The 2021 Memorial Tournament: PGA Tour Betting Odds
Seven of the top-10 golfers in the world will be teeing it up this week. Jon Rahm is favoured on the golf odds.
Tiger Woods always made sure to play Nicklaus’ tournament when healthy and has won it a record five times, but he’s still recovering from major leg injuries and won’t be seen the rest of this year on Tour. Nicklaus, who was born in Columbus and starred collegiately at Ohio State, designed Muirfield Village Golf Club in the 1970s in the suburb of Dublin and has tweaked it plenty over the years.
The first event was held in 1976 – Nicklaus won it in 1977 & ’84 — and Muirfield Village is a par 72 measuring around 7,540 yards. It was renovated a bit after last year’s event and now plays about 100 yards longer. Because this is an invitational, the field is a bit smaller but still the usual 36-hole cut. Rather interestingly, the tournament is offering COVID-19 vaccinations to on-site spectators.
The 2020 Memorial was held in July because of the pandemic and Spain’s Jon Rahm won it to become No. 1 in the world for the first time, although he didn’t hold that spot too long. He was the No. 1 amateur in the world for a record 60 weeks, too. Rahm led by eight shots at the turn on Sunday and it was down to three with three holes left.
On the par-3 16th, Rahm chipped in for birdie – eventually, that would result in a two-shot penalty (Rahm wasn’t made aware until after his round) because a replay of Rahm’s chip appeared to show the ball moved ever so slightly when he placed his lob wedge behind it.
It didn’t end up mattering as he finished at 9-under 279 and three shots ahead of Ryan Palmer. Rahm’s 3-over 75 on Sunday was the highest final round by a Memorial winner since Roger Maltbie shot 76 in the inaugural year in 1976. Only five players broke par, the fewest for a final round since the Memorial began.
Just for a point of reference, Patrick Cantlay finished at 19-under 269 when he won in 2019.
The Memorial Tournament Golf Odds
Spain’ Jon Rahm, ranked No. 2 in the world, is the +1000 favourite to repeat. The last repeat winner here was Tiger Woods in 2001 when he three-peated. Rahm’s only other trip to the Memorial ended in a missed cut. He comes off a T8 at the PGA Championship and didn’t play this past weekend in Texas.
Bryson DeChambeau, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy are each +1400. DeChambeau won this event in 2018 in a three-man playoff but hasn’t been better than T22 the past two years. Spieth was the 54-hole leader at the Charles Schwab Challenge over the weekend but shot a final-round 73 and finished second behind Jason Kokrak (not playing this week). Spieth’s best finish here was T3.
McIlroy won a few weeks ago in Charlotte, N.C., but struggled at the PGA Championship and didn’t play last week. His average finish in nine trips to the Memorial is 36.8. Patrick Cantlay, the 2019 winner, is +2200 this week.
No Canadians have won this tournament. Mike Weir was one of four runners-up in 2008, two shots behind Kenny Perry. Last year, Mackenzie Hughes was the top Canadian at T6, six behind Rahm. Corey Conners was T22, Adam Hadwin T54 and Nick Taylor missed the cut.
Conners is +3400 this week and finished T20 on Sunday in Texas. Hadwin is +14300 off a T8 on Sunday. Hughes is +22000 after missing the cut over the weekend. Taylor is +32000 and was T62 on Sunday.
The Memorial Tournament Golf Predictions
Take Spieth and Cantlay for Top 10s, but the winner at +3500 is Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick. He has four Top 10s on the PGA Tour since February, played pretty well two weeks ago at the PGA Championship and was T3 at the 2020 Memorial.