TheMemorial Tournament (branded asthe Memorial Tournament presented byWorkday for sponsorship reasons) is aPGA Tourgolf tournament founded in 1976 byJack Nicklaus. It is played on a Nicklaus-designed course atMuirfield Village Golf Club inDublin, Ohio, a suburb north ofColumbus. The golf course passes through a large neighborhood called Muirfield Village, which includes a 1999 bronze sculpture of Nicklaus mentoring a young golfer located in the wide median of Muirfield Drive.[2][3]
The greater Columbus area is where Jack Nicklaus spent most of his early life. The golf course he designed at Muirfield Village, north of Columbus, was opened in May 1974, and two years later it hosted the first Memorial Tournament. The par-72 course was 7,072 yards (6,467 m),[4] a considerable length for the mid-1970s.
At theMasters Tournament in1966, Nicklaus had spoken of his desire to create a tournament that, like The Masters, had a global interest, and was inspired by the history and traditions of the game of golf. He also wanted the tournament to give back in the form of charitable contributions to organizations benefiting needy adults and children throughout Columbus and Ohio. The primary charitable beneficiary of the tournament isNationwide Children's Hospital.
One of the 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.
The Memorial Tournament is one of only five tournaments given "invitational" status by thePGA Tour, and consequently it has a reduced field of only 73 players in 2024 (as opposed to most full-field open tournaments with a field of 156 players). The other four tournaments with invitational status are theArnold Palmer Invitational, theRBC Heritage,Charles Schwab Challenge, and theGenesis Invitational. Invitational tournaments have smaller fields (between 69 and 132 players), and have more freedom than full-field open tournaments in determining which players are eligible to participate in their event, as invitational tournaments are not required to fill their fields using the PGA Tour Priority Ranking System. Furthermore, unlike full-field open tournaments, invitational tournaments do not offer open qualifying (aka Monday qualifying).
Playing member of last named U.S.Ryder Cup team, European Ryder Cup team, U.S.Presidents Cup team, and International Presidents Cup team (non-PGA Tour members qualifying in this category count against unrestricted sponsor exemptions)
1976:Roger Maltbie won the inaugural Memorial Tournament, defeatingHale Irwin in a four-hole aggregate playoff. On the third extra hole Maltbie's errant approach shot appeared headed for the gallery when it hit a post, causing the ball to bounce onto the green, where both parred to remain tied; Maltbie then birdied the 18th hole to win the playoff.[4]
1977: Poor weather resulted in a Monday finish for the tournament; host Jack Nicklaus won by two shots overHubert Green.[7]
1980:David Graham birdied the 72nd hole to edgeTom Watson by one shot; Watson was bidding to become the first Memorial champion to defend his title.[8]
1984: Jack Nicklaus defeatedAndy Bean in a sudden-death playoff to become the first two-time Memorial winner.[9]
1991:Kenny Perry won for the first time on the PGA Tour, defeating Irwin on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.[10]
1993:Paul Azinger birdied the 72nd hole by holing out from a bunker to finish one shot ahead ofCorey Pavin.[11]
1994:Tom Lehman shot a tournament record 268 (-20) for 72 holes on his way to a five-shot victory overGreg Norman.[12]
2000:Tiger Woods became the first Memorial winner to successfully defend his title, finishing five shots clear ofErnie Els.[13]
2001: Woods won for a third consecutive year, seven shots ahead of runners-up Paul Azinger andSergio García.[14]
2012: Woods birdied three of the last four holes, including a chip in on the 16th hole, to turn a two-shot deficit into a two-shot victory. The win was Woods' 73rd PGA Tour victory, which tied Jack Nicklaus for second most PGA Tour wins.[17]
2013: Defending champion Woods posted a third round back nine score of 44, the worst in his career. He finished 20 shots behind winnerMatt Kuchar.
2014:Hideki Matsuyama won in a playoff againstKevin Na;[18] he was the first Japanese PGA Tour winner since 2008.
2015: In the third round,Tiger Woods shot an 85, the worst round of his professional career. Three-time winnerKenny Perry played his last PGA Tour event.
2016:William McGirt won for the first time on the PGA Tour after 165 starts.
2020:Jon Rahm's win elevated him to the world number one ranking for the first time in his career.
2021: Defending championJon Rahm held a six-stroke lead after 54 holes but was forced to withdraw after testing positive forCOVID-19.[19]
Scottie Scheffler
