The PGA Tour returns to Jack’s Place this week in Dublin, Ohio, for the Memorial. This tournament is hosted annually at Muirfield. There are many major champions in the field, as it is always stacked with the best players on the PGA Tour. Muirfield always shows its teeth, as it plays just north of 7,500 yards, which will leave many long iron shots into some holes. Look for the guys who are solid iron players to be near the top this week. The field is headlined by Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm, as well as the defending champion, Billy Horschel.
Player to Fade:
Kevin Kisner has been really struggling this year on the PGA Tour. The former Georgia Bulldog has really seemed to lose his swing, as he has only made 5/13 cuts on the season. He’s coming off an injury as well, and has not shown any signs of finding his game anytime soon. I look for him to miss the cut, but if he does make it, I can’t see him being a factor on the weekend.
Dark Horse:
Shane Lowry has been quietly playing some good golf lately, as he’s coming off a top 15 at the PGA Championship. He is consistently gaining strokes in all categories, especially on approach, and he always seems to pop up in bigger events. I believe approach will be huge at this event, as they will have many shots between 175-200 yards coming into firm greens. I look for Shane’s iron game to carry him this week, and if the putter gets hot, I believe he will be a factor on the weekend.
Top 10:
Hideki Matsuyama has had a nice season thus far on the PGA Tour. He’s made 14/16 cuts, including three top 10s on the year. He has yet to win this year, but he hasn’t finished outside the top 30 in five of his last six events. The reason why is because he’s gaining more than a stroke off the tee and approach in his last few events. He gained 0.866 strokes on approach at the PGA, and I look for that to continue as he heads into the Memorial, where he has won before. The reason Hideki doesn’t win more is because of the putter. He finished 29th at the PGA while losing 1.42 strokes putting for the event. If he is just an average putter this week, I know he will contend with how well he’s hitting it.
Winner:
There’s so much to like about Viktor Hovland’s game. He’s one of the best ball strikers on tour when he’s on with his irons. He recently finished runner up at the PGA Championship, and his game has been trending in the right direction. He’s due to break through for that first win of the season. He gained 2.91 strokes on approach at the PGA, and if that continues here, he will be tough to beat. I’m all about great iron play this week, so I’m backing Viktor to win at Jack’s Place.