This article is part of our Yahoo PGA DFS Picks series.
The Memorial Tournament
Dublin, Ohio
Muirfield Village Golf Club - Par 72 - 7,543 yards
Field - 121 entrants
Purse - $9.3M
The Preview
The Golden Bear began excavating his hometown masterpiece immediately upon the conclusion of the 2020 Memorial Tournament, as renovations at Muirfield Village Golf Club throughout the past year include entirely rebuilt greens and bunkers to accompany four-inch rough lining its fairways. At 81 years old, Jack Nicklaus continues to craft a layout that demands serious precision and focus from the greatest of Tour players, while also maintaining a fair test for the members. Despite unfamiliar putting complexes, the course likely won't play as difficult as it did last July when Jon Rahm won by three at just nine-under-par, but thunderstorms throughout Thursday's first round could make things interesting before temperatures rise into the high-80s by Sunday afternoon. Although a 7,543-yard blueprint might sound like a bomber's paradise, Muirfield Village emphasizes mid-to-long iron prowess as seven par-4s measure between 450 and 500 yards.
Recent Champions
2020 - Jon Rahm
2019 - Patrick Cantlay
2018 - Bryson DeChambeau
2017 - Jason Dufner
2016 - William McGirt
2015 - David Lingmerth
2014 - Hideki Matsuyama
2013 - Matt Kuchar
2012 - Tiger Woods
2011 - Steve Stricker
2010 - Justin Rose
Key Stats to Victory
SG: Approach
Proximity: 150-175 and 175-200 yards
Par-4: 450-500 Efficiency
Scrambling/Sand Save Percentage
Yahoo Value Picks
Based on $200 salary cap
Cream of the Crop
Collin Morikawa - $43
He isn't the Memorial's defending champion, but Morikawa found the winner's circle here at the 2020 Workday Charity Open hosted by Muirfield Village with a playoff victory over Justin Thomas. The duo finished 72 holes of regulation at 19-under-par, four shots clear of Viktor Hovland's solo-third performance. Morikawa is probably the best iron player in the world, as evidenced by his 6.1 strokes gained on approaches per event throughout his past 10 measured starts. He's No. 1 in SG: APP, P4: 450-500 efficiency and opportunities gained over his last 24 rounds, while also ranking sixth in driving accuracy during this span.
Xander Schauffele - $43
Making his first appearance since a missed cut at the PGA Championship, question marks loom over Schauffele's recent form as rostership may flock elsewhere near the top of the board this week. However, Schauffele went T3-T14 at the Masters and the Wells Fargo Championship before failing to advance to the weekend on a tough Kiawah Island Ocean Course where he lost all his strokes around the green. He's still third in both sand save percentage and SG: Putting from 5-10 feet on bentgrass over his past 36 rounds. Including last year's Workday Charity Open, Schauffele has posted three consecutive top-15s at Muirfield Village dating to the 2019 Memorial.
Jordan Spieth - $41
Spieth will be a popular selection after earning runner-up honors last week at Colonial, but it's simply preposterous that there are 10 players listed above him in salary at this point, especially given he's No. 2 in betting odds behind only Jon Rahm. Spieth's track record at Muirfield Village includes five top-20s in eight trips to the Memorial, but he's also top-20 in SG: Approach, P4: 450-500 efficiency, opportunities gained, bogey avoidance and GIR percentage over his last 24 rounds. His short game is still a weapon, ranking 18th or better in scrambling, sand saves, SG: Around-the-Green and SG: Putting on bent throughout his past 36 rounds.
Glue Guys
Louis Oosthuizen - $35
Back-to-back top-8s at the Valspar and PGA Championships -- where he finished runner-up -- have Oosthuizen back inside the top 20 of the Official World Golf Ranking. The South African, who has not missed a cut in 2021, has gained a collective 11.6 strokes on his approach shots throughout his past eight rounds, and he's also second in P4: 450-500 scoring over his last 24. Oosthuizen has shown promise around the greens as well, residing top-10 in both scrambling and SG: ARG over his past 36 rounds.
Charley Hoffman - $31
Hoffman is on an absolute tear with eight top-20s in 10 starts dating to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, including five such results in a row since a second-place finish at the Valero Texas Open. He just gained nearly eight strokes on his approaches at the Charles Schwab Challenge en route to a T3, ascending to second in SG: APP over his last 12 rounds in the process. Hoffman tied for seventh at Muirfield during the 2020 Workday Charity Open and he's made the cut in eight of 11 Memorial Tournament showings.
Stewart Cink - $30
The 48-year-old paces this week's field in SG: Putting from 5-10 feet on bentgrass over his last 36 rounds, but it's the revamped iron play that provides the most intrigue. Over his past 24 rounds, Cink ranks fourth in SG: Approach, ninth in proximity from 175-200 yards and sixth in GIR percentage. He's missed the cut in just two of 23 career appearances at the Memorial Tournament, where his resume is highlighted by six top-10s.
Bargain Bin
Kevin Streelman - $27
Lending respect to another veteran in his 40s, Streelman is 11th or better in Prox: 150-175, Prox: 175-200 and driving accuracy over his last 24 rounds. His short game has been underwhelming, but Streelman has actually gained strokes off the tee in 11 consecutive starts dating to the Farmers Insurance Open because he hits so many fairways in regulation. Additionally, he's placed top-20 in four of his past six visits to the Memorial.
Charl Schwartzel - $24
Schwartzel lost almost 4.5 strokes with the flat stick in just 36 holes before missing the cut at the PGA Championship in his most recent showing, but he'll look to rebound in Ohio as he ranks eighth in proximity from 150-175 yards over his last 24 rounds and 13th in SG: Approach over his past 12. Prior to his MC at Kiawah Island, Schwartzel impressed with a T26-T21-T14-T3 string of finishes from the Masters through the AT&T Byron Nelson. Since 2013, Schwartzel owns a trio of top-11 results at Muirfield Village.
Doug Ghim - $20
Despite missing back-to-back cuts at the Valspar Championship and AT&T Byron Nelson, Ghim found his way into last week's Yahoo picks at the minimum salary ahead of the Charles Schwab Challenge. He didn't disappoint at Colonial Country Club, gaining four strokes on his approaches en route to a top-15 finish. He's now second to none in proximity from 175-200 yards over his past 24 rounds, but he's also top-5 in both GIR and FIR percentage during this stretch of such quality ball-striking. On the season, Ghim is 11th in SG: Approach, 19th in SG: Tee-to-Green, eighth in proximity and 16th in scrambling.
