The Memorial Tournament (branded as the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday for sponsorship reasons, and also referred to as simply the Memorial) is a PGA Tour golf tournament founded in 1976 by Jack Nicklaus. It is played on a Nicklaus-designed course at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb north of Columbus. 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.

History

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), a considerable length for the mid-1970s.

At the Masters Tournament in 1966, 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 is Nationwide 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, and his wife Barbara was honored in 2025.

Invitational status

The Memorial Tournament is one of only five tournaments given "invitational" status by the PGA 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 the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the RBC Heritage, Charles Schwab Challenge, and the Genesis 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).

In June 2014, the PGA Tour approved a resolution to grant the winner a three-year exemption, one more than other regular Tour events and on par with winners of the World Golf Championships, The Tour Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Field

For the 2026 season, eligible PGA Tour members who can participate in this 72-player event include:

  1. Top 50 players from the previous year's FedExCup Playoffs & Eligibility Points List through the Playoffs
  2. Top 10 available players from the current year's FedExCup Playoffs and Eligibility Points List through the Charles Schwab Challenge
  3. Top 5 available players who accumulate the most FedExCup points in the "swing" of full-field events prior to this event
  4. Tournament winners in the current season
  5. PGA Tour members in the Top 30 of the Official World Golf Ranking as of the Monday before the tournament
  6. 4 sponsor exemptions restricted to PGA Tour members
  7. The Division 1 College Player of the Year from 2025 (the Jack Nicklaus Award)
  8. One exemption for exceptional lifetime achievement of 80+ career wins
  9. Remaining positions filled by players below the top 10 available players from the current year's FedExCup Playoffs & Eligibility Points List through the Charles Schwab Challenge

Tournament highlights

  • 1976: Roger Maltbie won the inaugural Memorial Tournament, defeating Hale 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.
  • 1977: Poor weather resulted in a Monday finish for the tournament; host Jack Nicklaus won by two shots over Hubert Green.
  • 1980: David Graham birdied the 72nd hole to edge Tom Watson by one shot; Watson was bidding to become the first Memorial champion to defend his title.
  • 1984: Jack Nicklaus defeated Andy Bean in a sudden-death playoff to become the first two-time Memorial winner.
  • 1991: Kenny Perry won for the first time on the PGA Tour, defeating Irwin on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
  • 1993: Paul Azinger birdied the 72nd hole by holing out from a bunker to finish one shot ahead of Corey Pavin.
  • 1994: Tom Lehman shot a tournament record 268 (-20) for 72 holes on his way to a five-shot victory over Greg Norman.
  • 2000: Tiger Woods became the first Memorial winner to successfully defend his title, finishing five shots clear of Ernie Els.
  • 2001: Woods won for a third consecutive year, seven shots ahead of runners-up Paul Azinger and Sergio García.
  • 2005: Bart Bryant saved par from a hazard on the 72nd hole to win by one shot over Fred Couples.
  • 2007: K. J. Choi shot a final round 65 to win by one shot over Ryan Moore.
  • 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.
  • 2013: Defending champion Woods posted a third round back nine score of 44, the worst in his career. He finished 20 shots behind winner Matt Kuchar.
  • 2014: Hideki Matsuyama won in a playoff against Kevin Na; 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 winner Kenny 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 champion Rahm held a six-stroke lead after 54 holes, but was forced to withdraw after testing positive for COVID-19.
  • 2024: Scottie Scheffler wins the Memorial, becoming the first since Tom Watson in 1980 to win five PGA Tour events in a season prior to the U.S. Open.

Course layout

Muirfield Village Golf Club in 2016

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards4704554012005274475631854123,6604715671844553635292014784843,7327,392
Par444354534364534453443672

Source:

Winners and honorees

YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of victoryRunner(s)-upWinner's share ($)Honoree(s)
2025United States Scottie Scheffler (2)278−104 strokesUnited States Ben Griffin4,000,000Barbara Nicklaus
2024United States Scottie Scheffler280−81 strokeUnited States Collin Morikawa4,000,000Juli Inkster Tom Weiskopf
2023Norway Viktor Hovland281−7PlayoffUnited States Denny McCarthy3,600,000Larry Nelson
2022United States Billy Horschel275−134 strokesUnited States Aaron Wise2,160,000Charlie Sifford
2021United States Patrick Cantlay (2)275−13PlayoffUnited States Collin Morikawa1,674,000Nick Price Gene Littler Ted Ray
2020Spain Jon Rahm279−93 strokesUnited States Ryan Palmer1,674,000
2019United States Patrick Cantlay269−192 strokesAustralia Adam Scott1,638,000Judy Rankin
2018United States Bryson DeChambeau273−15PlayoffSouth Korea An Byeong-hun United States Kyle Stanley1,602,000Hale Irwin Jock Hutchison Willie Turnesa
2017United States Jason Dufner275−133 strokesUnited States Rickie Fowler India Anirban Lahiri1,566,000Greg Norman Tony Lema Ken Venturi Harvie Ward
2016United States William McGirt273−15PlayoffUnited States Jon Curran1,530,000Johnny Miller Leo Diegel Horton Smith
2015Sweden David Lingmerth273−15PlayoffEngland Justin Rose1,116,000Nick Faldo Dorothy Campbell Jerome Travers Walter Travis
2014Japan Hideki Matsuyama275−13PlayoffUnited States Kevin Na1,116,000Annika Sörenstam Jim Barnes Joe Carr Willie Park Sr.
2013United States Matt Kuchar276−122 strokesUnited States Kevin Chappell1,116,000Raymond Floyd
2012United States Tiger Woods (5)279−92 strokesArgentina Andrés Romero South Africa Rory Sabbatini1,116,000Tom Watson
2011United States Steve Stricker272−161 strokeUnited States Brandt Jobe United States Matt Kuchar1,116,000Nancy Lopez
2010England Justin Rose270−183 strokesUnited States Rickie Fowler1,080,000Seve Ballesteros
2009United States Tiger Woods (4)276−121 strokeUnited States Jim Furyk1,080,000JoAnne Carner Jack Burke Jr.
2008United States Kenny Perry (3)280−82 strokesAustralia Mathew Goggin United States Jerry Kelly England Justin Rose Canada Mike Weir1,080,000Tony Jacklin Ralph Guldahl Charles B. Macdonald Craig Wood
2007South Korea K. J. Choi271−171 strokeUnited States Ryan Moore1,080,000Louise Suggs Dow Finsterwald
2006Sweden Carl Pettersson276−122 strokesUnited States Zach Johnson United States Brett Wetterich1,035,000Michael Bonallack Charles Coe Lawson Little Henry Picard Paul Runyan Denny Shute
2005United States Bart Bryant272−161 strokeUnited States Fred Couples990,000Betsy Rawls Cary Middlecoff
2004South Africa Ernie Els270−184 strokesUnited States Fred Couples945,000Lee Trevino Joyce Wethered
2003United States Kenny Perry (2)275−132 strokesUnited States Lee Janzen900,000Julius Boros William C. Campbell
2002United States Jim Furyk274−142 strokesUnited States John Cook United States David Peoples810,000Kathy Whitworth Bobby Locke
2001United States Tiger Woods (3)271−177 strokesUnited States Paul Azinger Spain Sergio García738,000Payne Stewart
2000United States Tiger Woods (2)269−195 strokesSouth Africa Ernie Els United States Justin Leonard558,000Jack Nicklaus
1999United States Tiger Woods273−152 strokesFiji Vijay Singh459,000Ben Hogan
1998United States Fred Couples271−174 strokesUnited States Andrew Magee396,000Peter Thomson
1997Fiji Vijay Singh202−142 strokesUnited States Jim Furyk Australia Greg Norman342,000Gary Player
1996United States Tom Watson (2)274−142 strokesUnited States David Duval324,000Billy Casper
1995Australia Greg Norman (2)269−194 strokesUnited States Mark Calcavecchia United States David Duval Australia Steve Elkington306,000Willie Anderson John Ball James Braid Harold Hilton John Henry Taylor
1994United States Tom Lehman268−205 strokesAustralia Greg Norman270,000Mickey Wright
1993United States Paul Azinger274−141 strokeUnited States Corey Pavin252,000Arnold Palmer
1992United States David Edwards273−15PlayoffUnited States Rick Fehr234,000Joseph Dey
1991United States Kenny Perry273−15PlayoffUnited States Hale Irwin216,000Babe Zaharias
1990Australia Greg Norman216E1 strokeUnited States Payne Stewart180,000Jimmy Demaret
1989United States Bob Tway277−112 strokesUnited States Fuzzy Zoeller160,000Henry Cotton
1988United States Curtis Strange274−142 strokesSouth Africa David Frost United States Hale Irwin160,000Patty Berg
1987United States Don Pooley272−163 strokesUnited States Curt Byrum140,000Old Tom Morris Young Tom Morris
1986United States Hal Sutton271−174 strokesUnited States Don Pooley100,000Roberto De Vicenzo
1985United States Hale Irwin (2)281−71 strokeUnited States Lanny Wadkins100,000Chick Evans
1984United States Jack Nicklaus (2)280−8PlayoffUnited States Andy Bean90,000Sam Snead
1983United States Hale Irwin281−71 strokeUnited States Ben Crenshaw Australia David Graham72,000Tommy Armour
1982United States Raymond Floyd281−72 strokesUnited States Peter Jacobsen United States Wayne Levi United States Roger Maltbie United States Gil Morgan63,000Glenna Collett-Vare
1981United States Keith Fergus284−41 strokeUnited States Jack Renner63,000Harry Vardon
1980Australia David Graham280−81 strokeUnited States Tom Watson54,000Byron Nelson
1979United States Tom Watson285−33 strokesUnited States Miller Barber54,000Gene Sarazen
1978United States Jim Simons284−41 strokeUnited States Billy Kratzert50,000Francis Ouimet
1977United States Jack Nicklaus281−72 strokesUnited States Hubert Green45,000Walter Hagen
1976United States Roger Maltbie288EPlayoffUnited States Hale Irwin40,000Bobby Jones

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records. Source:

Multiple winners

Eight men have won the Memorial Tournament more than once through 2025:

Notes

External links

40°08′25″N 83°08′29″W/40.1404°N 83.1414°W/ 40.1404; -83.1414