By: @Ryan_Humphries on Twitter & LineStar Chat

Tournament & Field 🏆

Golfers will prepare for another difficult challenge this week as they travel out to Dublin, Ohio to compete in the Memorial Tournament hosted by Muirfield Village Golf Club. This event annually plays host to an extremely high level of competition, as the world’s best show up in droves to honor one of the game’s greats, Jack Nicklaus, at his home self-designed course. Nearly every big name in the golfing landscape will be teeing it up this week. There are 23 of the top 30 ranked golfers in the world in attendance, as well as 68 of the top 100. The overall field will consist of only 120 players, and the standard cut rule will remain in effect – the top 65 golfers (including ties) following the first two rounds will stick around to play the weekend.

The Course Preview ⛳

Muirfield Village Golf Club

Par 72 | 7,533 Yards

Greens: Bentgrass

Course Difficulty Last 5 Years: 9^th, 10th, 2nd, 13th, 30th

Cutline Last 5 Years: +2, +2, +3, +1, E

Welcome to Muirfield Village Golf Club, a masterpiece crafted by the legendary Jack Nicklaus himself. Stretching across 7,533 yards, this Par 72 gem offers a formidable challenge to even the most skilled golfers. Muirfield Village GC has consistently tested the mettle of its competitors, ranking among the top 13 most difficult courses on the PGA Tour in each of the previous four seasons.

As golfers navigate the tree-lined fairways, they’ll find generous landing areas by PGA standards, and players have successfully found the short grass around 70% of the time most years. However, the closer golfers venture towards the greens, the more narrow the fairway layouts become, which will deter the “bomb and gouge” approach. The thick and punishing rough often forces players to opt for a conservative approach off the tee, sacrificing distance for accuracy. A multitude of hazards are strategically positioned throughout the course; with 13 water features and 74 sand traps, Muirfield Village presents a formidable defense against low scores. Golfers will encounter awe-inspiring holes that demand shots over expansive bodies of water, putting their nerves and precision to the test. As a "second shot" course, the significance of approach shots cannot be overstated. While raw power off the tee is not essential here, precise mid-to-long range irons will be. Expect the majority of approach shots to fall within the 150-200 yard range, requiring skillful execution and strategic decision-making.

The bentgrass greens at Muirfield Village add a significant layer of complexity and often determine how difficult the course ultimately plays. These greens are small and undulating, and demand precision and finesse. If, or when, the greens become baked out, they’ll run even firmer and faster than they already are which will lead to some very crooked numbers.

With four Par 5s on the course, the potential for birdies or better is there. While none of the Par 5 holes are walkovers, the longest Par 5 measures 588 yards which means most golfers will have a realistic chance of reaching the green in two shots. However, the journey to birdie is strewn with obstacles, and scoring well on these Par 5s requires both shot shaping skill and strategy. Several of the Par 4s will lead to mayhem and play extremely difficult. Of the four Par 3s, three will measure in at 200+ yards and promise to test the mettle of even the best level talent in this field.

Even under ideal conditions, Muirfield Village Golf Club showcases its unyielding nature. With its rich history of challenging the world's best golfers, it has established itself as a course that demands nothing short of excellence. Expect to witness moments of triumph and heartache as the Memorial unfolds. Fasten your seatbelts for an enthralling PGA event that will keep us all on the edge of our seats!

Weather & Tee Times ⛅

(Click the images above to view the most up-to-date forecast)

Thursday/Friday: Pretty ideal golf conditions. Winds will max out around 10 mph with no significant gusty conditions to speak of. Plenty of sunshine with temps in the low-80s.

Weekend: Nice conditions overall with Sunday bringing forth the most troublesome winds -- 15 mph sustained with ~25 mph gusts.

⚖️Weather Verdict: Great conditions this week and there will be no significant wave advantage.

the Memorial Tournament Tee Times

Key Stats to Consider 📊

1. Strokes Gained: Approach | 35%

> Emphasis on Mid-Iron Proximity (150-200 Yards)

2. Par 5 Birdie or Better % | 25%

3. Par 4 Average | 20%

4. Bogey Avoidance | 10%

5. Strokes Gained: Around the Green | 10%

PGA Tour Stats Page

the Memorial DFS Model Standouts 🏅

Below are the top 20 ranked golfers in both my overall model and my key stats model. Below that are the top 20 leaders in average fantasy points over the last five and last ten starts. The players ranked on these lists do not necessarily mean they are the top golfers I’m targeting for this week's event, but many of these guys should no doubt be favorable DFS options.

Overall Model Rank: A golfer’s ranking (within the current field) in my personal DFS model, which weighs all of the key stats listed above in this newsletter, as well as things like course history, recent form, recent average fantasy scoring results, and odds to win.

Key Stat Rank: Provides a golfer’s overall rank (in relation to the field) in my "key stats only" model, which considers only the key stats listed above in this newsletter with the specified percentage weights allocated towards each statistic.

the Memorial DFS Cheat Sheet 📑

Click the Cheat Sheet above for the higher quality direct image link

Alternative Cheat Sheet Direct Image Link

Cheat Sheet QR Code:

That will do it for our PGA preview! Best of luck this week and, once again, feel free to hit me up in the LineStar chat or on Twitter @Ryan_Humphries with any questions.