Memorial Tournament facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Memorial Tournament

Tournament information
Location	Dublin, Ohio
Established	1976
Course(s)	Muirfield Village Golf Club
Par	72
Length	7,392 yards (6,759 m)
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	US$20,000,000
Month played	June
Tournament record score
Aggregate	268 Tom Lehman (1994)
To par	−20 as above
Current champion
Scottie Scheffler

The Memorial Tournament is a famous PGA Tour golf competition. It was started in 1976 by the legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus. The tournament takes place at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. This golf course was also designed by Jack Nicklaus himself. It's a special event that brings together some of the best golfers in the world.

History of the Memorial Tournament

Jack Nicklaus grew up in the area around Columbus, Ohio. He opened the Muirfield Village golf course in May 1974. Just two years later, in 1976, it hosted the very first Memorial Tournament. The course was 7,072 yards long, which was quite long for golf courses back then.

Nicklaus had a dream to create a golf tournament like the Masters. He wanted it to be known all over the world. He also wanted it to honor the history of golf. A big part of the tournament is giving back to the community. It helps charities that support children and adults in Ohio. The main charity it helps is Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Each year, the tournament honors famous golfers from the past. A special plaque for each honored golfer is placed near the clubhouse. Jack Nicklaus himself was honored in the year 2000.

What Makes the Memorial Tournament Special?

The Memorial Tournament is one of only five "invitational" tournaments on the PGA Tour. This means it's a very exclusive event. Most regular tournaments have 156 players. But the Memorial Tournament has a much smaller group, with only 73 players in 2024.

The other four special tournaments are the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the RBC Heritage, the Charles Schwab Challenge, and the Genesis Invitational. Invitational tournaments have fewer players, usually between 69 and 132. They also have more freedom to choose which players can join. They don't have to follow the usual PGA Tour rules for picking players. Also, you can't just try to qualify for these events on a Monday before the tournament.

In 2014, the PGA Tour made the Memorial Tournament even more special. The winner now gets to play in the Tour for three extra years. This is one more year than most other regular tournaments. It's the same reward as winning a World Golf Championships event.

Who Gets to Play?

The Memorial Tournament invites about 120 players. They are chosen based on different achievements. For example, past winners of the Memorial Tournament are invited. Winners of major championships and other big tournaments also get a spot. Top players from the Official World Golf Ranking and the FedEx Cup points list are also invited. There are also special invitations given out by the tournament sponsors. This ensures that only the best and most deserving golfers get to compete.

Exciting Tournament Moments

The Memorial Tournament has seen many memorable moments over the years. Here are some highlights:

• 1976: Roger Maltbie won the very first Memorial Tournament. He beat Hale Irwin in a four-hole playoff. On one hole, his shot hit a post and bounced onto the green, helping him stay in the game!
• 1977: The tournament finished on a Monday because of bad weather. The host, Jack Nicklaus, won by two shots.
• 1984: Jack Nicklaus won the Memorial for the second time. He beat Andy Bean in a sudden-death playoff.
• 1993: Paul Azinger won by hitting a fantastic shot from a bunker on the final hole.
• 1994: Tom Lehman set a tournament record with a score of 268 (20 strokes under par). He won by five shots.
• 2000: Tiger Woods became the first golfer to win the Memorial two years in a row.
• 2001: Woods won again, making it three wins in a row! He finished seven shots ahead of his rivals.
• 2012: Woods made an amazing comeback. He birdied three of the last four holes, including a chip-in on the 16th. This win was his 73rd PGA Tour victory, tying Jack Nicklaus's record.
• 2014: Hideki Matsuyama won in a playoff. He was the first Japanese player to win on the PGA Tour since 2008.
• 2020: Jon Rahm won the tournament. This victory helped him become the world's number one golfer for the first time.
• 2021: The defending champion, Jon Rahm, had a big lead. But he had to leave the tournament because he tested positive for COVID-19.
• 2024: Scottie Scheffler won the Memorial. He became the first golfer since 1980 to have five PGA Tour wins before the U.S. Open in a single season.

Muirfield Village Golf Club Layout

The Muirfield Village Golf Club is a challenging course. Here's a look at its layout:

Source:

Past Winners and Honored Golfers

The table below shows the winners of the Memorial Tournament each year. It also lists the golfers who were honored that year for their contributions to the sport.

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Winner's share ($)	Honoree(s)
2024	Scottie Scheffler	280	−8	1 stroke	Collin Morikawa	4,000,000	Juli Inkster Tom Weiskopf
2023	Viktor Hovland	281	−7	Playoff	Denny McCarthy	3,600,000	Larry Nelson
2022	Billy Horschel	275	−13	4 strokes	Aaron Wise	2,160,000	Charlie Sifford
2021	Patrick Cantlay (2)	275	−13	Playoff	Collin Morikawa	1,674,000	Nick Price Gene Littler Ted Ray
2020	Jon Rahm	279	−9	3 strokes	Ryan Palmer	1,674,000
2019	Patrick Cantlay	269	−19	2 strokes	Adam Scott	1,638,000	Judy Rankin
2018	Bryson DeChambeau	273	−15	Playoff	An Byeong-hun Kyle Stanley	1,602,000	Hale Irwin Jock Hutchison Willie Turnesa
2017	Jason Dufner	275	−13	3 strokes	Rickie Fowler Anirban Lahiri	1,566,000	Greg Norman Tony Lema Ken Venturi Harvie Ward
2016	William McGirt	273	−15	Playoff	Jon Curran	1,530,000	Johnny Miller Leo Diegel Horton Smith
2015	David Lingmerth	273	−15	Playoff	Justin Rose	1,116,000	Nick Faldo Dorothy Campbell Jerome Travers Walter Travis
2014	Hideki Matsuyama	275	−13	Playoff	Kevin Na	1,116,000	Annika Sörenstam Jim Barnes Joe Carr Willie Park Sr.
2013	Matt Kuchar	276	−12	2 strokes	Kevin Chappell	1,116,000	Raymond Floyd
2012	Tiger Woods (5)	279	−9	2 strokes	Andrés Romero Rory Sabbatini	1,116,000	Tom Watson
2011	Steve Stricker	272	−16	1 stroke	Brandt Jobe Matt Kuchar	1,116,000	Nancy Lopez
2010	Justin Rose	270	−18	3 strokes	Rickie Fowler	1,080,000	Seve Ballesteros
2009	Tiger Woods (4)	276	−12	1 stroke	Jim Furyk	1,080,000	JoAnne Carner Jack Burke Jr.
2008	Kenny Perry (3)	280	−8	2 strokes	Mathew Goggin Jerry Kelly Justin Rose Mike Weir	1,080,000	Tony Jacklin Ralph Guldahl Charles B. Macdonald Craig Wood
2007	K. J. Choi	271	−17	1 stroke	Ryan Moore	1,080,000	Louise Suggs Dow Finsterwald
2006	Carl Pettersson	276	−12	2 strokes	Zach Johnson Brett Wetterich	1,035,000	Michael Bonallack Charles Coe Lawson Little Henry Picard Paul Runyan Denny Shute
2005	Bart Bryant	272	−16	1 stroke	Fred Couples	990,000	Betsy Rawls Cary Middlecoff
2004	Ernie Els	270	−18	4 strokes	Fred Couples	945,000	Lee Trevino Joyce Wethered
2003	Kenny Perry (2)	275	−13	2 strokes	Lee Janzen	900,000	Julius Boros William C. Campbell
2002	Jim Furyk	274	−14	2 strokes	John Cook David Peoples	810,000	Kathy Whitworth Bobby Locke
2001	Tiger Woods (3)	271	−17	7 strokes	Paul Azinger Sergio García	738,000	Payne Stewart
2000	Tiger Woods (2)	269	−19	5 strokes	Ernie Els Justin Leonard	558,000	Jack Nicklaus
1999	Tiger Woods	273	−15	2 strokes	Vijay Singh	459,000	Ben Hogan
1998	Fred Couples	271	−17	4 strokes	Andrew Magee	396,000	Peter Thomson
1997	Vijay Singh	202	−14	2 strokes	Jim Furyk Greg Norman	342,000	Gary Player
1996	Tom Watson (2)	274	−14	2 strokes	David Duval	324,000	Billy Casper
1995	Greg Norman (2)	269	−19	4 strokes	Mark Calcavecchia David Duval Steve Elkington	306,000	Willie Anderson John Ball James Braid Harold Hilton John Henry Taylor
1994	Tom Lehman	268	−20	5 strokes	Greg Norman	270,000	Mickey Wright
1993	Paul Azinger	274	−14	1 stroke	Corey Pavin	252,000	Arnold Palmer
1992	David Edwards	273	−15	Playoff	Rick Fehr	234,000	Joseph Dey
1991	Kenny Perry	273	−15	Playoff	Hale Irwin	216,000	Babe Zaharias
1990	Greg Norman	216	E	1 stroke	Payne Stewart	180,000	Jimmy Demaret
1989	Bob Tway	277	−11	2 strokes	Fuzzy Zoeller	160,000	Henry Cotton
1988	Curtis Strange	274	−14	2 strokes	David Frost Hale Irwin	160,000	Patty Berg
1987	Don Pooley	272	−16	3 strokes	Curt Byrum	140,000	Old Tom Morris Young Tom Morris
1986	Hal Sutton	271	−17	4 strokes	Don Pooley	100,000	Roberto De Vicenzo
1985	Hale Irwin (2)	281	−7	1 stroke	Lanny Wadkins	100,000	Chick Evans
1984	Jack Nicklaus (2)	280	−8	Playoff	Andy Bean	90,000	Sam Snead
1983	Hale Irwin	281	−7	1 stroke	Ben Crenshaw David Graham	72,000	Tommy Armour
1982	Raymond Floyd	281	−7	2 strokes	Peter Jacobsen Wayne Levi Roger Maltbie Gil Morgan	63,000	Glenna Collett-Vare
1981	Keith Fergus	284	−4	1 stroke	Jack Renner	63,000	Harry Vardon
1980	David Graham	280	−8	1 stroke	Tom Watson	54,000	Byron Nelson
1979	Tom Watson	285	−3	3 strokes	Miller Barber	54,000	Gene Sarazen
1978	Jim Simons	284	−4	1 stroke	Billy Kratzert	50,000	Francis Ouimet
1977	Jack Nicklaus	281	−7	2 strokes	Hubert Green	45,000	Walter Hagen
1976	Roger Maltbie	288	E	Playoff	Hale Irwin	40,000	Bobby Jones

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Source:

Golfers with Multiple Wins

Seven golfers have won the Memorial Tournament more than once up to 2024:

• 5 wins: Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, 2001, 2009, 2012)
• 3 wins: Kenny Perry (1991, 2003, 2008)
• 2 wins: Jack Nicklaus (1977, 1984), Hale Irwin (1983, 1985), Greg Norman (1990, 1995), Tom Watson: (1979, 1996), Patrick Cantlay (2019, 2021)

Images for kids

See also

In Spanish: Memorial Tournament para niños