The Memorial Tournament Notes 2012

Dates: May 28 – June 3, 2012

Where: Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, OH

Par/Yards: 36-36—72/7,352 yards

Field: 120

2011 champion: Steve Stricker

Purse: $6,200,000/$1,116,000 (winner)

FedExCup: 500 points to the winner

Format: 72-hole stroke play

Website: thememorialtournament.com

Facebook: the Memorial Tournament

Twitter: @MemorialGolf

A look at the 2011 Memorial Tournament

Steve Stricker became the first player in the history of the Memorial Tournament to record eagles on a par-3, par¬4 and par-5 in the same week en route to a 1-stroke victory over Matt Kuchar and Brandt Jobe at 16-under, 272. Stricker aced No. 8 in the second round with a 6-iron from 188 yards, eagled the 442-yard second hole with a 53 degree SW from 116 yards in the third round and followed three holes later with an eagle on the 529-yard par-5 fifth hole. He entered the final round with a 3-shot lead over Jonathan Byrd and carded a 68 Sunday to earn the victory. The only player in the field to card four rounds in the 60s (68-67-69-68), Stricker played the front nine 20 under for the week compared to 4 over on the back nine. The victory came in Stricker’s 12th start at the Memorial Tournament and was his first top-10 finish.

More on Steve Stricker and the Memorial Tournament

Stricker’s victory at 44 years, 3 months, 13 days marked just the seventh time in the 36-year history of the Memorial Tournament a player over age 40 has won. The oldest winner of the Memorial Tournament was Kenny Perry in 2008 at 47 years, 9 months, 22 days.

Stricker became the 13th player since 1983 to record eagles on a par-3, par-4 and par-5 in the same week on the PGA TOUR.

He became the 14th player since 1983 to post three eagles in one week at the Memorial Tournament.

Stricker won despite playing the back nine in 4-over for the week, becoming the first champion of the Memorial Tournament since 1983 to play the back nine over par (scorecards not available prior to 1983). In 11 starts at the Memorial prior to 2011, Stricker was a combined 8-over on the front nine and 6-under on the back nine.

With rounds of 68-67-69-68, Stricker became just the ninth player to post four rounds in the 60s at the Memorial Tournament and the first since Bart Bryant in 2005.

Stricker played hole Nos. 7-9, recording nine birdies, one hole-in-one and two pars.

Stricker is the only player to record multiple victories in each of the last three years (2009-2011) on the PGA TOUR. With his victory earlier this year at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, Stricker (2009¬2012) is tied with Dustin Johnson (2008-2011) for the second-longest streak of consecutive years with a victory at four behind Phil Mickelson’s nine (2004-2012).

FedExCup and the Memorial Tournament

Seven players inside the top 10 in the FedExCup standings are in the field, including Hunter Mahan (No. 2), a two-time winner in 2012, Masters champion Bubba Watson (No. 4), Phil Mickelson (No. 5) and Rory McIlroy (No.7).

Rickie Fowler, who finished runner-up to Justin Rose at the Memorial Tournament in 2010 and earned his first victory this year at the Wells Fargo Championship, is also in the group at No. 9 in the FedExCup standings.

Defending champion Steve Stricker’s victory at the Memorial Tournament in 2011 helped him go on to finish 18th in the final FedExCup standings.

Together, Anything’s Possible and the Memorial Tournament

The Memorial Tournament continues the PGA TOUR’s philanthropic focus through its several relationships with Central Ohio charities. The most significant of which is a 35-year relationship with primary benefactor, Nationwide Children’s. Contributions generated through the support of over 2,600 volunteers, are distributed each year to the Hospital’s unrestricted giving fund. This fund assists in ensuring Central Ohio continues to have one of the best children’s hospitals in the United States.

In June of 2010 a new charitable alliance was announced among the Memorial Tournament, Nationwide Children’s and Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation. The new alliance establishes Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation as a lead charity of the Memorial Tournament and supporter of Nationwide Children’s. The relationship enables the Memorial Tournament to increase its long-standing support and promotion of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Memorial Tournament NICU, while combining the strengths of three very powerful organizations, all for the benefit of Central Ohio pediatric care.

The Memorial Tournament’s benevolence extends beyond the Hospital and Foundation, however. Unique and successful relationships exist with Fore Hope, James Cancer Hospital, Wolfe Associates, The First Tee, Central Ohio Junior Golf Association, Shriners, Lions Club and many, many more.

A glance at the field

The field features 20 of the top 30 players in the Official World Golf Ranking (as of May 28 rankings), including seven of the top 10 in Luke Donald (No. 1), Rory McIlroy (No. 2), Bubba Watson (No. 4), Justin Rose (No. 6), Hunter Mahan (No. 7), Tiger Woods (No. 8), and Steve Stricker (No. 10).

Nine past champions of the event: Steve Stricker (2011), Justin Rose (2010), Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, 2001, 2009), K.J. Choi (2007), Carl Pettersson (2006), Ernie Els (2004), Jim Furyk (2002), Fred Couples (1998) and Vijay Singh (1997).

18 PGA TOUR winners (19 wins) (through Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial): Steve Stricker (Hyundai Tournament of Champions), Johnson Wagner (Sony Open in Hawaii), Mark Wilson (Humana Challenge), Brandt Snedeker (Farmers Insurance Open), Kyle Stanley (Waste Management Phoenix Open), Phil Mickelson (AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am), Bill Haas (Northern Trust Open), Hunter Mahan (WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, Shell Houston Open), John Huh (Mayakoba Golf Classic), Rory McIlroy (The Honda Classic), Justin Rose (WGC-Cadillac Championship), George McNeil (Puerto Rico Open), Luke Donald (Transitions Championship), Tiger Woods (Arnold Palmer Invitational), Bubba Watson (Masters Tournament), Carl Pettersson (RBC Heritage), Ben Curtis (Valero Texas Open) and Rickie Fowler (Wells Fargo Championship).

There are eight players in the field with 10 or more career PGA TOUR victories: Tiger Woods (72), Phil Mickelson (40), Vijay Singh (34), Davis Love III (20), Ernie Els (18), Jim Furyk (16), Fred Couples (15) and Steve Stricker (12).

Phil Mickelson has made 12 starts at the Memorial Tournament with his best result a T4 in 2006. The only two non-major PGA TOUR events where he’s made more starts without posting a victory are the BMW Championship (14) and the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational (13). He’s also made 12 starts at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III is making his 22nd start at the Memorial Tournament, most of any player in the field. In his previous 21 starts, Love III has collected five top 10s with his best result a pair of T5s in 1998 and 2009.

Winner of the Memorial Tournament in 1998, Fred Couples will make his 21st start at Muirfield Village Golf Club in 2012. Couples captained the United States Presidents Cup team to victory in both 2009 and 2011. The Presidents Cup 2013 will be contested at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

In the 36-year history of the Memorial Tournament, only seven International players have won at Muirfield Village Golf Club, most recently Justin Rose in 2010.

2011 British Amateur champion Bryden Macpherson (Australia, University of Georgia) and U.S. Amateur champion Kelly Kraft (United States, Southern Methodist University) are both in the field. The Memorial Tournament traditionally offers exemptions to the winner of both the U.S. Amateur and British Amateur.

Miscellaneous Memorial Tournament Notes

The last four players to record a hole-in-one on the PGA TOUR and go on to victory in the same week are Steve Stricker (2011, the Memorial Tournament), Rocco Mediate (2010, Frys.com Open), Jonathan Byrd (2010 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open) and Richard S. Johnson (2008 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee).

Rickie Fowler has made 43 birdies in eight-career rounds at the Memorial Tournament. He led the field with 26 birdies in 2011 when he finished T22 and made 17 in 2010 when he finished runner-up to Justin Rose.

Of the players in the field for the Memorial Tournament with a minimum of 10 rounds at Muirfield Village Golf Club, Tiger Woods has the lowest stroke average at 69.62 (47 rounds). Following Woods are Jim Furyk at 70.90 (61 Rounds), Vijay Singh at 70.94 (69 Rounds) and Brandt Jobe at 71.00 (14 Rounds).

Jim Furyk missed his first cut at the Memorial Tournament in 16 starts in 2011. He won at Muirfield Village Golf Club in 2002 and has six top-10 finishes.

Stewart Cink, with 14 consecutive cuts, the longest active streak after Kenny Perry missed the cut last year to halt his streak at 17.

The tournament record at the Memorial Tournament is 268 (-20) by Tom Lehman in 1994 while the course record at Muirfield Village Golf Club is 61 (-11) by John Huston in 1996.

The 54-hole leader/co-leader has gone on to victory 17 times in the 36-year history of the Memorial Tournament. The 1997 event was shortened to 54 holes due to inclement weather.

SOURCE: PGA TOUR