The PGA Tour makes its stop here in Columbus this week, and the lineup is now official. The Memorial Golf Tournament, to be held at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, will surely bring in the crowds with its share of big-name golfers.
Here are some obvious — and less obvious — players to watch.
Tiger Woods: Although Tiger has gotten off to a shaky start since his return to the tour, he is still a favorite to win the Memorial after taking first place last year (his fourth win at Muirfield). Woods is coming off a neck injury, but after committing, it seems his concern isn’t too high. Coming in ranked No. 1 in the world doesn’t hurt either.
Jason Day: The 22-year-old is coming off his first PGA Tour victory last week at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. The Australian is relatively new on the scene, so it should be interesting to see if lightning can strike twice for the up-and-coming young golfer.
Phil Mickelson: Mickelson had a lack-luster performance at the Colonial, missing the cut after the second round with a three over 73. A tournament victory there would have put him in the No. 1 spot ahead of Woods. Mickelson should be fired up and ready to go, but an absence from the Memorial for the past few years gives him a bit of a disadvantage against the competition.
Jim Furyk: For this veteran, the Memorial Tournament isn’t new. Furyk has fared well so far this year, winning two tournaments already on the PGA Tour, including the Verizon Heritage most recently. Furyk is No. 2 in the FedExCup standings. Although Furyk’s long game isn’t as strong as the other players on the short list of favorites, his solid short game and unflappable demeanor will be crucial if he hopes to contend.
Ernie Els: Like Furyk, Els has also taken two titles in his 11 tournaments so far this tour, and he also sits atop the FedExCup rankings at this point. His victories include the World Golf Championship held in California and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. After struggling for the past three seasons, Els has finally hit his stride with five top-10 finishes already this season. With ball-striking at a premium on this difficult Nicklaus-designed course, the long-hitting South African should be in contention come the back nine on Sunday.
