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2020 Memorial Tournament Betting Guide (PGA)

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In a thrilling playoff finish, Collin Morikawa (25/1) edged out Justin Thomas for his second career PGA Tour victory at the Workday Charity Open. Two weeks removed from missing his first PGA cut in 22 events, Morikawa bounced back in a huge way. The 23-year-old shot rounds of 65-66-72-66 to finish at 19-under par and win his first-ever event at Muirfield Village Golf Club. It was a brilliant final day for Morikawa, as he gained an impressive 5.87 strokes on his approaches to help him win the tournament.

The PGA Tour remains in Dublin, Ohio, for the annual Memorial Tournament this weekend. The tournament will be even more exciting, as Tiger Woods announced he would make his first start since the Genesis Invitational in February. Woods has won the Memorial Tournament five times in his career and had three consecutive victories between 1999-2001.

An even stronger field will tee it up for this week’s Memorial Tournament. Justin Thomas (+900), Bryson DeChambeau (+1000), Rory McIlroy (+1200), Patrick Cantlay (+1600), Dustin Johnson (+1800), and Jon Rahm (+1800), are the betting favorites coming into the tournament. Both winners of 2019 and 2018, Cantlay and DeChambeau will be in the field to attempt another victory. The world number one, McIlroy, has never won here but has four top-10s.

Here are the last five winners of the tournament

  • 2019 Patrick Cantlay (-19)
  • 2018 Bryson DeChambeau (-15)
  • 2017 Jason Dufner (-13)
  • 2016 William McGirt (-15)
  • 2015 David Lingmerth (-15)

Bet $1, Win $100 if Tiger Woods Finishes in the Top 50 at The Memorial Tournament >>

Course Preview

The Memorial Tournament will once again be played at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. However, we can expect changes regarding pin placements, tee boxes, rough lengths, and green speeds this week. Muirfield Village usually plays as one of the toughest golf courses relative to par due to the thick penal rough that can become a nightmare to get out of. It will play this week as a par-72, and it measures at 7,456 yards long. Golfers will see small, bentgrass greens (with some Poa Annua), that usually roll very fast.

While keeping the ball in the fairway will be important this week, you should emphasize approach when determining your betting card. Many of the greens have severe undulations, and golfers must put their balls in the right spot to avoid any three-putts. The Jack Nicklaus design will be an all-around test of golf, and scrambling will be a key stat to look at. A lot of the scoring will come on the four Par 5s. There are six challenging Par 4s that measure between 450-550 yards, and three of the four Par 3s are very demanding.

Key Stats

  • Par-5 Scoring
  • Strokes Gained: Approach
  • Scrambling
  • Performance on Bentgrass Greens
  • Course History

Best Outright Bets

Xander Schauffele  (+2000)
Having a strong approach game and being able to putt well on these fast bentgrass greens is the recipe for success at Muirfield Village. Schauffele checks both those boxes, as he ranks 21st in strokes gained: approach, this season, and he is in the top 50 for putting. The world’s 11th-ranked golfer already has ten top-10 finishes in just 12 events in 2020.

Known as a “big game hunter,” Schauffele usually performs very well in strong field events. This is evidenced by his second-place finishes at the WGC-HSBC Champions and the Sentry Tournament of Champions this season. Last week he showed that Muirfield Village is a course he can perform well at. Schauffele finished T14 after ranking eighth in strokes gained: putting, and 12th in strokes gained: approach. I expect Shauffele to continue his solid 2020 season as he gets another shot at the Memorial Tournament.

Viktor Hovland (+2500)
No other golfer has been better than young Viktor Hovland at playing tee-to-green over the last three tournaments. Last week at the Workday Charity Open, Hovland led the field in strokes gained: tee-to-green, and strokes gained: off-the-tee. This impressive streak of ball striking ball by Hovland has helped him turn in five consecutive top-25 finishes. While this will be his sixth straight event, he will not have to travel and hopefully learned some lessons from his shortcomings last week.

The 22-year-old is one good putting week away from claiming his second career title. Hovland lost strokes putting in two of four rounds last week and still finished third with a 15-under performance. His long, accurate off the tee game combined with his sharp iron play is tailor-made for Muirfield Village. It’s only a matter of time before he puts it all together.

Best Top-20 Bets

Abraham Ancer (+450)
The talented Mexican golfer continues to inch closer to his first career PGA Tour victory. In 14 starts this season, Ancer has seven top-25s and four top-10s. This includes a second-place finish at the RBC Heritage in June. Known for his elite iron play, Ancer ranks 11th in strokes gained: approach, in 2020. This should bode well for Ancer’s chances at Muirfield, as it is largely a second-shot golf course.

Kevin Streelman (+600)
The 41-year-old continues to pile up the high finishes at Muirfield Village Golf Course. In his last five events at Muirfield, Streelman has a T7 (last week), a fourth (Memorial 2019), a 13th (Memorial 2017), and an eighth (Memorial 2016). Last week at the Workday Charity Open, Streelman finished second in driving accuracy, and third in Greens In Regulation. His elite ball-striking ability should continue once again this week.

Bet $1, Win $100 if Tiger Finishes in the Top 50 at The Memorial Tournament >>


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Nic Turner is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Nic, check out his archive and follow him @sportzbandit.