Memorial Tournament Betting Picks, Odds, Course Preview and Prediction
The PGA Tour is headed to Ohio for the Memorial Tournament this week. Andy Lack shares his Memorial Tournament betting picks, odds, course preview, and prediction. Don't miss out on these Golf picks.
Andy Lack - June 3, 2024, 9:47 AM EDT
15 minMemorial Tournament Betting Picks, Odds, Course Preview and Prediction
The PGA Tour heads to Dublin, Ohio, for another Signature Event, the Memorial Tournament. This event, originally conceived by Jack Nicklaus, has been a mainstay on the PGA Tour since Muirfield Village, the host venue, opened in 1974. The 18-time major winner set out to create his own version of the Masters in his home state of Ohio, and while nothing will compare to Augusta, Muirfield Village is largely regarded as Nicklaus’ masterpiece, and has a strong argument for the most significant non-Players or major PGA Tour event of the season.
The best that the PGA Tour has to offer will all be in attendance for one final tune-up before the season’s third major. Coming off a strong PGA Championship performance, Viktor Hovland will return to defend his title, and he will have to navigate the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, and former Memorial champions, Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay.
Memorial Tournament DATE, START TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: June 6 - 9, 2024
- Where: Dublin, OH
- Where to Watch: Golf Channel, NBC, Peacock
Memorial Tournament ODDS
- Winner: Scottie Scheffler (+350), Rory McIlroy (+750), Xander Schauffele (+800)
Click here for the latest the Memorial Tournament odds
The Memorial: Course Preview
Muirfield Village Golf Club
Muirfield Village remains Jack Nicklaus’ magnum opus, and while there will be many similarities in design to what we recently saw at Valhalla, we are in for a much stronger test of professional golf. Many of Nicklaus’ courses are fairly wide off the tee, but the approach shots are generally a lot more challenging. Muirfield Village follows this to a certain extent, and it is pound for pound the most challenging approach course on the PGA Tour. Yet where Muirfield Village differentiates itself from other Nicklaus courses and other long and difficult courses such as Torrey Pines and Quail Hollow is that there is a massive penalty for missed fairways. Nicklaus' goal was to create Augusta National with thick rough, and he has been steadfast in his belief that thick rough should remain a part of championship golf.
When Patrick Cantlay shot 19-under here in 2019, Nicklaus knew it was time for the course to receive a major overhaul. His commitment to challenging the best in the world cannot be understated and the 2021 renovation undeniably restored the golf course to its intended challenge. Here's what Nicklaus had to say about the renovation, "Far too many tournaments have eliminated the rough and firmness of the greens, and that is just not my idea of what the game of golf should be. So I'm going to stick with my old fashioned beliefs about how the game of golf should be played and the way golf courses should be set up. The whole gamut of all shots is what the game of golf is all about. The game should challenge every facet of every club in the bag.”
In terms of the actual renovation, length was added to every single par five, and all of the greens were reconstructed with new Bent-grass. They all now feature a sub-air system, which ensures firmness even if there is rain in the forecast this week. Many of the fairways were pinched, and nearly every green complex is brand new. Fairway bunkers got pushed back on 1, 15, and 17 to account for players hitting the ball longer.
In the three years since the renovation, Muirfield Village has played as the fifth, seventh, and second-most difficult course on Tour. In 2023, Muirfield Village featured the toughest set of par threes on Tour, the third-toughest set of par fours, and the fifth-toughest set of par fives. The course also got significantly more challenging off the tee. With the pinching in of some of the fairways and re-positioning of bunkers, great total driving is now an essential part of the recipe at Muirfield Village. In each of the last three years since the renovation, Muirfield Village has ranked inside the top 15 in strokes gained off the tee difficulty, whereas in the past, it ranked anywhere between 12th and 30th. Ultimately, Muirfield Village remains a top-five tee-to-green challenge.
It is one of the longest golf courses on Tour, but players cannot just aimlessly bomb away. The Nicklaus design actually rewards accuracy more than it rewards distance. It features small, firm greens, and the ability to flight long irons is more important at this course than nearly any other on Tour. It also features some of the toughest bunkers and greenside surrounds on the PGA Tour. This week, I will primarily be looking for elite total drivers of the ball, great long iron players who also possess a deft touch around the greens. Muirfield Village separates tee to green skill better than nearly any other regular PGA Tour course, and the consistent strength in its leaderboards reflect this.
The Memorial Key Stats
- Total Driving
- Proximity 175 yards plus
- Strokes Gained Around the Green
The Memorial: Outright Picks
Matt Fitzpatrick (+5000) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
While it’s been an up and down season for Matt Fitzpatrick, this is the perfect opportunity to buy low on a pedigree player at a golf course that is an ideal fit for his skill-set. Fitzpatrick has already recorded two top-10 finishes in six appearances at Muirfield Village, including a third in 2020, and a ninth last year. The Nicklaus design simply seems to fit his eye off the tee, as Fitzpatrick has gained over three strokes off the tee in each of his last three appearances. The success at Muirfield Village should not come as a surprise, as the Englishman always seems to raise his baseline on long and difficult golf courses with thick rough and firm greens. His expertise around the greens continue to pay dividends on golf courses with a low greens in regulation percentage. Muirfield Village featured the lowest greens in regulation percentage on Tour last year, and features amongst the most challenging greenside surrounds. This is a phenomenal spot for a world-class player at appetizing odds.
Byeong Hun An (+5000) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
I have long been a believer in Byeong Hun An’s talent, and Muirfield Village is the perfect golf course to stage his inevitable breakthrough. An is one of the best total drivers of the ball in this field, and an excellent long iron player as well. An ranks top-10 in both total driving and proximity from 200 yards plus. Even more encouraging is the fact that he also boasts an above average short game. While the flat-stick comes and goes, An has been putting far better recently, gaining on the greens in three straight starts. The results back up his strong course fit as well, as An has recorded five top-25 finishes in nine appearances at the Memorial, with a playoff loss in 2018. An possesses the ideal skill-set I am looking for this week, and I expect him to play a major factor come Sunday afternoon in Ohio.
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GOLF ODDS
