the Memorial Tournament 2026 preview, picks & analysis

THE great and the good on the PGA Tour will be teeing it up at the Memorial Tournament this week. Played at Muirfield Village, the masterpiece created by Jack Nicklaus, it will provide a fitting test for the game’s finest players as they prepare for the forthcoming US Open at Shinnecock Hills.

I fail to understand why this incredible golf course has yet to host the US Open as it seems absolutely perfect - a layout that rewards good shots and punishes wayward drives.

And if you are going to prepare for a major at one of the toughest golf courses on the planet, then you may as well win a PGA Tour event at what is widely regarded as one of the most brutal layouts on the planet.

And that is exactly what Scottie Scheffler did 12 months ago, winning The Memorial by four shots to deliver a timely warning to anybody who believed they were going to finish ahead of him at the US Open at Oakmont.

The American shot a two-under-par 70 to beat compatriot Ben Griffin by four shots and claim his third victory in four starts.  It followed his triumph in the PGA Championship and made him just the second player, after Tiger Woods, to win The Memorial in consecutive years. 

"It's pretty cool," said Scheffler. "It's always a hard week. It's so challenging to play this tournament." 

Austrian Sepp Straka, who finished third, perhaps summed up Scheffler better than anybody when he said: "He loves competition, and he doesn't like giving up shots. The guy's relentless."

There is a perception that Scheffler is in something of a slump at the moment. It’s the sort of slump most golfers would bite your hand off for.

The CJ Cup was his 11th start of the year. Unsurprisingly, he made all 11 cuts and leads the FedEx Cup standings with a cool $11.6m in prize money. He won the American Express, was tied third at the Phoenix Open, tied fourth at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, tied 12th at the Genesis, tied 24th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, tied 22nd at The Players, second at The Masters, second at the RBC Heritage, second at the Cadillac Championship, tied 14th at the US PGA and was third at the CJ Cup. He is first in strokes gained total, fourth in strokes gained off the tee, first in total driving, first in greens in regulation, second in scrambling, and has a stroke average of 68.07 - also better than anybody else.

And that is why I am tipping him to win this week and then complete the Career Grand Slam at the US Open later in the month. He is, quite simply, in a class of his own.

This has been a season that has seen a number of players around the world return to the winners’ circle after a period in the doldrums, and one golfer who will be seeking to emulate those is Patrick Cantlay. One of the sweetest swingers in the business, he is slipping down the world rankings and has not won since the BMW Championship in 2022. It is a poor return for a player of his calibre. He has had just three top-10 finishes this season but is a two-time winner here and will be looking to draw on some positive memories.

I am also fascinated to see whether former US Open champion Wyndham Clark can kick on after his astonishing victory at the CJ Cup, where he won with a 30-under-par total. He played some breathtaking golf at Colonial, but Muirfield Village is a different kettle of fish.

Rory McIlroy will use this week to prepare for the US Open at Shinnecock Hills. The Masters champion does not need me to tell him that in order to pass both tests then he is going to have to drive the ball a heck of a lot better than he did at the US PGA Championship. Nicklaus was all about strategy and Muirfield Village reflects that. It is not a course you can bomb into submission. And that is why I expect to see another top-five finish for England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Matthew Fitzpatrick, two of the best “thinkers” in the modern game.

Fitzpatrick is enjoying an incredible purple patch and will believe that he can win on any course. There is a perception that he is a short hitter but he is actually plenty long enough, is a stellar iron player and one of the best putters on the planet. And Fleetwood is simply Mr Consistency.

Tournament winners:

It was won in 2015 by David Lingmerth, in 2016 by William McGirt, in 2017 by Jason Dufner, in 2018 by Bryson DeChambeau, in 2019 and 2021 by Patrick Cantlay, in 2020 by Jon Rahm, in 2022 by Billy Horschel, in 2023 by Viktor Hovland, and in 2024 and 2025 by Scottie Scheffler.

The course:

Muirfield Village was designed by Jack Nicklaus and provides one of the toughest tests on the PGA Tour every year. With the US Open just around the corner it gets the world’s best players in the right mindset. It opened in 1974, measures 7,553 yards and is a par 72. Accuracy is essential as the rough is punishing and the greens are extremely fast. After the tournament in 2020 the course was extensively renovated, with every green rebuilt and bunkers enlarged and deepened. Nicklaus described it as “his final bite at the apple”.

Prize money:

Total prize money is $20m, with the winner collecting $4m and 550 FedEx Cup points.

How to watch:

Thursday, June 4, Friday, June 5, Sky Sports Golf, 5pm, Saturday, June 6, Sunday, June 7, Sky Sports Golf, 7pm

Form guide:

Scottie Scheffler will, of course, start as favourite once again. When people tell you he is struggling, do not believe a word of it. He remains the form player.

To win:

Scottie Scheffler. Predictable but who else would you choose?

Each way:

Tommy Fleetwood. Tough course suits him

Each way:

Matthew Fitzpatrick. Having a dream season

Five to follow:

Scottie Scheffler. In full flow

Tommy Fleetwood. Wonderful driver of a ball

Matthew Fitzpatrick. Wondrous putter

Rory McIlroy. Needs to drive well

Hideki Matsuyama. Classy Japanese star