.
Defending champion Viktor Hovland is hoping to go back-to-back but will have to fend off a stacked field that includes world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Ludvig Aberg, Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas, among others.
The winner at Jack’s Place will earn $4 million of the $20 million purse and 700 FedEx Cup points. There will be a 36-hole cut made Friday afternoon with the top 50 and ties and everyone within 10 shots of the lead making it to the weekend.
Golf course
Muirfield Village Golf Club | Par 72 | 7,571 yards
Course history
Betting odds
| Player | Odds | Player | Odds |
| Scottie Scheffler | +360 | Hideki Matsuyama | +4000 |
| Xander Schauffele | +900 | Wyndham Clark | +4500 |
| Rory McIlroy | +900 | Tom Kim | +4500 |
| Collin Morikawa | +1400 | Sam Burns | +4500 |
| Viktor Hovland | +1800 | Sahith Theegala | +4500 |
| Ludvig Aberg | +2200 | Russell Henley | +4500 |
| Patrick Cantlay | +2500 | Corey Conners | +4500 |
| Justin Thomas | +2800 | Sungjae Im | +5000 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +3500 | Si Woo Kim | +5000 |
| Max Homa | +4000 | Matt Fitzpatrick | +5000 |
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Picks to win
Rory McIlroy (9/1)
Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot at the 17th hole during the first round of the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Surprise, surprise, Rory McIlroy is back on my card this week (and he’ll probably be there again at Pinehurst).
Since winning the Wells Fargo Championship, McIlroy has tied for 12th at the PGA Championship and fourth at the RBC Canadian Open.
In his last three appearances at the Memorial, the Northern Irishman has finished T-7 (2023), T-18 (2022) and T-18 (2021). He was in Sunday’s final group last year before a final-round 75.
McIlroy has played the week before every major dating back to last year’s Open (three occasions). He won the 2023 Scottish Open, finished solo third at the 2024 Valero Texas Open and won the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Max Homa (40/1)
Max Homa plays his shot from the 11th tee during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
He may not be playing his best golf at the moment, but getting a player of Homa’s pedigree at 40/1 is hard to pass up.
After finishing T-8 at the Wells Fargo Championship and T-35 at the PGA Championship, Homa missed the cut at the Charles Schwab Challenge thanks to a first-round birdie-free 78 (he came back and shot 1-under 69 on Friday).
The 10th-ranked player in the world missed the cut at Jack’s Place in 2020 but has since finished T-6 (2021) and T-5 (2022).
Sam Burns (45/1)
Sam Burns plays his shot from the third tee during the final round of the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Burns has finished T-13 at the Wells Fargo Championship and T-10 at the RBC Canadian Open over his last three starts (MC at the PGA Championship).
At last year’s Memorial, Burns tied for 16th.
Stephan Jaeger (110/1)
Stephan Jaeger acknowledges the fans after making a putt on the 15th green during the third round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Before finishing 76th at the PGA Championship thanks to a 7-over final round, Jaeger finished T-21 at the Wells Fargo Championship, T-20 at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and T-18 at the RBC Heritage.
Jaeger ranked 155th in driving distance during the 2021-22 season, but fast forward to 2024 and he’s currently 17th on Tour which will help around the 7,500-yard-plus Muirfield.
At his Memorial debut, Jaeger finished T-24 last season.
Lee Hodges (180/1)
Lee Hodges reaches to catch a ball at the driving range during a practice round for the Masters Tournament golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Network
If you’re looking for a long-shot pick to sprinkle this week, I like Lee Hodges.
In his last three starts, Hodges has finished T-24 at the Wells Fargo Championship, T-12 at the PGA Championship and T-12 at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
At his Memorial debut in 2023, Hodges tied for 12th (he shot a final-round 4-over 76).
