Memorial Tournament

Last updated
Memorial Tournament
Memorialtourney.PNG
Tournament information
Location Dublin, Ohio
Established1976
Course(s) Muirfield Village Golf Club
Par72
Length7,392 yards (6,759 m) [1]
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Format Stroke play
Prize fund US$20,000,000
Month playedJune
Tournament record score
Aggregate268 Tom Lehman (1994)
To par−20 as above
Current champion
Flag of the United States.svg Scottie Scheffler
Location map
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Icona golf.svg
Muirfield Village GC
Location in the United States
USA Ohio relief location map.svg
Icona golf.svg
Muirfield Village GC
Location in Ohio

The Memorial Tournament (officially stylized as the Memorial Tournament) is a PGA Tour golf tournament founded in 1976 by Jack Nicklaus. It is played on a Nicklaus-designed course at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb north of Columbus. The golf course passes through a large neighborhood called Muirfield Village, which includes a 1999 bronze sculpture of Nicklaus mentoring a young golfer located in the wide median of Muirfield Drive. [2] [3]

Contents

History

The greater Columbus area is where Jack Nicklaus spent most of his early life. The golf course he designed at Muirfield Village, north of Columbus, was opened in May 1974, and two years later it hosted the first Memorial Tournament. The par-72 course was 7,072 yards (6,467 m), [4] a considerable length for the mid-1970s.

At the Masters Tournament in 1966, Nicklaus had spoken of his desire to create a tournament that, like The Masters, had a global interest, and was inspired by the history and traditions of the game of golf. He also wanted the tournament to give back in the form of charitable contributions to organizations benefiting needy adults and children throughout Columbus and Ohio. The primary charitable beneficiary of the tournament is Nationwide Children's Hospital.

One of the features of the tournament is a yearly induction ceremony honoring past golfers. A plaque for each honoree is installed near the clubhouse at Muirfield; Nicklaus himself was the 2000 honoree.

Invitational status

The Memorial Tournament is one of only five tournaments given "invitational" status by the PGA Tour, and consequently it has a reduced field of only 73 players in 2024 (as opposed to most full-field open tournaments with a field of 156 players). The other four tournaments with invitational status are the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the RBC Heritage, Charles Schwab Challenge, and the Genesis Invitational. Invitational tournaments have smaller fields (between 69 and 132 players), and have more freedom than full-field open tournaments in determining which players are eligible to participate in their event, as invitational tournaments are not required to fill their fields using the PGA Tour Priority Ranking System. Furthermore, unlike full-field open tournaments, invitational tournaments do not offer open qualifying (aka Monday qualifying).

In June 2014, the PGA Tour approved a resolution to grant the winner a three-year exemption, one more than other regular Tour events and on par with winners of the World Golf Championships, The Tour Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. [5]

Field

The field consists of 120 players invited using the following criteria: [6]

  1. Memorial winners in the last five years or prior to 1997
  2. The Players Championship and major championship winners in the last five years
  3. The Tour Championship, World Golf Championships, and Arnold Palmer Invitational winners in the past three years
  4. Tournament winners in the past year
  5. Playing member of last named U.S. Ryder Cup team, European Ryder Cup team, U.S. Presidents Cup team, and International Presidents Cup team (non-PGA Tour members qualifying in this category count against unrestricted sponsor exemptions)
  6. Prior year U.S. Amateur winner
  7. Prior year British Amateur winner
  8. Up to four players selected by the tournament from among the money leaders from the other five Federation tours
  9. 14 sponsors exemptions – 2 from among graduates of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, 6 members not otherwise exempt, and 6 unrestricted
  10. Top 50 Official World Golf Ranking as of the Friday before the tournament
  11. Top 70 from prior year's FedEx Cup points list
  12. PGA Tour members whose non-member FedEx Cup points the previous season (excluding WGCs) would have placed them in the top 70
  13. Top 70 from current year's FedEx Cup points list as of the Friday before the tournament
  14. Prior year college player of the year (Jack Nicklaus Award)
  15. Remaining positions filled alternating from current year's and prior year's FedEx Cup point lists

Tournament highlights

Course layout

Muirfield Village Golf Club in 2016

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards4704554012005274475631854123,6604715671844553635292014784843,7327,392
Par444354534364534453443672

Source: [1]

Winners and honorees

YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-upWinner's
share ($)
Honoree(s) [21]
2024 Flag of the United States.svg Scottie Scheffler 280−81 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Collin Morikawa 4,000,000 Juli Inkster
Tom Weiskopf [lower-alpha 1]
2023 Flag of Norway.svg Viktor Hovland 281−7Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Denny McCarthy 3,600,000 Larry Nelson
2022 Flag of the United States.svg Billy Horschel 275−134 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Aaron Wise 2,160,000 Charlie Sifford [lower-alpha 1]
2021 Flag of the United States.svg Patrick Cantlay (2)275−13Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Collin Morikawa 1,674,000 Nick Price
Gene Littler [lower-alpha 1]
Ted Ray [lower-alpha 1]
2020 Flag of Spain.svg Jon Rahm 279−93 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Ryan Palmer 1,674,000
2019 Flag of the United States.svg Patrick Cantlay 269−192 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Adam Scott 1,638,000 Judy Rankin
2018 Flag of the United States.svg Bryson DeChambeau 273−15Playoff Flag of South Korea.svg An Byeong-hun
Flag of the United States.svg Kyle Stanley
1,602,000 Hale Irwin
Jock Hutchison [lower-alpha 1]
Willie Turnesa [lower-alpha 1]
2017 Flag of the United States.svg Jason Dufner 275−133 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Rickie Fowler
Flag of India.svg Anirban Lahiri
1,566,000 Greg Norman
Tony Lema [lower-alpha 1]
Ken Venturi [lower-alpha 1]
Harvie Ward [lower-alpha 1]
2016 Flag of the United States.svg William McGirt 273−15Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Jon Curran 1,530,000 Johnny Miller
Leo Diegel [lower-alpha 1]
Horton Smith [lower-alpha 1]
2015 Flag of Sweden.svg David Lingmerth 273−15Playoff Flag of England.svg Justin Rose 1,116,000 Nick Faldo
Dorothy Campbell [lower-alpha 1]
Jerome Travers [lower-alpha 1]
Walter Travis [lower-alpha 1]
2014 Flag of Japan.svg Hideki Matsuyama 275−13Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Kevin Na 1,116,000 Annika Sörenstam
Jim Barnes [lower-alpha 1]
Joe Carr [lower-alpha 1]
Willie Park Sr. [lower-alpha 1]
2013 Flag of the United States.svg Matt Kuchar 276−122 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Kevin Chappell 1,116,000 Raymond Floyd
2012 Flag of the United States.svg Tiger Woods (5)279−92 strokes Flag of Argentina.svg Andrés Romero
Flag of South Africa.svg Rory Sabbatini
1,116,000 Tom Watson
2011 Flag of the United States.svg Steve Stricker 272−161 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Brandt Jobe
Flag of the United States.svg Matt Kuchar
1,116,000 Nancy Lopez
2010 Flag of England.svg Justin Rose 270−183 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Rickie Fowler 1,080,000 Seve Ballesteros
2009 Flag of the United States.svg Tiger Woods (4)276−121 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Jim Furyk 1,080,000 JoAnne Carner
Jack Burke Jr.
2008 Flag of the United States.svg Kenny Perry (3)280−82 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mathew Goggin
Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Kelly
Flag of England.svg Justin Rose
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Mike Weir
1,080,000 Tony Jacklin
Ralph Guldahl [lower-alpha 1]
Charles B. Macdonald [lower-alpha 1]
Craig Wood [lower-alpha 1]
2007 Flag of South Korea.svg K. J. Choi 271−171 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Ryan Moore 1,080,000 Louise Suggs
Dow Finsterwald
2006 Flag of Sweden.svg Carl Pettersson 276−122 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Zach Johnson
Flag of the United States.svg Brett Wetterich
1,035,000 Michael Bonallack
Charles Coe [lower-alpha 1]
Lawson Little [lower-alpha 1]
Henry Picard [lower-alpha 1]
Paul Runyan [lower-alpha 1]
Denny Shute [lower-alpha 1]
2005 Flag of the United States.svg Bart Bryant 272−161 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Fred Couples 990,000 Betsy Rawls
Cary Middlecoff [lower-alpha 1]
2004 Flag of South Africa.svg Ernie Els 270−184 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Fred Couples 945,000 Lee Trevino
Joyce Wethered [lower-alpha 1]
2003 Flag of the United States.svg Kenny Perry (2)275−132 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Lee Janzen 900,000 Julius Boros [lower-alpha 1]
William C. Campbell
2002 Flag of the United States.svg Jim Furyk 274−142 strokes Flag of the United States.svg John Cook
Flag of the United States.svg David Peoples
810,000 Kathy Whitworth
Bobby Locke [lower-alpha 1]
2001 Flag of the United States.svg Tiger Woods (3)271−177 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Paul Azinger
Flag of Spain.svg Sergio García
738,000 Payne Stewart [lower-alpha 1]
2000 Flag of the United States.svg Tiger Woods (2)269−195 strokes Flag of South Africa.svg Ernie Els
Flag of the United States.svg Justin Leonard
558,000 Jack Nicklaus
1999 Flag of the United States.svg Tiger Woods 273−152 strokes Flag of Fiji.svg Vijay Singh 459,000 Ben Hogan [lower-alpha 1]
1998 Flag of the United States.svg Fred Couples 271−174 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Andrew Magee 396,000 Peter Thomson
1997 Flag of Fiji.svg Vijay Singh 202 [lower-alpha 2] −142 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Jim Furyk
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Greg Norman
342,000 Gary Player
1996 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Watson (2)274−142 strokes Flag of the United States.svg David Duval 324,000 Billy Casper
1995 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Greg Norman (2)269−194 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Mark Calcavecchia
Flag of the United States.svg David Duval
Flag of the United States.svg Steve Elkington
306,000 Willie Anderson [lower-alpha 1]
John Ball [lower-alpha 1]
James Braid [lower-alpha 1]
Harold Hilton [lower-alpha 1]
John Henry Taylor [lower-alpha 1]
1994 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Lehman 268−205 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Greg Norman 270,000 Mickey Wright
1993 Flag of the United States.svg Paul Azinger 274−141 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Corey Pavin 252,000 Arnold Palmer
1992 Flag of the United States.svg David Edwards 273−15Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Rick Fehr 234,000 Joseph Dey [lower-alpha 1]
1991 Flag of the United States.svg Kenny Perry 273−15Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Hale Irwin 216,000 Babe Zaharias [lower-alpha 1]
1990 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Greg Norman 216 [lower-alpha 2] E1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Payne Stewart 180,000 Jimmy Demaret [lower-alpha 1]
1989 Flag of the United States.svg Bob Tway 277−112 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Fuzzy Zoeller 160,000 Henry Cotton [lower-alpha 1]
1988 Flag of the United States.svg Curtis Strange 274−142 strokes Flag of South Africa (1982-1994).svg David Frost
Flag of the United States.svg Hale Irwin
160,000 Patty Berg
1987 Flag of the United States.svg Don Pooley 272−163 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Curt Byrum 140,000 Old Tom Morris [lower-alpha 1]
Young Tom Morris [lower-alpha 1]
1986 Flag of the United States.svg Hal Sutton 271−174 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Don Pooley 100,000 Roberto De Vicenzo
1985 Flag of the United States.svg Hale Irwin (2)281−71 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Lanny Wadkins 100,000 Chick Evans [lower-alpha 1]
1984 Flag of the United States.svg Jack Nicklaus (2)280−8Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Andy Bean 90,000 Sam Snead
1983 Flag of the United States.svg Hale Irwin 281−71 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Ben Crenshaw
Flag of Australia (converted).svg David Graham
72,000 Tommy Armour [lower-alpha 1]
1982 Flag of the United States.svg Raymond Floyd 281−72 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Peter Jacobsen
Flag of the United States.svg Wayne Levi
Flag of the United States.svg Roger Maltbie
Flag of the United States.svg Gil Morgan
63,000 Glenna Collett-Vare
1981 Flag of the United States.svg Keith Fergus 284−41 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Jack Renner 63,000 Harry Vardon [lower-alpha 1]
1980 Flag of Australia (converted).svg David Graham 280−81 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Tom Watson 54,000 Byron Nelson
1979 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Watson 285−33 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Miller Barber 54,000 Gene Sarazen
1978 Flag of the United States.svg Jim Simons 284−41 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Billy Kratzert 50,000 Francis Ouimet [lower-alpha 1]
1977 Flag of the United States.svg Jack Nicklaus 281−72 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Hubert Green 45,000 Walter Hagen [lower-alpha 1]
1976 Flag of the United States.svg Roger Maltbie 288EPlayoff Flag of the United States.svg Hale Irwin 40,000 Bobby Jones [lower-alpha 1]

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Source: [22] [23]

Multiple winners

Seven men have won the Memorial Tournament more than once through 2024:

Notes

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References

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