It’s a great week to be a golf fan.
The LPGA is at Riviera for the Women’s U.S. Open, and the TOUR is headed to Jack’s place, Muirfield Village, where Scottie Scheffler will look to three-peat.
He would be the first golfer since Tiger to do so at Muirfield, and the first since Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic to win 3 TOUR events in a row.
The reason why he’s won at Muirfield twice in a row is because the course places a ton of emphasis on approach play, and there is no better player in the world over the last few years in that category than Scottie Scheffler.
Muirfield also penalizes missed fairways more than any other course on TOUR.
Not because it’s narrow, but because the rough is thick, which makes approach shots into the small, firm greens particularly difficult.
This course was designed by the ultimate ball-striker, Jack Nicklaus, so we will be looking to target elite iron players this week.
Who’s In The Field?
Scottie Scheffler leads a loaded field this week. It’s a signature event, and pretty much all of the top players on TOUR will be there, including 9 of the top 10.
Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland are the two biggest names who are OUT this week.
Here are the key stats for The Memorial Tournament:
-
Build cards around elite approach players first. SG: Approach has the strongest correlation with SG: Total here at 0.612, well ahead of off-the-tee. Bettors should prioritize players gaining heavily with irons, especially those strong from 150–225+ yards, because Muirfield Village produces a lot of mid/long-iron approaches.
-
Don’t overpay for pure bombers. Driving distance shows only a 0.061 correlation with total performance, while driving accuracy is more meaningful at 0.306. The course is long at 7,449 yards, but it also narrows fairways, suppresses driving distance, and penalizes missed fairways more than average. Favor “long enough and accurate” over reckless distance.
-
Difficulty increases the value of bogey avoidance, short game, and putting floors. Scoring is tough at +1.38, GIR is only 55.5%, and penalty strokes are elevated. With SG: Putting at 0.506 and Around-the-Green at 0.455, this is not just a ball-striking event; players who can survive missed greens and avoid doubles should be upgraded for matchup, top-20, and cut-line markets.
The Details
Previous Winners
How To Watch
Featured Groups:
Weekly Bets: 50th Memorial Tournament
We’ve partnered with Keith Stewart at Read The Line to share his weekly golf betting picks with the Caddyshanks crew. If you’re the type who enjoys breaking down matchups, spotting trends, and hunting for value, you’ll feel right at home in the RTL community. Use code CADDYSHANKS2026 for 20% OFF.
Keith Stewart’s Picks
Si Woo Kim (+2200 BetMGM)
In his last eight starts at The Memorial, Si Woo Kim has GAINED with the putter six times! Probably Kim’s best career putting course, he is on an incredible heater T2G in 2026. Ranked third on the PGA TOUR, Si Woo is gaining an average of 1. 5 strokes per round over 53 measured rounds this year. Only Scottie Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick have been better. Fresh off gaining eight strokes with his flatstick at the CJ Cup, Kim can more than contend on a course that has been very good to him throughout his career.
Ben Griffin (+3900 DraftKings)
We all saw Ben Griffin come close to defending his title at the Charles Schwab. Walking the practice tee at Muirfield Village, Griffin looks really good. Ben is a player perfectly suited for Jack’s place. Well-rounded T2G and an excellent putter on super smooth surfaces, Griffin finished runner-up to Scottie Scheffler last year. Gaining more than 11 strokes on the field at The Memorial in 2025, this is a perfect example of form colliding with a confidence-producing venue.
Caddyshanks Picks
Scottie Scheffler (+310 Draftkings)
The “bet Scottie every week no matter what” strategy hasn’t worked out well so far this year, but he could turn that around easily this week.
Justin Thomas (+40000 Draftkings)
We tried our hand with betting JT last week and it didn’t work out for us, but he’s finding his form again and the win is going to come. Muirfield Village tends to let the cream rise to the top, we like JT to be hanging around come Sunday.
Sepp Straka (+6000 Draftkings)
Sepp has back-to-back Top 5’s at The Memorial, and the number on him this week is too good to resist, considering he’s in good form and has proven he can contend here.
A mix of innovation, uncertainty, rebuilding, leadership decisions, and a reminder that the basics still win.
→ Old guy, new clubs
Justin Rose has played well this year, but now he’s taking a gamble – he’s the first pro to game McLaren’s new clubs. Will the risk be worth the reward?
→ LIV Golf players facing uncertain future
As uncertainty surrounds LIV Golf, players have been quietly putting feelers out there to figure out what their future might look like. Never a great sign.
→ Oakland Hills opens new clubhouse four years after fire
Oakland Hills Country Club is back. New clubhouse, fresh start, one of the game’s great venues back in business.
→ Why Jim Furyk was the only real option for U.S. Ryder Cup captain
Jim Furyk is a good pick. Not flashy, but experienced, respected, and about as steady as it gets. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
→ Si Woo Kim hit 71.75% of fairways – here’s what you can learn
Si Woo Kim keeps it simple – hit fairways, avoid mistakes, repeat. Not revolutionary, but it’ll probably help your game more than whatever swing thought you’re working on right now.
