Preview

Starts: 6th June 2024
Course: Muirfield Village GC
Par: 72
Length: 7,543 yards
2023 Champion: Viktor Hovland

2024 The Memorial Tournament Tips

Course Info

Designer: Nicklaus
Used Since: 1976
Fairways: Bentgrass
Greens: Bentgrass.
Water Hazards: In-play on 6 holes.
Par 5's: 5th, 7th, 11th and 15th
Premium on: Approach play
 

Significant Info

There have been significant changes to the course since 2020, greens have been resurfaced, trees added and bunkers rebuilt.

Be aware that two tournaments were played at this course in 2020 - The Workday Charity Open and The Memorial Tournament.  The course conditions for the 2020 Memorial were markedly different to previous years.

There have been significant changes to the 16th hole this year.

The Memorial Tournament Trends

Winning Score
Viktor Hovland prevailed with a score of seven under par last year.  Horschel won by four shots in 2022 with a score of -13. Cantlay won in 2021 with the same score, although Rahm was -18 through 54 holes before withdrawing with Covid.

Jon Rahm won in 2020 with a winning score of -9.  However, we can discount that somewhat given the course was setup firm and fast owing to the fact it was being completely renovated following the tournament.  The seven events held prior to Rahm's win at this course produced winning scores between -13 and -19.

Interestingly, there have been six playoffs in the last ten events held at Muirfield Village. 

Course Form
Muirfield Village isn't a course that favours debutants given there have only been two players in the past 15 events held here who won on their debut.

Of the 13 winners who had played here before, all bar one had previously recorded a top 40 finish. Nine had posted a top 20 before winning.

Recent Form
Viktor Hovland was 16th on his last start prior to winning.  Billy Horschel missed the cut in his prior start at the 2022 Charles Schwab but had finished 2nd in New Orleans three starts previously to demonstrate some form. The previous three winners - Patrick Cantlay (2019), Jon Rahm (2020) and Patrick Cantlay (2021) - posted top 30 finishes the start before they won. We would expect this from such top players though. 

World Ranking
The winner last year ranked 7th, with the winners in 2022 and 2021 ranking 17th and 15th before their wins. The winners of the two events played here in 2020 ranked 29th and 2nd prior to their wins.  The six winners prior ranked 14-38-65-102-212-24.  We've therefore seen a mix of winners here, but recent years have seen better players come to the fore.

Nationality
American golfers have won 10 of the last 15 tournaments played here.

The Memorial Tournament Stats Analysis

SG: Off The Tee
None of the last nine course winners has ranked worse than 32nd for SG: Off The Tee.  Rankings have been 10-14-3-8-11-13-32-12-26.

SG: Approach
Six of the last nine winners at Muirfield Village have ranked within the top 10 for Strokes Gained: Approach.  Only Hovland and Horschel in the last two years and DeChambeau in 2018 ranked outside the top 10 SG: Approach (ranking 21st, 16th and 24th).  A strong iron player is preferable.

SG: Around The Green
The last nine course winners have ranked 30-3-3-2-80-5-33-14-50. A strong short game is a big plus around here.

SG: Putting
The last nine course winners have ranked 3-20-19-32-16-8-9-61-23.  It should also be noted that some awful putters like Emiliano Grillo and Byeong-Hun An have very respectable records here.

The Memorial Tournament In Play Tips

Tough Holes
The 16th and 18th generally play as the two hardest holes on the course.  Both have averaged over par for the last seven Memorial Tournaments.

Birdie Holes
The par 5's 5th and 7th are the two easiest holes on the course.  

Closing Stretch
See Tough Holes!

Fast or Slow Start
Only one winner in the last nine events held at Muirfield Village has been outside the top 20 after round one (William McGirt (44th) - 2016).

Round 3 leaders don't have the best record in this event despite Billy Horschel winning from the front in 2022.  Patrick Cantlay came from four back in 2019 and Jason Dufner also won from four back in 2017.  David Lingmerth came from three shots back in 2015 and Hideki Matsuyama trailed by two in 2014.  Collin Morikawa, winner of the 2020 Workday Charity Open, came from three back.