Articles by Jack Milko

Scottie Scheffler has been dominant with every facet of his game this season except for one.
Putting.
The flat stick has been ice cold for Scheffler all year, as he ranks 114th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting.
He also one-putts greens just 38.5% of the time, ranking 148th on tour.
His putting woes reared their ugly head at the Memorial Tournament, where Scheffler posted a 2-over par 74 in his opening round.
Consequently, after he finished on Thursday, Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard spotted Scheffler testing two putters on the practice green.
Clearly, Scheffler lacks confidence with his putter. The fact he is trying out two different putters in the middle of a tournament speaks volumes to where he is on the greens.
He made four bogeys and only two birdies, as a three-putt led to a bogey at the par-3 4th hole. He also failed to make a couple of makable par putts at the 16th and 8th holes, leading to two other bogies.
Scheffler made just 42 feet of putts throughout all 18 holes as his putter completely abandoned him.
He also lost 3.2 strokes to field with his putter, which currently ranks 80th among those in the Memorial field.

DUBLIN, Ohio — Scottie Scheffler lines up a putt on the second green during the first round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 01, 2023.

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Nevertheless, this is not the first time Scheffler has made equipment changes to his putter this season.
Back at the beginning of the year, Scheffler asked his Scotty Cameron representatives to bend his putter two degrees flatter than his previous one, per Golf.com.
The move worked temporarily, as Scheffler won the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in February and then The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in March.
Yet, the putter continues to plague him, who will need to fix his putting woes before the U.S. Open. […]

Scottie Scheffler has had a terrific season: he has a pair of victories, two top-10 finishes in majors, and now is the number-one ranked player in the world.
His first win came in the desert, where he won the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale.
The Phoenix Open marked the PGA Tour’s first designated event of the season, tournaments that feature $20 million purses and high-caliber fields.
In addition to these eight designated events, the PGA Tour lists the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the Players Championship, and the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play as elevated events with massive purses.
In these tournaments, Scheffler is 95-under par, according to NUCLR Golf Stats. He has dominated the designated/elevated events so far this season.

Best score to par in designated/elevated events so far in 2023:Scottie Scheffler, -95Jon Rahm, -74Patrick Cantlay, -70Viktor Hovland, -54Xander Schauffele, -53Scheffler has been dominate pic.twitter.com/j8xG71gzDl— NUCLR GOLF STATS (@NUCLRGOLFSTATS) June 1, 2023

Scheffler and Jon Rahm, who won the 2023 Masters Tournament, have rotated in and out of the number one ranking in 2023.
Yet, Scheffler is the undisputed number one player in the designated/elevated events. Rahm is 21 strokes behind Scottie thus far this season.
The former Texas Longhorn ranks first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: off the tee, strokes gained: tee-to-green, total strokes gained, and greens-in-regulation percentage.
The one flaw in Scheffler’s game is his putting, as he ranks 114th on tour in strokes gained putting.
Despite that, his short game is terrific overall. He ranks 6th in scrambling percentage, getting up-and-down 66.3% of the time.

DUBLIN, Ohio — Scottie Scheffler hits from the first fairway during the first round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 01, 2023.

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Nonetheless, Scheffler got off to a poor start at the Memorial, shooting a 2-over par 74 in round one, the first time this season he opened a tournament with a round over par.
A three-putt led to one bogey on the par-3 4th hole, while troubles with his wedges led to three other bogeys at the 16th, 2nd, and 8th.
But knowing how Scheffler has played this season, he will put this opening round behind him. […]

Phil Mickelson, one of the faces of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Tour, continues to trash the Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee.
Since the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, where LIV golfer Brooks Koepka won the Wanamaker Trophy, these two men have exchanged insults via Twitter.
This back-and-forth ultimately led Chamblee to block Mickelson on the social media platform, but that did not stop Lefty from continuing to slam the long-time Golf Channel analyst.
Then, Lisa Cornwell, a former Golf Channel journalist, released a memoir in late May titled “Troublemaker,” which details the misogynistic culture she experienced while at the network.
Within her book, she discusses the toxic environment she faced and how she tried to challenge it, thus earning the label of a “troublemaker.”
Cornwell even dedicated an entire chapter to Chamblee, who, according to her, helped foster this toxic workplace.
On top of that, Tucker Booth, who co-wrote Cornwell’s memoir, calls Chamblee a “nasty bully” for his behavior and demeanor on The Golf Podcast:

“You have to hold people accountable,” Cornwell said on The Golf Podcast. “That’s what I am trying to do with this book.”
These are stark acquisitions, yet Booth verified this information with numerous individuals aware of the situation, and everything “checks out.”
Consequently, Mickelson caught wind of this and added fuel to the fire:

“Brandel Chamblee is nasty,a bully,and worse.” Unfortunately, I can’t take credit for this quote. His obsession with LIV (and me) borders on the psychotic, at least I never had to work with him. Wow https://t.co/ii22BshiAR— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 1, 2023

Mickelson loved what Cornwell and Booth had to say about Chamblee.
Since becoming associated with LIV, Mickelson has continuously picked fights with Golf Channel pundits, and others, due to their close association with the PGA Tour.
But these arguments reached new heights following Koepka’s victory at Oak Hill.
Golfers, analysts, and journalists have all discussed the legitimacy of LIV, and whether or not LIV golfers can participate in the Ryder Cup.
Chamblee, a LIV Golf dissident, even got testy with Brad Faxon when discussing this topic on the Golf Channel’s Live From the PGA Championship set.
He will likely get even more agitated upon learning this bit of information.
Or perhaps he will block out the noise and avoid it altogether—just as he did with Mickelson’s Twitter account. […]

Last August, the PGA Tour changed its schedule to counter the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour.
In doing so, commissioner Jay Monahan revealed that the 2022-23 schedule would include “designated events,” meaning $20 million purses and the top Tour players needing to play those tournaments.
Players could skip out on one event for whatever reason, but the PGA Tour would impose fines if they missed another.
Rory McIlroy suffered this fate when he withdrew from the RBC Heritage, a designated event for 2023. This marked his second missed designated event of the season, so the tour fined him $3 million for skipping out on Harbour Town, which hosts this tournament every year. This South Carolina tournament usually occurs the week after The Masters.
So along with the RBC Heritage, the following tournaments achieved designated status in 2023:

Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale
Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club
Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge
WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play
Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club
The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club
Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands

I believe three of these tournaments should remain designated every year while the other five rotate in and out.
The Genesis Invitational, hosted by Tiger Woods; the Arnold Palmer Invitational, hosted by Palmer and his family; and the Memorial Tournament, hosted by Jack Nicklaus, should all remain elevated permanently.
Make these three tournaments stalwarts on the schedule, just as Tiger, Arnie, and Jack are stalwarts of the game and comprise the triumvirate of golf.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods (left to right) during Friday play at the Masters on April 11, 1996.

Getty Images

Palmer and Nicklaus made considerable strides to establish what the PGA Tour is today in the late 1960s, while Woods brought the game to extraordinary heights in the late 1990’s and early-21st century.
Woods continues to impact the game significantly, as he led a players-only meeting last August to shape the future direction of the PGA Tour.
These three men also have 40 major victories among them.
Thus, Monahan and the PGA Tour should honor Nicklaus, Palmer, and Woods by elevating their tournaments annually.
Riviera Country Club, which hosts Woods’ tournament in February, is one of the best courses in the country. It has an iconic layout, sits in America’s second-largest city, and the Southern California weather is never an issue.
Since it takes place in mid-February, the Genesis Invitational can serve as the marquee event of the PGA Tour’s annual west coast swing for years to come.
Two weeks following the Genesis Invitational, Bay Hill Club and Lodge would host the second permanently fixtured event. The Arnold Palmer Invitational would become the staple of the PGA Tour’s Florida swing in early March. Like Riviera, Bay Hill is another terrific layout that continually produces great championships and would welcome the world’s best each year to honor the late King.
It also helps that dozens of tour players reside in Florida; some of whom live in Orlando, where Bay Hill is located.
Moreover, these two tournaments help golfers and fans prepare for the sport’s pinnacle: the Masters Tournament in early April.
Later in the spring, as the calendar flips from May to June, the golfing world descends upon central Ohio, where the Golden Bear hosts the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, the course he built.
Woods won the Memorial a record five times, as many other notables have had the good fortune of shaking Nicklaus’ hand as the winner.

DUBLIN, Ohio — Jack Nicklaus congratulates Jon Rahm on the 18th green after Rahm won during the final round of The Memorial Tournament on July 19, 2020 at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

With the PGA Championship taking place in mid-May, and the U.S. Open in mid-June, the Memorial is the perfect tournament sandwiched between the two majors.
Muirfield Village poses a daunting challenge every year with its picturesque holes, gnarly rough, and undulating greens. It has even hosted a Ryder Cup (1987) and a Presidents Cup (2013), something Riviera and Bay Hill cannot claim.
Of course, the television networks play a big role in this too. CBS and NBC would love to draw in as many viewers as possible.
Designated tour events will never draw as much as a major, but if these three tournaments become further cemented as big events on the schedule, they will continue to get more recognition as time goes on.
More recognition leads to more eyeballs, generating more revenue for all involved. And these huge-pursed events need to make money, or they will collapse from within.
Nonetheless, the formula to succeed with the tour’s new schedule exists.
These three tournaments need to be elevated permanently, and they are easy to decipher since they are associated with Arnie, Jack, and Tiger.
So when watching the Memorial this weekend, with the best players on the PGA Tour playing at Muirfield Village, consider this: the world’s best should play at Jack’s place every year.
It all makes too much sense. […]

Michelle Wie West and Rose Zhang, two of the biggest names in women’s golf, made LPGA Tour history this week by signing a sponsorship deal with Delta Airlines, the largest air passenger carrier in the world.
It is the first time Delta has sponsored LPGA golfers on a national level, according to GolfWeek’s Beth Ann Nichols.
Terms of the deal were not made public, but Delta is committed to furthering its support in women’s athletics, per Tuesday’s release.
“Our brand partners are an extension of Delta’s core values, and the addition of these world-class athletes bring Delta’s presence within golf to the next level,” said Emmakate Young, the Managing Director of Brand Marketing and Sponsorships for Delta Airlines. “These partnerships allow us to keep climbing toward our mutual goals of driving engagement, equity and involvement with women’s sports.”
Wie West, who won the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst, is one of the more recognizable faces in women’s golf in the 21st century.

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — Michelle Wie West plays her tee shot on the second hole during the second round of the 77th U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club on June 03, 2022.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

She was a teenage phenom. In 2005, she signed a massive deal with Nike as a 16-year-old, which drew some to compare her to Tiger Woods at the time.
Now 33 years old, Wie West has won five times on the LPGA Tour and has finished in the top-5 at major championships four times.
“As a Delta Million Miler and long-time traveler, Delta has been by my airline of choice throughout my LPGA career,” said Wie West. “Partnering with them is an exciting next step as I approach a new phase in my career and life. I look forward to joining Delta in the skies and on the course as we take women’s golf to new heights.”
Meanwhile, Zhang just finished her collegiate career at Stanford, where she again won the NCAA Individual Title. She became the first female golfer to win back-to-back individual championships. Zhang also won 12 other tournaments in college.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Rose Zhang of the Stanford Cardinal poses with the trophy after winning the NCAA women’s Golf Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club on May 22, 2023.

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

“She’s the absolute GOAT,” Stanford coach Anne Walker said, per Golf Digest. “She is the best amateur of all time.”
Zhang has received tons of hype, similar to what Wie West experienced in the mid-2000s. The comparison between these two star golfers has never been more evident than with this sponsorship deal with Delta.
“Starting my professional journey with Delta is invaluable as we work together to elevate women’s golf and continue the climb in my career,” Zhang said. “Delta and I both share the desire to be the best in our game, and I am proud to have them on my team as we take flight together on this next chapter.” […]

This week, the PGA Tour lands in central Ohio to play at the Memorial Tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
The SB Nation team at Playing Through has made their picks:
Kendall Capps, Editor
I’m going with Hideki Matsuyama, who won the 2014 Memorial Tournament in a playoff over Kevin Na. He typically plays well at Muirfield Village, finishing in 5th, 6th, and 13th over his last seven starts.
Plus, Matsuyama has quietly turned in good performances over the past month. At the AT&T Byron Nelson, he gained 5.1 strokes on the field on approach. Then at the PGA Championship, Matsuyama gained 4.1 strokes on the field on approach, as he has always been a solid iron player. He displayed his terrific iron game at Oak Hill, ranking 8th in the field in strokes gained tee-to-green, per the Action Network. Add that he took last week off, and Matsuyama will shake the Golden Bear’s hand again as the winner come Sunday evening.

DUBLIN, Ohio — Hideki Matsuyama of Japan celebrates and pumps his fist after holing out for birdie on the 18th hole during the third round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 1, 2019.

Photo by Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR

Luke Robitaille, Producer
Despite not winning a tournament in 2023, I’m taking Xander Schauffele to win the Memorial. Going into the PGA Championship in Rochester, Schauffele had four straight top-10’s, but Oak Hill was a course that did not play well to his game. Nonetheless, he’s ranked 1st in approach from 150-175 yards and 10th in greens in regulation. If he can stay out of trouble off the tee, he has a great chance to be there on Sunday down the stretch.
Schauffele leads the tour in consecutive cuts made at 25, so you can be sure we will see him this weekend. Like Matsuyama, Schauffele took off last week, so his game should be sharp. He likes playing Muirfield Village too, as he has finished no worse than 18th over his last four starts at the Memorial. This week, he gets the job done, winning his first tournament since the Scottish Open last July.

DUBLIN, Ohio — Xander Schauffele plays his shot from the second tee during the second round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 03, 2022.

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Savannah Richardson, Writer
My pick is Sahith Theegala, who has a game that fits Muirfield Village Golf Club. Last year, he tied for 5th at the Memorial. Before that, in his only other start at Jack’s place, Theegala tied for 18th in 2021.
With that said, his recent play has been subpar—he has not recorded a top-20 finish since the RBC Heritage, where he tied for 5th. The week before that, at the Masters, he finished 9th. But since then, he has placed 23rd, 56th, and 40th. He has made the cut at these events, but something tells me he will put it together this week and record his first PGA Tour victory at one of the more established venues in the game.
He makes tons of birdies, putts well, and can hit a wide variety of shot types. Theegala will be accepting the trophy from Nicklaus on Sunday.

DUBLIN, Ohio — Sahith Theegala looks over a putt on the seventh green during the second round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 03, 2022.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Jack Milko, Writer
Viktor Hovland has been knocking on the door all season, but this week, he finally busts through to win the Memorial. The 25-year-old Norwegian tied for 2nd at the PGA Championship as the bunker lip to the right of the 16th fairway sealed his fate. A month earlier, at the Masters, he tied for 7th. In March, he tied for 3rd at the Players. He has consistently performed well this season, as he has not missed a cut.
Hovland does not have a weak point in his game. He drives the ball beautifully, ranking 4th on tour in total driving. He is one of the best ball-strikers in the world, and the stats show that: he ranks 11th in strokes gained approaching the green and 6th in proximity to the hole.
When Hovland first arrived on tour, questions about his short game lingered. His game around the greens was inconsistent at best, but it has vastly improved over the past couple of years. The work he has put into his short game will finally pay off this week, as Hovland will win his biggest tournament to date.

DUBLIN, Ohio — Viktor Hovland of Norway plays his shot from the fifth tee during the second round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 03, 2022.

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images […]

For more than a year now, Rory McIlroy has continually expressed his dismay with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour.
Surprisingly, McIlroy did not delve much into this subject before the PGA Championship.
But since Brooks Koepka won at Oak Hill, the first LIV golfer to win a major, the entire golfing world has debated whether or not players on the LIV Tour should participate in the Ryder Cup.
Scottie Scheffler weighed in on this discussion.
Jon Rahm did, too, as both of these players agree that LIV players have the right to participate in the bi-annual competition should they qualify or if selected as a captain’s pick.
McIlroy, however, disagrees. He dove back into this debate at the Memorial:
“I have different feelings about the European team and sort of how that has all transpired,” McIlroy noted. “I don’t think any of those guys should be a part of the European team.”
Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Paul Casey, and Bernd Wiesberger represented the European side at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin for the 2021 Ryder Cup.
These five players now tee it up for the LIV Tour, and McIlroy feels that none of them should play for Team Europe.

AUCHTERARDER, Scotland — (L-R) Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter of Europe celebrate winning the Ryder Cup after the Singles Matches of the 2014 Ryder Cup on the PGA Centenary course at the Gleneagles Hotel on September 28, 2014.

Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Garcia, the 2017 Masters Champion, has accumulated more Ryder Cup points than any player in history.
Poulter, the 47-year-old Englishman, played a massive role in the “Miracle at Medinah:” the 2012 Ryder Cup when the Europeans staged a historic rally to beat the Americans.
Meanwhile, no player has appeared on more winning teams than Westwood, who has helped Europe win seven Ryder Cups.
Nevertheless, McIlroy wants no part of these Ryder Cup stalwarts anymore.
Interestingly though, if a LIV golfer were to qualify based on merit, the four-time major winner feels they belong.
“I certainly think [Koepka] deserves to be on the United States team,” McIlroy said. “I don’t know if anyone else on the LIV roster would make the team on merit [based on] how they’re playing. But [Koepka] is definitely a guy that I think deserves to be on the U.S. team.”
Following his win at Oak Hill, and his second-place finish at The Masters, Koepka currently sits in second place in the U.S. Ryder Cup rankings. At this point, Koepka will likely represent the American side.
It stands to reason that Koepka’s presence on the American team will hurt the European’s chances. He is very clearly one of the best players in the world.
On the flip side, no European LIV golfer will have the merits to qualify on points alone. So if the aforementioned players do play, Captain Luke Donald will have to hand-pick them himself—if the PGA of America allows him to do so.
Indeed, things may get awkward for Team Europe if Donald does have the opportunity to select LIV Players. […]

TaylorMade showed off their creative abilities Tuesday, releasing a video of Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa playing “pool” on a putting green.
Similar to billiards, this version of pool has six pockets—four in each corner and two along the sides at the midway point.
But instead of a pool cue, these two major champions used their putters instead.
The rules follow below:
To determine the break, McIlroy and Morikawa stood on one side of the “pool table” and hit putts towards the other end. Whosever ball lands closest to the opposite rail goes on to break.
For the break, a yellow ball is used—similar to a queue ball in billiards.
The yellow ball is removed after the break, quickly turning this game into a strategic putting contest.
Each player has six balls: stripes or solids.
To win, the player must make one ball in each of the six pockets. Two balls cannot go in the same hole.
If a player makes a putt, they get to putt again. If they miss, then the opposing player is up. Whoever makes all six of their putts into each respective hole wins.
Morikawa likely felt embarrassed by his performance. He consistently missed putts most would expect a professional golfer to make. McIlroy would ultimate win the challenge.
[embedded content]
“Pretty fun!” McIlroy exclaimed following the match.
Perhaps the Northern Irishman should play this game more often, as his putter has plagued him over the past few years.
Last year, at the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews, McIlroy could not make a putt during Sunday’s final round as the world watched Cameron Smith race past him en route to winning the Claret Jug.
This year, the putter has continued to abandon him, as he ranks 144th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting.
Similar things can be said about Morikawa with the flat stick, as the Californian ranks 158th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting this season.
Perhaps TaylorMade should sell this game as a training device, which could help golfers everywhere improve their game on the greens.
At the very least, McIlroy and Morikawa should continue to play it—they could use the practice. […]

The 2023 Memorial Tournament presented by Workday will again occur at Muirfield Village Golf Club, located about 15 miles northwest of downtown Columbus, Ohio.
Last year, Billy Horschel won the tournament at 13-under par, finishing four strokes ahead of Aaron Wise.
But for the first time, the Memorial has earned “elevated” status on the PGA Tour, meaning the best players in the world will participate, including Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, and Xander Schauffele—the top five players in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Yet, Tiger Woods, who has won this tournament a record five times, will not be in attendance. He recently pulled out of the U.S. Open with a lingering injury.
How to Watch
Thursday, June 1
7 a.m. – 6 p.m. – ESPN+ (Streaming)
2 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Golf Channel (TV)
2 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Peacock (Streaming)
Friday, June 2
7 a.m. – 6 p.m. – ESPN+ (Streaming)
2 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Golf Channel (TV)
2 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Peacock (Streaming)
Saturday, June 3
7 a.m. – 6 p.m. – ESPN+ (Streaming)
12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Golf Channel (TV)
12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Peacock (Streaming)
2:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. – CBS (TV)
2:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Paramount+ (Streaming)
Sunday, June 4
7 a.m. – 6 p.m. – ESPN+ (Streaming)
12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Golf Channel (TV)
12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Peacock (Streaming)
2:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. – CBS (TV)
2:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Paramount+ (Streaming)
Featured Tee Times
Thursday, June 1 – First Round
* – Indicates Start on the 10th Hole
7:29 a.m.* – Keith Mitchell, Joseph Bramlett, Justin Suh
7:36 a.m. – Harris English, Garrick Higgo, Brendon Todd
7:41 a.m.* – Wyndham Clark, Kurt Kitayama, Tom Kim
7:48 a.m. – Matt Wallace, Seamus Power, Cam Davis
7:53 a.m.* – Emiliano Grillo, Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland
8:00 a.m. – Russell Henley, Lanto Griffin, Matt Kuchar
8:05 a.m.* – Jason Day, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa
8:12 a.m. – Kevin Kisner, Lucas Glover, Brian Harman
8:17 a.m.* – Sam Burns, Si Woo Kim, Rickie Fowler
8:24 a.m. – J.J. Spaun, Luke List, Stewart Cink
8:29 a.m.* – Adam Scott, Zach Johnson, Cameron Young
8:41 a.m.* – Nick Hardy, Sungjae Im, Shane Lowry
8:53 a.m.* – Aaron Rai, Akshay Bhatia, Sam Bennett
12:36 p.m.* – Mackenzie Hughes, Chad Ramey, Joel Dahmen
12:41 p.m. – Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel, Hideki Matsuyama
12:48 p.m.* – Nico Echavarria, Trey Mullinax, Francesco Molinari
12:53 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Tyrell Hatton
1:00 p.m.* – Chez Reavie, J.T. Poston, Sepp Straka
1:05 p.m. – Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas
1:12 p.m.* – Davis Riley, Lucas Herbert, Brandt Snedeker
1:17 p.m. – Adam Svensson, K.H. Lee, Gary Woodland
1:24 p.m.* – Chris Kirk, Tom Hoge, Scott Stallings
1:29 p.m. – Corey Conners, Keegan Bradley, Sahith Theegala
1:36 p.m.* – Kevin Streelman, Adam Schenk, Sam Ryder
Friday, June 2 – Second Round
* – Indicates Start on the 10th Hole
7:36 a.m. – Mackenzie Hughes, Chad Ramey, Joel Dahmen
7:41 a.m.* – Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel, Hideki Matsuyama
7:48 a.m. – Nico Echavarria, Trey Mullinax, Francesco Molinari
7:53 a.m.* – Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Tyrell Hatton
8:00 a.m. – Chez Reavie, J.T. Poston, Sepp Straka
8:05 a.m.* – Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas
8:12 a.m. – Davis Riley, Lucas Herbert, Brandt Snedeker
8:17 am* – Adam Svensson, K.H. Lee, Gary Woodland
8:24 a.m. – Chris Kirk, Tom Hoge, Scott Stallings
8:29 a.m.* – Corey Conners, Keegan Bradley, Sahith Theegala
8:36 a.m. – Kevin Streelman, Adam Schenk, Sam Ryder
12:29 p.m. – Keith Mitchell, Joseph Bramlett, Justin Suh
12:36 p.m.* – Harris English, Garrick Higgo, Brendon Todd
12:41 p.m. – Wyndham Clark, Kurt Kitayama, Tom Kim
12:48 p.m.* – Matt Wallace, Seamus Power, Cam Davis
12:53 p.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland
1:00 p.m.* – Russell Henley, Lanto Griffin, Matt Kuchar
1:05 p.m. – Jason Day, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa
1:12 p.m.* – Kevin Kisner, Lucas Glover, Brian Harman
1:17 p.m. – Sam Burns, Si Woo Kim, Rickie Fowler
1:24 p.m.* – J.J. Spaun, Luke List, Stewart Cink
1:29 p.m. – Adam Scott, Zach Johnson, Cameron Young
1:41 p.m. – Nick Hardy, Sungjae Im, Shane Lowry
1:53 p.m. – Aaron Rai, Akshay Bhatia, Sam Bennett

This year’s Memorial Tournament has the chance to be one of the best ever. During his session with the media, Jack Nicklaus, the tournament’s host, noted that the course is “dry” and Columbus, Ohio has not received rain in more than a week.
Expect the world’s best to rise to the challenge and contend at Jack’s Place this weekend.
Moreover, the Memorial is a final tune-up for many of the world’s top players before the U.S. Open, scheduled for June 15-19 at Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course. […]

Jessica Korda, the 30-year-old LPGA tour player from Bradenton, Florida, announced on her social media pages that she needs to take an indefinite leave of absence due to lingering back troubles.
“The last year has been an extremely challenging time for me as I struggle with an injury in my back,” Korda wrote. “Following the advice of my doctor and the guidance of my physio, we’ve committed countless hours of treatment at home and on the road for me to try and get my body healthy and ready to compete each week. Unfortunately, we’ve reached a point where my pain is not improving, forcing me to have to withdraw out of several tournaments.”
Sadly, she’s not the only Korda dealing with a back injury. Her sister, Nelly, recently withdrew from the Mizuho Classic with a back problem of her own.
Jessica Korda, who ranks 32nd in the Rolex World Rankings, has not finished a four-day tournament since The Chevron Championship in mid-April.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Jessica Korda waits to hit her tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of The Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods on April 20, 2023.

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

She missed the cut at the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro at the end of April and most recently withdrew from the Cognizant Founders Cup on May 11.
Korda has earned $62,449 on the LPGA Tour this season, ranking 84th among eligible tour players.
Last year, Korda finished two strokes behind Jennifer Kupcho at the Chevron Championship, the first major of the year on the LPGA tour.
Ever since then, it has been, unfortunately, all downhill for Korda.
“As a competitor, it is upsetting me to have to do this time and time again,” she said on social media. “At the advice of my medical team, I have made the tough decision to stop playing until I can get my back fully healthy. At this point, we don’t have a firm timeline for my return, but I’m working with the best of the best and am focused on coming back as soon as possible.” […]