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With golf’s schedule subject to a revamp due to the coronavirus, July brings the unusual instance of back-to-back events on the same course. Next week’s Memorial Tournament has been carried over from June but, before that usual staple of the PGA Tour, its host course Muirfield Village also stages the Workday Charity Open. After playing in all four events since the re-start (and winning last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic), Bryson DeChambeau finally puts his feet up but there’s still plenty of talent on view with Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama and last year’s winner Patrick Cantlay all teeing it up. Coincidence or not, every tournament since golf returned has been won by an American and the last four winners of this event were also home United States players. Memorial Village, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is a 7,456 yard par-72 with fast Bentgrass/Poa Annua putting surfaces greens. It’s regularly referred to as a ‘second-shot’ course. Jordan Spieth said of this layout last year: “I enjoy the ball striking part of this course where these pins are located normally three times. They’re located pretty close to each other, and if you hit a really good tee shot, you’re set up to feed into these holes. You can have really short birdie putts and you’ll see some eagles out here, but given that the greens are so fast, they’ll just speed off the side and roll down.” Bubba Watson notes: “The course has a major feel. It’s an approach shot golf course, I guess you’d say. The fairways are generous. Even I hit a lot of fairways here. So it’s all about your iron shots. It’s all about controlling your distance.” Finally, Matt Kuchar says: “I think in order to do well, you just have to have all parts of your game working well.” Angles to consider 1/ Greens In Regulation No surprise to see that for this ‘second-shot’ course the last four winners at Muirfield Village have all ranked in the top 12 for GIR. Jason Dufner topped this category when taking the spoils in the 2017 Memorial. 2/ Par 5 Performance It’s key to cash in on the par 5s at Muirfield Village and the first three finishers last year ranked T1 in that stat after all played the combined 16 long holes in -12. Dufner was T3 in Par 5s in 2017 and William McGirt T5 in 2016. 3/ All-Around Kuchar’s quotes that you need to do everything well is borne out in the stats. Patrick Cantlay was 1st for AA at Muirfield Village in 2019 while three of the previous five champions here were ranked 2nd. Selections The above angles have been used to create a shortlist from which the following players are selected. Rickie Fowler Fowler has twice finished runner-up at Muirfield Village and his game looks to be trending in the right direction as he returns to a course that clearly suits him. He’s ranked in the top eight for Par 5 Performance at this venue in the last two years and last week he was 5th for GIR and 16th for All-Around when T12 in the Rocket Mortgage Classic. It won’t be long before his talent resurfaces strongly again and this could be the week at a decent price. Adam Hadwin The Canadian’s iron play has been excellent since the PGA Tour started up again. He was 9th for GIR at Colonial, 6th at The Heritage and 2nd for greens hit when fourth at last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. He’s been in the top 15 for All-Around in his latest two tournaments. Hadwin hasn’t always had his best stuff here but was T4 after 54 holes in 2016 and can produce something similar this time. Kevin Streelman Streelman fits all the angles we’re looking at this week. On his last start when runner-up at the Travelers he was 1st for All-Around and 5th for GIR and, on the season-long stats, he’s T5 for Par 5 Scoring. That suggests he should have a good record at Muirfield Village and the theory plays out: Streelman was T7 in 2011 and his course form from 2015-2019 reads: 18-8-13-44-4. Tips: 1-2; -1.94pts 1pt e.w. Rickie Fowler at 30/1 (William Hill, 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) 22nd 1pt e.w. Adam Hadwin at 55/1 (William Hill 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) 35th 1pt e.w. Kevin Streelman at 66/1 (William Hill 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) 7th
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