The Memorial Tournament: PGA Best Weekend Picks (2024)

The Memorial Tournament has lived up to its reputation as one of the most difficult courses on the PGA Tour circuit through the first two rounds. However, World No. 1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler, has seemingly breezed through its rigors. Scheffler sits with a three-stroke lead at 9-under-par, logging a 4-under-par finish during blustery conditions that hampered most of the field on Friday.

Despite Scheffler holding a three-stroke lead over the defending champion, Viktor Hovland, who sits at 6-under-par alongside Adam Hadwin, the Texas native has never won this event outright. Scheffler has carded back-to-back third-place finishes at Muirfield Village in 2021 and 2023 but never won a PGA Tour event in June.

We saw his inability to finish at Colonial against Davis Riley. By taking advantage of oddsmakers placing nearly all of the value on Scheffler heading into Round 3, we can invest in other contenders at a great price.

I’ve found four golfers who offer a realistic chance to finish strong and contend for the win at Muirfield Village Golf Club on Sunday afternoon. Follow me on X @Matt_MacKay_ for more free plays and PGA Tour best bets throughout the week.

The Memorial Tournament: Best Weekend Picks

These plays are 0.50u and 0.25u, or 0.5% and 0.25% of your betting bankroll. Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Viktor Hovland (+650)

Going for back-to-back wins at Jack’s Place isn’t an easy feat but Viktor Hovland appears up for the challenge. The Norwegian is playing in completely different form since reuniting with his former swing coach, going 3-under-par in both rounds at Muirfield Village this week.

Ranked 11th strokes gained: off-the-tee, 38th for greens in regulation rate, 21st in putting average, and 22nd in birdie average, Hovland is rounding into form and playing confidently from tee-to-green. He’s tied second on the leaderboard behind Scheffler and can undoubtedly make a run on Saturday to position himself to strike for the back-to-back win on Sunday. +650 is great value to acquire on Hovland in the outright winner betting market, so let’s invest a half unit.

Rory McIlroy (+2000)

Rory McIlroy struggled to stay at 1-under-par on Friday but he scrambled extremely well, despite consistently missing greens in regulation. McIlroy is in a rhythm on the golf course right now, utilizing his powerful driver to avoid errant lies and position himself for birdie opportunities.

Yes, his approach shots have left a bit to be desired this week, but McIlroy’s play around and on the greens has been impressive. Remember, in Round 1, after going 3-over-par on holes 11-12, McIlroy wound up draining birdies on four of the final six holes at Muirfield. He can go on a run at any moment, but he’ll need to go at least 4-under-par on Saturday to climb into contention for an attempt at his first outright win at the Memorial Tournament.

A 0.25 unit wager placed on McIlroy at 20-1 odds is sufficient.

Keegan Bradley (+2500)

Keegan Bradley continues to fly under the radar despite sitting at 5-under-par, occupying T4 on the leaderboard. Bradley started 2-over-par through the first four holes on Friday before recording an eagle on the par 5 seventh hole, resulting in a mistake-free finish, with two more birdies on the back-nine to finish 3-under-par on his round.

Bradley’s last outing was a T2 at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial, while he previously went T21 at the Wells Fargo Championship and T18 at the PGA Championship. Ranked 21st strokes gained: approaching the green, 12th in total driving, including 35th for driving accuracy, there’s a lot to like about Bradley at 25-1 odds in the outright winner betting market.

Another 0.25 unit wager staked on Bradley returns over six units of profit, so make sure to pounce on this number before it shortens.

Adam Hadwin (+2800)

Adam Hadwin’s 7-under-par finish in Round 1 saw the Canadian golfer take the solo lead over Scheffler. Then, an even par outing on Friday has lengthened his odds in the outright betting market down to 28-1. We need to grab this number, especially since Hadwin has fared well at Muirfield Village in past years, while only sitting three strokes behind Scheffler entering Round 3.

Ranked 48th total driving, 34th in overall putting average, and 37th in birdie average, Hadwin’s in a great buy-low spot after falling down the leaderboard with a double bogey on the 17th hole on Friday. He’s recorded at least four birdies in both rounds, including eight in Round 1, so he’s right there to jump Scheffler on the leaderboard if he heats up on Saturday and Sunday.

A final 0.25 unit wager placed on Hadwin at 28-1 is strongly recommended at this price.

Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros and BettingPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.