The 2023 Memorial Tournament Primer: History, TV, Field, Odds

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Jon Rahm
Jon Rahm hits a tee shot on the 1st hole during the second round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 4, 2021 in Dublin, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Jared PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

It’s the Memorial Tournament week – the second to last stop before the 2023 U.S. Open, and as an elevated event, the field in central Ohio is stacked.

The 120-player set will feature the PGA Tour’s biggest names, including the likes of Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay, among others.

Below, you’ll find more details to help you get primed for the 2023 edition of the Memorial Tournament.


PGA Tour At-a-Glance

Name: the Memorial Tournament
Title Sponsor: Nationwide Insurance
Tour Debut: 1976
Dates: June 1-4, 2023
Where: Dublin, Ohio
Course: Muirfield Village GC
Distance: Par 72, 7,392 yards
Architect: Jack Nicklaus
Format: Stroke, 72-holes, 36-hole cut
Purse: $20,000,000
Winning Share: $3,600,000
Defending Champion: Billy Horschel


How to Follow the Memorial Tournament

Jack Nicklaus The Memorial Tournament
Tournament host Jack Nicklaus does a television interview during the third round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 6, 2015 in Dublin, Ohio. Photo by Chris Condon/PGA TOUR via Getty Images

TELEVISION: Thu-Fri: 2-6 p.m. (GOLF); Sat-Sun: 12:30-2:30 p.m. (GOLF), 2:30-6 p.m. (CBS)

STREAMING: Thu-Fri: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. (ESPN+); Sat-Sun: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. (ESPN+)
Subscribe to ESPN+

PGA TOUR RADIO: Thu-Fri: 12-6 p.m.; Sat-Sun: 1-6 p.m.
(PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio)

LINKS: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter


Memorial Tournament History

The Memorial Tournament Wall of Honor Sam Snead
A wall of plaques commemorates golfing greats outside the Muirfield Village Golf Club clubhouse during third-round play in The Memorial Tournament, June 5, 2004 in Dublin, Ohio. (Photo by A. Messerschmidt via Getty Images)

As one of the most respected names in the history of the game, Jack Nicklaus’ gift to the golf world, and to a central Ohio community that embraced him, has grown into one of the most important events outside of the four majors.

The Memorial, considered one of the two best non majors on the schedule, continuously draws a very strong field, and even bigger crowds, the latter a testament to a Muirfield Village course design that made fan experience a priority.

Debuting in 1976, just two years after Muirfield Village opened, the inaugural edition of the Memorial was a brutal test as only two players, Roger Maltbie and Hale Irwin, were able to avoid an over-par score. Both finished at level-par 288 with Maltbie eventually edging Irwin on the fourth sudden-death extra hole.

The following year featured the first victory for tournament host Nicklaus, who would also win the 1984 edition.

Other notable winners have included the aforementioned Irwin, Tom Watson, Raymond Floyd, Greg Norman, Curtis Strange, Paul Azinger, Tom Lehman, Vijah Singh, Fred Couples, Ernie Els, Justin Rose, Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay and Jon Rahm.

Patrick Cantlay Wins the Memorial
Patrick Cantlay poses with Jack Nicklaus and the trophy after winning The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 02, 2019 in Dublin, Ohio. Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Woods holds the tournament record with five victories, followed by Kenny Perry who won three times. Four players, including Nicklaus and Cantlay, have claimed two Memorial titles.

One of the unique 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.

Every honoree is an off the chart historical name, but some of the names include Arnold Palmer, Seve Ballesteros, Lee Trevino, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, and Sam Snead, among others.


The Course: Muirfield Village

The 18th hole at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 3, 2018 in Dublin, Ohio. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

Founded by Jack Nicklaus, and opened in 1974, Muirfield Village Golf Club is a par 72 track, measuring 7,392 yards for the tour pros.

Acting as the home base of the Ohio legend, the property and golf course was named after Muirfield, Scotland – where Nicklaus won the first of his three British Open titles in 1966 to complete the first of his three career grand slams.

The Nicklaus designed signature golf course has hosted the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament since its inception in 1976, with the Golden Bear, himself, acting as the tournament host.

A bronze sculpture of Nicklaus mentoring a young golfer, unveiled in 1999, is located in the wide median of Muirfield Drive.

The private pro-style layout is regularly ranked as one of the top golf courses in the state of Ohio.

The Skinny

Name: Muirfield Village Golf Club
Locale: Dublin, Ohio
Established: 1974
Type: Private
Holes: 18
Par: 36/36/72
Par 3s: 4 (4, 8, 12, 16)
Par 4s: 10 (1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14, 17, 18)
Par 5s: 4 (5, 7, 11, 15)
Length: 7,329 yards
Greens: Bentgrass/Poa annua
Fairways: Bentgrass/Poa annua
Designed by: Jack Nicklaus
Website: mvgc.org


The Field: Overview

Patrick Cantlay Jon Rahm Power Rankings
Patrick Cantlay steps onto the 8th tee box as Jon Rahm steps off during the second round of the TOUR Championship at Eastlake GC on Sept 3, 2021 in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Ben Jared / PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

Contested at the acclaimed Muirfield Village Golf Club and hosted by PGA Tour legend Jack Nicklaus, the star-studded gathering in Dublin, Ohio will feature winners of the last four editions: Billy Horschel (2022), Patrick Cantlay (2021, 2019) and Jon Rahm (2020).

Headlining the event at Jack’s Place will be a bunch of top-ranked players – many of whom will tee it up for the final time before the U.S. Open.

World No. 2 Rahm, who won in 2020 and led in 2021 before being forced to withdraw due to COVID, is the odds-on favorite. He will be joined by a plethora of marquee names, including two-time Memorial champion Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.

Other familiar names include Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Hideki Matsuyama, Shane Lowry and Max Homa, among others.


Up Next: RBC Canadian Open

Rory McIlroy Wins 2022 RBC Canadian Open
Rory McIlroy poses with the trophy after winning the RBC Canadian Open at St. George’s Golf and CC on June 12, 2022 in Etobicoke, Ontario. (Photo by Cole Burston / R&A via Getty Images)

The RBC Canadian Open, the final stop before the U.S. Open. The long-running tournament will be contested at Oakdale Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Ontario. Rory McIlroy will defend his 2022 title.


Credits: Joel Cook, Jeff Shain, PGA Tour Media, Getty Images


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