Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament: SB Nation staff reveals picks

This week, the PGA Tour lands in central Ohio to play on the Memorial Event hosted by Jack Nicklaus at Muirfield Village Golf Membership.

The SB Nation group at Taking part in By has made their picks:

Kendall Capps, Editor

I’m going with Hideki Matsuyama, who received the 2014 Memorial Event in a playoff over Kevin Na. He usually performs properly at Muirfield Village, ending in fifth, sixth, and thirteenth over his final seven begins.

Plus, Matsuyama has quietly turned in good performances over the previous month. On the AT&T Byron Nelson, he gained 5.1 strokes on the sector on strategy. Then on the PGA Championship, Matsuyama gained 4.1 strokes on the sector on strategy, as he has all the time been a cast-iron participant. He displayed his terrific iron sport at Oak Hill, rating eighth within the subject in strokes gained tee-to-green, per the Motion Community. Add that he took final week off, and Matsuyama will shake the Golden Bear’s hand once more because the winner come Sunday night.

Photograph by Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR

Luke Robitaille, Producer

Regardless of not successful a event in 2023, I’m taking Xander Schauffele to win the Memorial. Going into the PGA Championship in Rochester, Schauffele had 4 straight top-10’s, however Oak Hill was a course that didn’t play properly to his sport. Nonetheless, he’s ranked 1st in strategy from 150-175 yards and tenth in greens in regulation. If he can keep out of bother off the tee, he has a terrific probability to be there on Sunday down the stretch.

Schauffele leads the tour in consecutive cuts made at 25, so that you might be positive we’ll see him this weekend. Like Matsuyama, Schauffele took off final week, so his sport must be sharp. He likes taking part in Muirfield Village too, as he has completed no worse than 18th over his final 4 begins on the Memorial. This week, he will get the job executed, successful his first event for the reason that Scottish Open final July.

Photograph by Andy Lyons/Getty Photos

Savannah Richardson, Author

My decide is Sahith Theegala, who has a sport that matches Muirfield Village Golf Membership. Final yr, he tied for fifth on the Memorial. Earlier than that, in his solely different begin at Jack’s place, Theegala tied for 18th in 2021.

With that stated, his latest play has been subpar—he has not recorded a top-20 end for the reason that RBC Heritage, the place he tied for fifth. The week earlier than that, on the Masters, he completed ninth. However since then, he has positioned twenty third, 56th, and fortieth. He has made the minimize at these occasions, however one thing tells me he’ll put it collectively this week and report his first PGA Tour victory at one of many extra established venues within the sport.

He makes tons of birdies, putts properly, and may hit all kinds of shot varieties. Theegala can be accepting the trophy from Nicklaus on Sunday.

Photograph by Michael Reaves/Getty Photos

Jack Milko, Author

Viktor Hovland has been knocking on the door all season, however this week, he lastly busts via to win the Memorial. The 25-year-old Norwegian tied for 2nd on the PGA Championship because the bunker lip to the precise of the sixteenth fairway sealed his destiny. A month earlier, on the Masters, he tied for seventh. In March, he tied for third on the Gamers. He has persistently carried out properly this season, as he has not missed a minimize.

Hovland doesn’t have a weak level in his sport. He drives the ball superbly, rating 4th on tour in whole driving. He is likely one of the finest ball-strikers on the earth, and the stats present that: he ranks eleventh in strokes gained approaching the inexperienced and sixth in proximity to the outlet.

When Hovland first arrived on tour, questions on his brief sport lingered. His sport across the greens was inconsistent at finest, nevertheless it has vastly improved over the previous couple of years. The work he has put into his brief sport will lastly repay this week, as Hovland will win his largest event so far.

Photograph by Andy Lyons/Getty Photos