The 31st tournament of the 2017-18 season is the first in a northern latitude, so you know what that means: Summer has arrived for the rest of the country. Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, hosts 120 golfers for the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. For the first time in memory, there weren’t any noticeable changes on Jack Nicklaus’ home track, but after last year’s edition, none were needed. Scroll beneath the ranking to read why, what to expect and much more on this week’s invitational. Checks all of the boxes, including momentum. Two top fives and another pair of top 15s in six trips; T4 in his last appearance in 2016. Bounces in after a “disappointing” runner-up at Wentworth. The FedExCup points leader is debuting as the World No. 1. Finally solved Muirfield Village in his fourth appearance last year with a T4. Led the field in average distance of putts converted. The wind whisperer is as consistently strong as anyone over the last year. Seventh on TOUR in birdies-or-better percentage. Scoring average of 69.67 in last 12 rounds at Muirfield Village (T5-T11-T15). The 2010 champ has six career top 10s here, including a solo second in his last visit in 2015. Fresh off a classic stripe show at Colonial, leading the field in strokes gained: tee-to-green en route to victory. Home game for the transplanted Aussie who leads the TOUR in strokes gained: putting. End-loaded a personal-best T15 here last here in ninth appearance. Win-T5 in last two starts upon return. First start since losing the handle on the top spot in the OWGR, but still leads TOUR in strokes gained: tee-to-green and adjusted scoring. Two top fives among five top 20s at Muirfield Village. May have fallen prey to grouping with Tiger Woods at TPC Sawgrass where he MC’d. It happened in the finale of the 2012 Memorial when he shot 84. Otherwise strong elsewhere. T2 here last year, too. After a T11 at THE PLAYERS, acknowledged that he’s back on track with his feel for competition. What better than Muirfield Village to test that claim? He’s 15-for-15 with five wins among eight top 10s. At 11th in the FedExCup standings, he’s highest among non-winners. Currently 16th in adjusted scoring and fourth in par-5 scoring. Perfect at Muirfield Village with a pair of top-15 finishes. A force since teaming with Louis Oosthuizen for a third-place finish in New Orleans. Schwartzel has added a T9 at Quail Hollow and a T2 at TPC Sawgrass. Five top 25s at the Memorial. Continues to construct a brilliant season. Solo third at Colonial was his fifth top 10. Ninth in strokes gained: tee-to-green and first in average distance of putts converted. Also T1 in par-3 scoring. Remains hopeful but his putting continues to misfire. Ranked 70th of 78 in strokes gained: putting at Colonial en route to a T32. He’s 5-for-5 at Muirfield Village with a trio of top 20s. Course horse, but stumbling of late. Seven straight starts without a top 15, but third in all-time earnings at Muirfield Village with a win (2013) and another four top fives among seven top 10s. Amid the trials of last season, he mustered a T6 at Muirfield Village, just his second top 20 in 11 tries. The two-time winner this season ranks eighth in greens in regulation. His title here last year was his first top 15 in six appearances, but he averaged 70.00 in last 16 rounds at Muirfield Village. Up-and-down 2018 includes a T5 at TPC Sawgrass three weeks ago. POWER RANKINGS: THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY NATIONWIDE RANK PLAYER COMMENT Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider will include 2014 champion Hideki Matsuyama, Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson and Adam Scott, as well as the red-hot Kevins – Na and Tway. Not unlike when fellow legend Arnold Palmer constantly tweaked Bay Hill for his own limited-field invite, Nicklaus hasn’t hesitated from approving everything necessary to keep Muirfield Village as relevant as it is challenging. But while it’s unlikely that The Golden Bear reaches to the heavens for an assist even when the stock par 72 measuring 7,392 yards remains largely the same, Mother Nature cooperated a bit in adding to the test last year. After conceding a tournament record-low scoring average of 70.987 in 2016, Muirfield Village fought back for a four-year high of 72.797 last year. Zooming in, even if you cancel the first (moderate winds) and final (inclement conditions and strong winds) rounds, the middle 36 holes played according to historical proportions. Putting that into perspective, after Jason Dufner established the 36-hole scoring record at 14-under 130, he’d eventually prevail at 13-under 275, which is a proper target aggregate for would-be winners this week. He was vintage in his own right in leading the field in both greens in regulation and strokes gained: tee-to-green. Dufner finished a distant 47th in strokes gained: putting, but that was due entirely to a dreadful third-round 77 in which he surrendered 4.80 strokes to the field on the bentgrass surfaces. Overall, Dufner’s performance is typical of how to tame Muirfield Village. While its fairways-hit percentage of 62.03 last year was all-time low, it still was inside the top-half easiest of all course last season. Secondarily but worth the mention, the quartet of par 3s averaged a TOUR-high 3.22, a three-year high among all non-majors. In line with Nicklaus’ design philosophy, the focus narrows on approach and on greens averaging just 5,000 square feet and ready to touch 13 feet on the Stimpmeter. Fairways and greens are framed by rough consisting of a blend of Kentucky bluegrass, fescue and rye approaching four inches. Similar conditions to last year are in store this week, which is to say that it’s already summertime in central Ohio. A reasonable threat for rain and storms extends into Friday, but it doesn’t disappear entirely on the weekend. Moderate-to-gusty winds will greet the field in the opening round, but they are forecast to peel off gradually every day. Daytime highs in the low-to-mid 80s will tumble into the upper 70s after the 36-hole cut is made. For the fourth consecutive year, the champion will receive a three-year PGA TOUR exemption (through 2020-21) as well as a three-year exemption into THE PLAYERS Championship (2019-21). ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton reviews and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Facebook Live, Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, which also publishes on Tuesdays.
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