The Memorial Preview 2019

The Memorial Preview 2019

The Memorial Preview 2019

Where: Dublin, Ohio
Course: Muirfield Village Golf Club, 36-36—par 72/7,392 yards
Field size: 120
2018 champion: Bryson DeChambeau
Purse: $9,100,000 ($1,638,000/winner)
FedExCup: 500 points to the winner
Format: 72-hole stroke play

Things to Know

  • Five-time tournament champion Tiger Woods is one shy of the record for all-time PGA TOUR wins held by Sam Snead (82)
  • Justin Thomas (wrist) returns to competition for the first time since the Masters
  • Rory McIlroy looks to become the second player to win the Memorial and THE PLAYERS in the same season
  • FedExCup No. 1 and 2013 Memorial winner Matt Kuchar has seven top-10s in 13 starts at Muirfield Village

Notes on the field

  • Nine of 11 FedExCup champions: Tiger Woods (2007, 2009), Jim Furyk (2010), Bill Haas (2011), Henrik Stenson (2013), Billy Horschel (2014), Jordan Spieth (2015), Rory McIlroy (2016), Justin Thomas (2017) and Justin Rose (2018)
  • Six of the top 10 and 21 of the top 30 in the FedExCup standings are in the field, including No. 1 Matt Kuchar
  • Seven of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, led by Justin Rose (No. 3), and 31 of the top 50
  • 11 winners of THE PLAYERS Championship, led by Tiger Woods with two
  • Six past winners of the Jack Nicklaus Award as PGA TOUR Player of the Year: Jim Furyk (2010), Luke Donald (2011), Tiger Woods (11 times; most recent: 2013), McIlroy (2012, 2014), Jordan Spieth (2015) and Justin Thomas (2017)
  • 19 of 29 PGA TOUR winners during the 2018-19 season, including multiple winners Xander Schauffele (2) and Matt Kuchar (2)
  • 11 past champions of the Memorial Tournament: Jim Furyk (2002), Ernie Els (2004), K.J. Choi (2007), Justin Rose (2010), Steve Stricker (2011), Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, 2001, 2009, 2012), Matt Kuchar (2013), Hideki  Matsuyama (2014), David Lingmerth (2015), Jason Dufner (2017), Bryson DeChambeau (2018)

A look back at the 2018 the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide

Pos. Name R1 R2 R3 R4 Total
1 Bryson DeChambeau 69 67 66 71 273 (-15)
T2 Byeong Hun An 68 67 69 69 273 (-15)
T2 Kyle Stanley 67 66 70 70 273 (-15)
4 Patrick Cantlay 68 69 66 71 274 (-14)
5 Peter Uihlein 69 70 70 66 275 (-13)

Playoff summary: Bryson DeChambeau holed an 11-foot, 10-inch birdie putt on the second playoff hole (No. 18) to defeat Byeong Hun An. Kyle Stanley was eliminated at the first extra hole after the trio had tied at 15-under 273. The playoff was the first with three or more players in tournament history.

More on Bryson DeChambeau

  • Making third appearance at the Memorial Tournament (T38/2016, Won/2018)
  • Only Tiger Woods (1999, 2000) and Hideki Matsuyama won the event at a younger age than DeChambeau in 2018 (24 years, 8 months, 18 days)
  • Win was the first of four in a 12-start stretch on TOUR (2018 the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, 2018 THE NORTHERN TRUST, 2018 Dell Technologies Championship, 2018 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open)
  • Finished third in the FedExCup standings for the 2017-18 season behind Justin Rose (1st) and Tiger Woods (2nd)

FedExCup and the Memorial Tournament

  • 11 of the 12 winners of the Memorial Tournament since the inception of the FedExCup in 2007 have qualified for the season-ending TOUR Championship
  • Following his victory in 2018, Bryson DeChambeau advanced to the TOUR Championship for the first time in his career, finishing 19th at East Lake to end the season No. 3 in the FedExCup
  • Tiger Woods (2009) is the only player to win the Memorial and the FedExCup in the same season
  • Current FedExCup standings: The top 10 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the PGA TOUR Regular Season will share a $10 million bonus pool through the Wyndham Rewards Top 10 program. Updated standings are below:
Position Player Points Wins Top-10s Points Behind Starts Projected Bonus
1 Matt Kuchar 2,110 2 7 14 $2 million
2 Brooks Koepka 1,856 2 5 254 12 $1.5 million
3 Xander Schauffele 1,615 2 4 495 14 $1.2 million
4 Rory McIlroy 1,612 1 9 498 11 $1.1 million
5 Dustin Johnson 1,572 1 7 538 11 $1.0 million
6 Paul Casey 1,398 1 5 712 15 $850,000
7 Rickie Fowler 1,217 1 5 893 13 $700,000
8 Gary Woodland 1,182 0 7 928 16 $600,000
9 Jon Rahm 1,136 1 8 974 14 $550,000
10 Justin Rose 1,101 1 5 1,009 10 $500,000

Player Notes

Tiger Woods

  • With a win, would tie Sam Snead for the all-time PGA TOUR wins record (82) after collecting No. 81 at the Masters Tournament
  • One of six players with multiple wins at the Memorial Tournament: Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, 2001, 2009, 2012), Kenny Perry (1991, 2003, 2008), Jack Nicklaus (1977, 1984), Hale Irwin (1983, 1985), Greg Norman (1990, 1995), Tom Watson (1979, 1996)
  • the Memorial Tournament is one of seven different PGA TOUR event he has won five or more times (5/the Memorial Tournament, 5/Masters Tournament, 5/BMW Championship, 7/WGC-Mexico Championship, 7/Farmers Insurance Open, 8/Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, 8/WGC-FedEx St.  Jude Invitational);  no  other player has  more than three such events
  • Only champion to successfully defend at Muirfield Village, winning the event three straight years (1999, 2000, 2001)
  • Set record for largest margin of victory in tournament history (seven strokes in 2001)
  • Has eight top-10s in 16 appearances at Muirfield Village, including the five wins

Rory McIlroy

  • Won THE PLAYERS Championship in March for his 15th PGA TOUR title
  • Seeks to join Tiger Woods (2001) as only players to win THE PLAYERS and the Memorial Tournament in the same year
  • Four top-10s in seven appearances at the Memorial Tournament (T10/2010, 5th/2011, T4/2016, T8/2018)
  • Leads the PGA TOUR with nine top-10s during the 2018-19 season
  • 2016 FedExCup champion currently sits No. 4 in the FedExCup

Matt Kuchar

  • Heads into the Memorial Tournament at No. 1 in the FedExCup with a 254-point lead over Brooks Koepka
  • 2013 Memorial Tournament champion has made the cut 12 of 13 times at Muirfield Village while notching seven top-10s (T4/2017, T4/2016, 1st/2013, T2/2011, T8/2010, T5/2009, T10/2008)

Justin Thomas

  • Returns to PGA TOUR for first time since Masters Tournament (T12) after resting a wrist injury
  • After winning the FedExCup in the 2016-17 season, as well as the Jack Nicklaus Award as PGA TOUR Player of the Year, finished seventh in the FedExCup in 2017-18 and sits No. 13 entering this week
  • Has finished T4 (2017) and T8 (2018) in his last two starts at Muirfield Village, one of three players to finish in the top 10 in each of the last two years (others: Rickie Fowler, Kyle Stanley)
  • Leads the PGA TOUR in par-5 scoring average (4.37)

Rickie Fowler

  • Has two runner-up results at the event (T2/2010, 2nd/2017)
  • Is one of three players to finish in the top 10 in each of the past two years at Muirfield Village with a runner-up in 2017 and a T8 in 2018 (others: Kyle Stanley, Justin Thomas)
  • Claimed fifth PGA TOUR title at 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Justin Rose

  • Reigning FedExCup champion and 2010 Memorial winner makes his 13th start at the event
  • In all, has seven top-10s at Muirfield Village: 4th/2004, T2/2008, Won/2010, 8th/2012, T8/2013, P2/2015, T6/2018
  • Victory at 2019 Farmers Insurance Open was his 10th PGA TOUR title, the most by an Englishman since 1945
  • Finished T58 in his title defense at last week’s Charles Schwab Challenge

Xander Schauffele

  • Has two wins (WGC-HSBC Champions, Sentry Tournament of Champions) and one runner-up (T2/Masters Tournament) during the 2018-19 season
  • One of three multiple winners on PGA TOUR this season (others: Matt Kuchar, Brooks Koepka)
  • Sits No. 3 in the FedExCup
  • Missed the cut in his only appearance at the Memorial Tournament (2018)

Additional Player Notes

  • Jordan Spieth (T3/PGA Championship, T8/Charles Schwab Challenge) has posted back-to-back top-10s for the first time since the 2018 Houston Open (T3) and Masters (3rd)
  • Muirfield Village member Jason Day has one top-25 in 10 starts at the event (T15/2017)
  • In 18 starts at the event, Phil Mickelson has recorded top-10s in 2002 (T9), 2006 (T4) and 2010 (T5)

Notable exemptions

  • Haotong Li needs 41 or more Non-Member FedExCup points to qualify for Special Temporary Membership on the PGA TOUR
  • Cincinnati, Ohio native Will Grimmer earned Academic All-American honors at Ohio State and recently graduated with a degree in communications; as a 16-year-old, shot 59 at Pinehurst No. 1 during the second round of the    2013 North & South Junior Amateur
  • Former University of Oregon player Norman Xiong, 20, makes his ninth PGA TOUR start after earning an invitation  to the Memorial Tournament as the 2018 Jack Nicklaus Award for the Division I golfer of the year. Xiong shared     the 36-hole lead at the 2018 Sanderson Farms Championship with eventual-winner Cameron Champ and went  on  to finish T26
  • Alvaro Ortiz won the 2019 Latin America Amateur Championship to earn an invitation to the 2019 Masters, becoming the first Mexican to compete at Augusta National since Victor Regalado in 1979. He finished T36 at the Masters, his only PGA TOUR start before making his professional debut at 2019 Wells Fargo Championship. Older brother, Carlos Ortiz, who was the 2014 Web.com Tour Player of the year and one of four Mexican PGA TOUR members this season, is also in the field.

Tournament Notes

  • The Memorial has been decided by two strokes or fewer in 12 of the last 14 years, including playoffs in four of the last five
  • Eight playoffs for the title, including the inaugural tournament in 1976 when Roger Maltbie won. Other playoffs occurred in 1984, 1991, 1992, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018. The playoff in 2018 was the first three-man playoff in tournament history
  • Nine international winners (David Lingmerth/Sweden/2015, Hideki Matsuyama/Japan/2014, Justin Rose/England/2010, K.J. Choi/South Korea/2007, Carl Pettersson/Sweden/2006, Ernie Els/South Africa/2004, Vijay Singh/Fiji/1997, Greg Norman/Australia/1995/1990, David Graham/Australia/1980)
  • No player has ever taken less than 100 putts at this event however, four players have used exactly 100 putts: Spencer Levin (2012), Joe Ogilvie (2008), John Mallinger (2008) and Ernie Els (2004)
  • Since 1983 when records began, three players have scored an ace during the tournament and gone on to win, most recently Steve Stricker in 2011. Jim Furyk (2002) and Kenny Perry (1991) are the other two. In the 2018-19 season, two players have gone on to victory after making an ace (J.B. Holmes/Genesis Open, Francesco Molinari/Arnold Palmer Invitational)
  • 20 holes-in-one have been recorded at the event since 1983, and Bob Tway is the only player with more than one  in that time frame. Tway’s two aces came in 1994 (R1/No. 8, R3/No. 12).
  • Patrick Cantlay was the last player to make an ace at the Memorial Tournament, holing his tee shot at the par-3 eighth hole in the third round in 2018
  • There has never been a wire-to-wire winner at the Memorial Tournament
  • The 36-hole cut of 142 (-2) in 2016 is the lowest in tournament history
  • Tournament records: John Huston- low 18-hole score (61/1996); Jason Dufner- low opening 36-hole total (130/2017); Scott Hoch- low 54-hole record (198/1987); Tom Lehman- 72-hole tournament record (268/1994)

Muirfield Village Golf Club

  • Muirfield Village Golf Club is one of four Jack Nicklaus designs/redesigns on the PGA TOUR in 2018-19. Other Nicklaus courses to host events on TOUR this season include the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West/Desert Classic and Montreux G&CC/Barracuda Championship (redesign: PGA National/The Honda Classic)
  • Muirfield Village Golf Club was named after Muirfield, Scotland, where Jack Nicklaus won the first of his three  Open Championship titles in 1966.
  • Along with hosting the Memorial Tournament every year since its inception in 1976, Muirfield Village has also hosted several national championships and international team competitions, including the 1986 U.S. Junior Amateur, the 1987 Ryder Cup, the 1992 U.S. Amateur, the 1998 Solheim Cup and  the 2013 Presidents Cup.
  • Muirfield Village is the only venue to have hosted the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup and  the President’s Cup.

The Memorial Preview 2019 is via PGA TOUR.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Discover more from GolfBlogger Golf Blog

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading