PGA's Plan To Bring More Fans

Good Morning! The final field for this week’s Memorial Tournament is set - 73 players will tee off tomorrow instead of the usual 120.

Top stars Scheffler, McIlroy, Schauffele, Hovland and Aberg, among others are all a part of the field while last week’s winner Robert MacIntyre is the only player to withdraw from the event.

You can catch all the live action on Golf Channel and don’t forget to check out our top betting picks for the tournament.

Fun Fact: Last year at the Memorial, Scottie Scheffler gained 20.69 strokes on the field tee-to-green, the 2nd-highest total over 72 holes since the PGA Tour started tracking the statistic in 2003 (Vijay Singh gained 21.14 at the '04 Deutsche Bank).

⛳ This day in history: Willie MacFarlane forever put himself into golf lore on June 5, 1925, when he defeated Bobby Jones in a 36-hole playoff by one stroke at the US Open at Worcester (Mass.) Country Club.

ODDS AND PICKS
Our Top Picks For Memorial Tournament

🚩 The Memorial Tournament tees off tomorrow, with PGA Tour stars assembling at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Muirfiled Village Golf Course to battle it out for the prestigious title.

💰 Purse: $20 million, winner takes home $4 million.

Here are our top picks we’re betting on:

🚀 Most Likely to Win: It's been a 'whopping' two starts since Scottie Scheffler's (+400) last win, so he's definitely due. Deciding whether to bet on Scheffler depends on the golf course. On some courses, he can be outplayed, but on others, his skills shine, giving him a clear advantage. Muirfield Village falls into the latter category. It's one of the toughest courses on the tour from tee to green, which suits Scheffler perfectly and sets him up for success.

🚀 Key Player in the Top 5: Collin Morikawa (+225), a two-time major champion has already secured a win and a second-place finish at Muirfield Village. Recently, he has also achieved consecutive top-five finishes at the PGA Championship and the Charles Schwab Challenge. His ball-striking is reaching its best form, reminiscent of peak Morikawa, and his short game has seen significant improvement. We expect him to occupy the top spots.

🚀 Key Player in the Top 10: Matt Fitzpatrick (+333) has achieved two top-10 finishes in six appearances at Muirfield Village, including a third-place finish in 2020 and a ninth-place finish last year. The former US Open champion excels on long, challenging courses with firm greens and thick rough, consistently raising his performance level. Despite missing the cut at the PGA Championship, Fitzpatrick still gained over a stroke in both ball-striking categories, indicating he is playing better than his recent results suggest.

🚀 Key Player in the Top 20: Will Zalatoris (+160) already has a top-five finish at Muirfield Village, and he always raises his baseline on longer and more difficult courses with thick rough and firm greens. Coming off another solid approach week at the PGA Championship, Zalatoris feels primed for a strong performance in Ohio.

🚀 Underdog Likely to Emerge: Austin Eckroat (+1400) finished 30th in his first appearance at the Memorial last year, despite slipping out of contention with a final round of 77. He gained strokes in all four major categories and has significantly improved his game over the past year. As one of the most accurate drivers in the field and an excellent long iron player, Eckroat's skills are well-suited for success at Muirfield Village.

* All odds via BetMGM, at the time of publishing.

ALBATROSS
Scheffler, Hovland Headline $20 Million Event

The PGA Tour heads to Jack Nicklaus’ Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio this week for the Memorial - the eighth and penultimate Signature Event of 2024.

It’s also the final tune-up for Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, and the like before the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst No 2, which begins on June 13.

🚀 Hovland Defends: Viktor Hovland looks to become the first golfer since Tiger Woods to repeat at the Memorial. Last year’s FedExCup champion returns to action after his third-place finish at the PGA Championship – his best result of 2024.

Last year, Hovland gained 6.5 strokes on the Memorial field with his irons and another 4.6 off-the-tee - he'll look to do more of the same this year.

📌 Scheffler Supremacy: Instead of being arraigned in Louisville this week, Scheffler can navigate newfound fatherhood and his professional golf career without felony charges looming over his head.

Scheffler has finished solo third each of the the last two Memorials. He was, by far, the best tee-to-green player in the field in 2023, gaining more than 20 strokes on the field.

⛳️ Challenging Course: A mammoth par-72, 7,569 yard-trek, Muirfield Village offers the rare combination of daunting length and small (Bentgrass) greens.

Muirfield’s signature hole, the 220-yard 16th, has long ranked amongst the least forgiving par 3s in golf. After a particularly brutal 2023, Nicklaus moved the 16th tee box 30 yards to the right to keep the water mostly out of play and also removed a greenside bunker.

TWEET
Worth Mentioning

EAGLE
PGA's Plan To Enhance Fan Experience @ Memorial

The PGA Tour's Policy Board recently spoke about their plans to enhance fan experience and they'll implement some of it at this week's Memorial Tournament.

This year's smaller field (73) means all pros will tee off from No 1 in twosomes and that is expected to improve the overall fan experience - previously, a field of 120 forced the PGA Tour to send players off No 1 and No 10 in threesomes to make sure everyone finished before dark.

There were golfers everywhere you looked, but not anymore.

♨️ Changes To No 16: Fans will notice a new drinking establishment adjacent to the 16th green. The Simply Spiked Lounge features a variety of drinks. Also new at No 16 is “The Hill on No 16,” a seating area with Adirondack chairs available to watch players continue to shake their heads at a hole they have never liked.

♨️ Pose With Your Favorite Player: If you can’t meet your favorite pro in person, at least you can pose with him by walking into an interactive screen at a new kiosk located in the Champions Pavilion and Golden Bear Club. Just don’t try asking for an autograph because, “pssst,” they’re not really there.

♨️ Folds Of Honor: Fans are encouraged to wear red, white and blue clothing Friday as a display of unity with the families of fallen or disable military members and first responders.

Also, the Patriot Parachute Team will execute a flag jump onto the 18th green as the national anthem is played immediately following the conclusion of the play.

Additionally, there's a lot of attractive gear that fans can buy at the tournament. Click here to check out.

LOCKER ROOM
What else is making news

Woods Watch: Tiger Woods is gearing up for the US Open at Pinehurst No 2 next week. On Tuesday, he was spotted scouting the course and playing it for seven hours.

OWGR: Grayson Murray, who passed away on May 25, will keep his Official World Golf Ranking until after the Travelers Championship on June 23.

Tribute: PGA Tour players and commissioner Jay Monahan held a private memorial at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, to honor Grayson Murray.

Collab: The DP World Tour, The R&A and the PGA TOUR launched the Global Amateur Pathway – powered by the World Amateur Golf Ranking – to help the very best male amateur players take the next step in their careers.

LPGA Tour: Invited, the World Leader in Private Clubs, partners with the LPGA Foundation to celebrate Women’s Golf Month.

LIV Golf: 13-Time Pro Winner, John Catlin, will make his LIV Golf debut in Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers GC team, replacing the injured Charles Howell III.

BIRDIE
These Stars Will Miss 2024 US Open

The third men's Major of the year is right around the corner, with Pinehurst No 2 set to host the US Open for the first time in ten years - here are some of the big names who've failed to qualify.

🏌‍♀Joaquin Niemann: Niemann is not in the field for a Major for the first time since the 2020 Masters after missing out in qualifying.

The Chilean received invites to both the Masters and PGA Championship this year but will not be at Pinehurst after missing out by one stroke at The Bear's Club in Florida.

🏌‍♀Sergio Garcia: Garcia misses his first US Open since 1999 after agonisingly missing out in qualifying. The 2017 Masters champion was playing the Dallas qualifier in late May where he missed out in a 7-for-6 playoff.

🏌‍♀Adam Scott: Scott's 91-Major streak is in real danger, with the former World No 1 currently ranked 60th in the world - with the top-60 at the end of this week making it through to Pinehurst No 2. He isn't in this week's Memorial field so he's very likely to slip out.

🏌‍♀ Patrick Reed: Reed's impressive Major streak ends at the US Open after he withdrew from the Dallas qualifier last month. The 2018 Masters champion's five-year Major exemption ran out last year and he is going to miss a Major for the first time since 2013.

🏌‍♀Louis Oosthuizen: Oosthuizen didn't attempt to qualify for the US Open this year, with the South African missing The Masters in April and then declining a PGA Championship invite due to personal commitments.

The 2010 Open Champion was runner-up at the US Open in 2015 and 2021.

DRIVING RANGE
Mental Imagery In Golf

In today's video, we demonstrate how you can use mental imagery to drive the golf ball further and straighter.

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