Golf
Memorial Tournament preview: You can rest your hat on Tyrrell
After a break for some following a tough PGA Championships, all of the world’s best players take to the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio for the 48th Memorial Tournament.
We preview some of the tournaments key contenders below.
Hatton to build on good form at Muirfield
Tyrrell Hatton is in some of the form of his life at the moment and his liking for Muirfield Golf Club makes for the perfect combination of factors for him to excel at this year’s Memorial Tournament.
Hatton has put in some very impressive performances in the past year, even at the major tournaments. In his last three PGA Tour tournaments, Hatton has finished tied for 19th, third, and fifth, with a tied 15th finish in his last outing at the PGA Championships. Hatton also shot an impressive 12-under to finish outright second at the Players’ Championship back in March.
The Englishman has been one of the most consistent performers this year with his tee-to-green strokes gained ranking sixth on the tour, as well as being 17th for his strokes gained on the green.
Hatton has consistently built his respectability this year and is now seen as one of the steadier players on the tour, and he looks a strong each-way shout here at 25/1.
Patrick Cantlay chasing first major
Although Patrick Cantlay this year has had a tendency to annoy some with his below average speed of play, that is the only thing below average about him on the course. His most impressive performance of the year came at the RBC Heritage where he ended up outright third, just one shot behind the eventual winner.
Driving accuracy has slowly become more important than distance at Muirfield, and Cantlay currently ranks ninth on the tour in that category this year. He has been brilliant off the tee this year, ranking second for strokes gained off the tee and seventh for strokes gained from tee to green.
Cantlay is slightly shorter and is third favourite at 10/1 but with other competitors such as Jon Rahm not showing their best recently, he is good value for that price and certainly can’t be counted out at this year’s Memorial Tournament.
Rickie Fowler looking to find his old game
Having been one of the best players in the world several years ago, ranking as high as fourth in 2016, Rickie Fowler has failed to set the world alight in recent years.
Fowler’s stats make for good reading in the build up to this tournament with his shots gained from tee to green and on approach to the green both ranking within the top 15. He is not necessarily the most accurate off the tee but a ranking of 67th for strokes gained off the tee should not be too heavy to drag him down.
In an attempt to regain his form of old, Fowler has reinvented his swing and a place like Muirfield is familiar enough to him to hint towards a recreation of his old form. Fowler has twice finished as a runner-up at Muirfield and has also finished inside the top 15 at Muirfield twice on more recent occasions.
Although he is not the player he once was, at 33/1 there is no reason that this price can’t provide great value if he is to summon at least part of the great Rickie Fowler that has played so well at Muirfield before.
