Table of Contents
By Alex Lauzon from the “Course of Life” podcast
The Memorial: Back To Jack’s Place
We move the PGA Tour from one brand to the next as we go from The Colonial to The Memorial. The Michael Block Party on tour takes a week off as we hop from a major to a non-designated and now BACK to a designated event in Columbus, Ohio. As per usual, the GOAT Jack Nicklaus is back at his crown jewel Muirfield Village to invite the world’s best to tame his hometown course and he’s awaiting the winner in the 18th green Sunday. On the heels of a LIV golfer winning a major and the U.S. Open around the corner, this is the official playing week for the best in the game during a busy time on the golf calendar.
As for the money-making factory we’ve built on these picks in 2023 – we were one shot out of a playoff and I swear Scottie would have stolen that tournament. Alas, another close call in the heart of a major championship. Let’s forecast The Memorial and get to the most important matter at hand – building your bankroll.
It Takes A Village Of Talent
The host course is Muirfield Village aka “Jack’s Place” as it’s the GOAT’s design and brainchild that has come to fruition in Columbus, Ohio. While Jack loves the traditions and legacies of the game, that hasn’t stopped him from keeping up with the times at Muirfield. The course has had several holes lengthened in the last decade, bunkers added in and they literally rerouted a stream on the course to make it more penal. It led to The Memorial being a sturdy test of golf that features fast-putting surfaces, devilish par threes, and some world-famous milkshakes in the clubhouse.
As you can imagine, if you’ve got the GOAT hosting a long-standing PGA Tour event, you best believe it’s a designated event that’s garnering the best possible field in the game. It’s also the scheduling beneficiary of being two weeks removed from the PGA Championship and two weeks prior to the US Open, so the best can squeeze in one prep week under the gun in between majors. Notables ready to go include 16 of the top 20 in OWGR, and Billy Horschel defends his title from 2022. Look out for past champs like Patrick Cantlay, Hideki Matsuyama, and Jon Rahm in the field as well.
Forecasting The Memorial
Muirfield is going to have a winner in the -10 to -15 range, which is “tough” by today’s PGA Tour scoring standards. It’s going to take a vet who knows the track a bit, and someone who’s putting eyes off of the ball. Once these greens bake in the Ohio summer sun it’s a hot putter with knowledge of where not to miss that gets it done.
1. Who’s hot and trending – recent high finishes, top-10 streaks, and consistent play are never a bad thing.
2. Horses for courses – players love certain courses and course familiarity and experience are invaluable in a field of the world’s best.
3. What the numbers tell you this week – while I’m far from analytical, there’s always a tournament darling or two scattered across the golf talk stratosphere that stuns on paper.
4. Intangibles – while this allows for theater of the mind, there’s a mysterious optimism surrounding that feels “due” or if the price looks just right for buying.
How did my picks follow up on the Koepka Home Run at Oak Hill? Overall decently, but the outright W was eluded by a nose. Scottie was lurking all week, and a few others on the card played well into the weekend so it’s a serviceable C+ grade for last week’s picks at The Colonial.
The Picks
(Wanna start a Pick-X pool with your friends? Learn more here! Or, if you’re looking to start your own PGA One-and-Done pool, check those out here) (Hint: the main difference between the two is how many players you’ll pick each week)
1: Jon Rahm – A past champion that probably was screwed out of another title here during the COVID year, Rahmbo always seems a little extra motivated here.
2: Collin Morikawa – A past champion here who knows how to tame this course in pretty much any conditions – he should regain some form this week.
3: Tyrrell Hatton – Showing up on analytics boards and has been consistently finding leaderboards. If he keeps himself in check and is putting well he’ll be a factor come Sunday.
4: Sahith Theegala – Quietly collected a nice finish here last year – this would be quite the spot for his biggest breakthrough on tour.
5: Hideki Matsuyama – He’s been quiet recently but this past Memorial champ is due for a good week on a course that brings him and his game good vibes.
6: Denny McCarthy – Three top 30s in his last four starts, so I’ll ignore last week’s missed cut and take a good putter at long odds here.
RYP One and Done Pick: Collin Morikawa
The Deets
Where to watch: Golf Channel and CBS all week for the call, with a likely cameo from Jack hemming and hawing on the current news in the game of golf. I’m sure he’ll say something that makes headlines.
Why to watch: The Memorial is a stern test that attracts one of the best non-major fields in the game of golf.
What to eat: I hear Buckeyes are a popular chocolate peanut butter candy in the area – what a timeless combo to snack on.
Purse: $20 million
Winner’s Share: $3.6 million
Golf FAQs
How do PGA Golf Majors Pools work?
In PGA Golf Majors Pools, member select six golfers to compete on a roster over the course of an event. The member with the best combined score from the six golfers wins.
Can you include all four majors into one pool?
Yes, but your commissioner can also customize these setting with RunYourPool. Pools can include up to all four majors, repicking golfers each time or adding bonus points for finishing positions
How do I assemble a roster?
Golfers are broken up in to six tiers, as members select one golfer per tier to be on their Major roster.
What happens to golfers who miss the cut?
Any PGA Player who does not make the cut will be given the highest score of Round 3 and Round 4, respectively.
What are the four golf majors?
The Masters is the first major of the season, in April. The PGA Championship and the U.S. Open follow, with the British Open ending as the final major.
How do PGA One and Dones work?
Members in a pool select one golfer to win a tournament, but can't pick that golfer again for the rest of the season. The member with the best score at the end of the season wins.
What is a PGA One and Done pool?
A PGA One-and-Done Pool is a contest similar to Survivor Pools, in which members can only select a golfer one time per season for events.
Which tournaments are played for PGA One and Dones?
Pool commissioners can set up the season for as many or as few tournaments as desired. Go crazy and do all of them! Or dial it back for the major events. As commissioner of a RunYourPool contest, you decide which events to play in!
How to run a weekly golf pool?
In order to run a golf pool, you must first crown yourself as Pool Commissioner. Begin by picking a game type like One and Done or Pick-X Pools. You'll want to establish rules before inviting friends, family, and colleagues to join. As commissioner, you make the rules and also need to enforce them equally and fairly.
How do golf Pick-X Pools work?
Members select a certain number of golfers per tournament, set by the pool commissioner. The member earns the total winnings that their selected golfer won for the tournament. Whichever member earns the most winnings over the duration of the season wins.
What is a golf Pick-X Pool?
A Pick-X Golf Pool calculates tournament winnings rather than strokes gained when deciding a winner. This amplifies the big name events that feature a higher prize purse.
How to run a golf pool?
How you decide to run a golf pool varies greatly depending on the game type. In each case, however, you'll want to determine the rules and settings before you begin inviting members to join you. You'll want to clearly establish how score will be kept, how tiebreakers work, and how winners are decided before anything else.
What is a prop bet?
Prop bets are any sort of pick or wager on a game that has nothing to do with the score or the final score outcome. Props can range from game types, to team types and even player types - such as who will score the game's first and last touchdowns? Other props, such as novelty or exotic, feature bets on things such as the coin flip or the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
How do Masters Prop Bets Pools work?
Pool members simply fill out a wide range of prop questions, each question worth a different value. Commissioners decide on the point value for each question, along with the amount of questions. Whichever member earns the most points based on corret answers wins the pool.
When is the Masters?
The Masters is typically in April and the first major of the golf season. The 2023 Masters is set for Thursday, April 6 and will run until Sunday, April 9.
Where is the Masters played?
The Masters is annually held at the Augusta National Golf Club located in Augusta, Georgia, USA.
