The Memorial Winners and History

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
2023	Viktor Hovland	281	-7	Playoff
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