After a two-week break for many of the PGA Tour’s top players, a key summer stretch begins this week at the Memorial Tournament.
The annual trip to Dublin, Ohio, is a signature event and this year will be followed by the season’s third major, the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Then comes another signature event at the Travelers Championship.
That’s a lot of cash up for grabs—likely $60 million in purses with the U.S. Open purse to be announced—and enough FedEx Cup points to ensure deep playoff runs.
So this week’s field of 73 includes everyone in the top 30 in the world who’s eligible, i.e., not in LIV Golf. The highest-ranked player not in the field is No. 35 Min Woo Lee.
Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 who is no longer facing felony charges, leads the field. Viktor Hovland is the defending champion; the Norwegian won in a playoff last year over Denny McCarthy and would go on to win the FedEx Cup. After a lull to start 2024, Hovland is back in form after a solo third at the PGA Championship. Other past champions in the field include Billy Horschel, Patrick Cantlay and Hideki Matsuyama.
Native Ohioan Jack Nicklaus of course is the tournament host this week, having founded the Memorial in 1976 (and winning it twice himself, in 1977 and 1984). His Muirfield Village provides a tough test every year; last year 7 under made it to the playoff.
The Memorial has a $20 million purse and this year the “legacy” signature events (the Genesis, Arnold Palmer Invitational and Memorial) all award 20% of the purse to the winner: $4 million.
Below is the full field, from the PGA Tour Communications X account.
Field for the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday
Note: the winner of the Jack Nicklaus Award as the men’s Division I Player of the Year will earn an unrestricted sponsor exemption (to be announced Monday). pic.twitter.com/6CKC82NDQp
JOHN SCHWARB
John Schwarb is the Senior Editor of SI Golf. He has covered golf for the St. Petersburg Times (now Tampa Bay Times), PGATour.com and Visit Florida; and has also written for ESPN.com, The Golfers Journal and several magazines. He lives in Indianapolis and graduated from Indiana University.
