The Memorial Winners and History
During Masters week in 1966, a young Jack Nicklaus spoke of of his dream of founding a golf tournament which would—like The Masters—would be inspired by golf’s history and attract the world’s best players. Nicklaus also wanted to support charities in his hometown of the Greater Columbus area.
Ten years later, players at the first Memorial Tournament teed off at Muirfield Village, a residential and golf community just outside Columbus, Ohio. Muirfield Village was developed by Nicklaus and had opened in 1974. As the story goes, it’s built on a piece of land that he enjoyed playing on as a young lad.
In keeping with his original idea of making a connection to golf’s history, each year the Memorial Honors great golfers of the past, and a plaque for each is installed at the Muirfield Clubhouse. A list of past winners follows. The tournament also has fulfilled his dream of benefiting charities in Ohio.
The primary charity for the tournament is Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
The Memorial Tournament Presented by Nationwide is a restricted field event, with only the first 75 players on the previous year’s money list guaranteed invites. Nicklaus apparently has a hand in selecting the remaining players. In John Feinstein’s Moment of Glory, he recounts that in spite of struggling with a shoulder injury for two years, Shaun Micheel was given an exemption in 2009:
… in part because he remembers that Micheel had played hurt the previous year. “I remember seeing him and he said. “Shaun, why don’t you withdraw? You’re hurt.” I said “Mr. Nicklaus, I wouldn’t ever pull out of your event.”
Nicklaus also guides the continual upkeep on the course. In 1996, he introduced special rakes to the tournament which created furrows in the traps, making sand play more difficult. That experiment lasted three years. He also has tinkered with the length of the rough, trying to find the right balance between punishment and shot making.
A list of The Memorial winners is below:
| Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory |
| 2022 | Billy Horschel | 275 | -14 | 4 strokes |
| 2021 | Patrick Cantlay (2) | 275 | −13 | Playoff |
| 2020 | Jon Rahm | 279 | −9 | 3 strokes |
| 2019 | Patrick Cantlay | 269 | −19 | 2 strokes |
| 2018 | Bryson DeChambeau | 273 | −15 | Playoff |
| 2017 | Jason Dufner | 275 | −13 | 3 strokes |
| 2016 | William McGirt | 273 | −15 | Playoff |
| 2015 | David Lingmerth | 273 | −15 | Playoff |
| 2014 | Hideki Matsuyama | 275 | −13 | Playoff |
| 2013 | Matt Kuchar | 276 | −12 | 2 strokes |
| 2012 | Tiger Woods (5) | 279 | −9 | 2 strokes |
| 2011 | Steve Stricker | 272 | −16 | 1 stroke |
| 2010 | Justin Rose | 270 | −18 | 3 strokes |
| 2009 | Tiger Woods (4) | 276 | −12 | 1 stroke |
| 2008 | Kenny Perry (3) | 280 | −8 | 2 strokes |
| 2007 | K. J. Choi | 271 | −17 | 1 stroke |
| 2006 | Carl Pettersson | 276 | −12 | 2 strokes |
| 2005 | Bart Bryant | 272 | −16 | 1 stroke |
| 2004 | Ernie Els | 270 | −18 | 4 strokes |
| 2003 | Kenny Perry (2) | 275 | −13 | 2 strokes |
| 2002 | Jim Furyk | 274 | −14 | 2 strokes |
| 2001 | Tiger Woods (3) | 271 | −17 | 7 strokes |
| 2000 | Tiger Woods (2) | 269 | −19 | 5 strokes |
| 1999 | Tiger Woods | 273 | −15 | 2 strokes |
| 1998 | Fred Couples | 271 | −17 | 4 strokes |
| 1997 | Vijay Singh | 202* | −14 | 2 strokes |
| 1996 | Tom Watson (2) | 274 | −14 | 2 strokes |
| 1995 | Greg Norman (2) | 269 | −19 | 4 strokes |
| 1994 | Tom Lehman | 268 | −20 | 5 strokes |
| 1993 | Paul Azinger | 274 | −14 | 1 stroke |
| 1992 | David Edwards | 273 | −15 | Playoff |
| 1991 | Kenny Perry | 273 | −15 | Playoff |
| 1990 | Greg Norman | 216* | E | 1 stroke |
| 1989 | Bob Tway | 277 | −11 | 2 strokes |
| 1988 | Curtis Strange | 274 | −14 | 2 strokes |
| 1987 | Don Pooley | 272 | −16 | 3 strokes |
| 1986 | Hal Sutton | 271 | −17 | 4 strokes |
| 1985 | Hale Irwin (2) | 281 | −7 | 1 stroke |
| 1984 | Jack Nicklaus (2) | 280 | −8 | Playoff |
| 1983 | Hale Irwin | 281 | −7 | 1 stroke |
| 1982 | Raymond Floyd | 281 | −7 | 2 strokes |
| 1981 | Keith Fergus | 284 | −4 | 1 stroke |
| 1980 | David Graham | 280 | −8 | 1 stroke |
| 1979 | Tom Watson | 285 | −3 | 3 strokes |
| 1978 | Jim Simons | 284 | −4 | 1 stroke |
| 1977 | Jack Nicklaus | 281 | −7 | 2 strokes |
| 1976 | Roger Maltbie | 288 | E | Playoff |
and the past Memorial Tournament honorees:
| Year | Honorees |
| 2021 | Nick Price, Gene Littler, Ted Ray (holdovers from 2020) |
| 2020 | Nick Price, Gene Littler, Ted Ray |
| 2019 | Judy Rankin |
| 2018 | Hale Irwin, Jock Hutchinson, Willie Turnesa |
| 2017 | Greg Norman, Tony Lema, Ken Venturi, Harvie Ward |
| 2016 | Johnny Miller, Leo Diegel, Horton Smith |
| 2015 | Nick Faldo, Dorothy Campbell, Jerome Travers, Walter Travis |
| 2014 | Annika Sorenstam, Jim Barnes, Joe Carr, Willie Park, Jr. |
| 2013 | Raymond Floyd |
| 2012 | Tom Watson |
| 2011 | Nancy Lopez |
| 2010 | Seve Ballesteros |
| 2009 | JoAnne Carner and Jack Burke Jr. |
| 2008 | Tony Jacklin;Ralph Guldahl ;Charles B. Macdonald and Craig Wood |
| 2007 | Louise Suggs and Dow Finsterwald |
| 2006 | Michael Bonallack; Charles Coe; Lawson Little; Henry Picard; Paul Runyan and Denny Shute |
| 2005 | Betsy Rawls and Cary Middlecoff |
| 2004 | Lee Trevino and Joyce Wethered |
| 2003 | Julius Boros and William C. Campbell |
| 2002 | Kathy Whitworth and Bobby Locke |
| 2001 | Payne Stewart |
| 2000 | Jack Nicklaus |
| 1999 | Ben Hogan |
| 1998 | Peter Thompson |
| 1997 | Gary Player |
| 1996 | Billy Casper |
| 1995 | Willie Anderson; John Ball; James Braid; Harold HIlton and JH Taylor |
| 1994 | Mickey Wright |
| 1993 | Arnold Palmer |
| 1992 | Joseph Dey |
| 1991 | Babe Zaharias |
| 1990 | Jimmy Demaret |
| 1989 | Henry Cotton |
| 1988 | Patty Berg |
| 1987 | Old and Young Tom Morris |
| 1986 | Robert de Vicenzo |
| 1985 | Chick Evans |
| 1984 | Sam Snead |
| 1983 | Tommy Armour |
| 1982 | Glenna Collett-Vare |
| 1981 | Harry Vardon |
| 1980 | Byron Nelson |
| 1979 | Gene Sarazen |
| 1978 | Francis Ouimet |
| 1977 | Walter Hagen |
| 1976 | Bobby Jones |
Point of clarification: The total purse for the event is $6,000,000. $1,080,000 is the winner’s share.
Jim Dauer
FullForesome.com
I’m not having a good week here. I knew that and probably just changed thoughts in the middle of the sentence. Happens a lot to me when I’m constantly interrupted by the boys.
I wonder if there is a tournament with a higher percentage of winners who are also major championship winners. By my count, 25 of 34 tournaments have been won by major winners. For example, Colonial has been won by major winners 59% of the time.
Obviously, the majors themselves are always won by a major winner. Possibly the Players or some other relatively exclusive invitational might top the Memorial. Still, the tournament has a pretty impressive list of past champions for a somewaht new event.
Just a guess, I am going with Tiger for this weekend as his only win this year.
It is a crazy prediction, but at least I am getting one out there.
I’m also struck by the number of multiple winners. In 34 tournaments, nearly half were won by six players.
Tiger Woods: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2009
Kenny Perry: 1991, 2003, 2008
Jack Nicklaus: 1977, 1984
Hale Irwin: 1983, 1985
Greg Norman: 1990, 1995
Tom Watson: 1979, 1996
Easy to see why Tiger is the raging hot favourite here. His record on certain courses is unbelievable strong.
Who can stop him this week?