Tag: The Memorial Tournament

PGA Tour pros hate new tee and changes to 16th hole at Memorial

“It was a crap hole before and it’s a crap hole now.”

Jason Day called the par-3 16th at Muirfield Village Golf Club “a stupid hole.” Jordan Spieth called it “not a great hole in pretty much everyone’s opinion that’s playing today,” and one caddie when asked about the changes that course architect Jack Nicklaus signed off on to the hole noted, “it was a crap hole before and it’s a crap hole now.”

Shots fired!

It’s important to point out that Muirfield Village, which Nicklaus built with help from Desmond Muirhead in the early 1970s, is widely regarded as one of if not Nicklaus’s finest layout of more than 400+ courses he’s designed worldwide and one of the most beloved courses on the PGA Tour. Still, it’s not too often that Tour pros publicly pan a design change, especially at Jack’s Place, where the tournament host has won more majors than any player that ever has teed it up. But such is the case this week at the Memorial after Nicklaus added a new tee box this year that stretched the hole to 220 yards.

“I don’t like the 16th length. It’s just not really a hole that should be playing at 220,” Day said.

The par-3, which requires a player to carry a lake to a green that even Nicklaus himself described this week as the size of “a postage stamp,” always has played tough: it was the sixth-hardest hole in 2022, and in tournament history it has played to an average of 3.16, the third most difficult hole. On Friday, with the back tee box in use and measuring 211 yards, it played to 3.347, the toughest hole at Muirfield Village, relinquishing just eight birdies while the field struggled to 38 bogeys, four doubles and one dreaded “other.”

“After we redesigned the hole prior to the 2013 Presidents Cup, it just didn’t play like I wanted or what the Memorial field liked,” Nicklaus said in describing the hole in this year’s Memorial tournament program. “The green wouldn’t hold shots, especially on the back left. It turned out that the left side pitched away from you, and that should not have been the case. So, we took eight inches from the middle of the green and added eight inches to the left. Now, although golfers are using the same club as before, the green runs toward them and not away from them, and thus holds shots better.”

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During his pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday, Nicklaus elaborated on the new tee box – he also added another 20 yards to the 17th hole – and looked forward to its use.

“It’s probably downhill maybe 14, 15 feet. So it doesn’t play as long as the yardage says, but it’s a rather imposing shot to sit back on a tee and look down there and say, that little postage stamp is where I’m going to try to hit it from here?” Nicklaus said. “To me, today it’s a driver, but not for them. They will probably have to go all the way back from an 8-iron to a 7-iron. But anyway, it’s pretty good.”

2023 Memorial Tournament
Jordan Spieth plays his shot from the fairway on the 13th hole during the first round of the Memorial Tournament golf tournament at the Muirfield Village Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Not if you ask Spieth.

“Well, 16’s just not a great hole in pretty much everyone’s opinion that’s playing today,” Spieth said on Thursday when the field made just five birdies all day at 16. “So you’re just trying to get a ball, get a putter in your hand for 2. It’s 203 yards adjusted into the wind with a firm green that runs away from you on both sides and has one shelf that you can land it into.”

“It’s just a small target,” Jon Rahm said. “That’s it.”

Even former Tour pro turned NBC/Golf Channel analyst Smylie Kaufman tweeted a dig at the much-maligned hole saying, “Besides the 16th for the most part the golf course rewards great shots and penalizes bad or just off shots.”

When two-time Memorial champion Patrick Cantlay, who shot 67 on Friday despite a subpar putting performance, was asked to name his best shot of the day, he chose his tee shot at 16, even though he ended up having to chip and scramble for a par.

“Believe it or not, I hit a really nice 6-iron on 16 that landed pin high and bounced over the green. But that might have been my best swing,” he said.

How did that look in the air?

“It looked great,” Cantlay said.

Did you think you were going to have to work that hard for a 3?

“No,” Cantlay said.

And that’s the rub: good shots aren’t necessarily being rewarded.

Could it be that Nicklaus will hear the bellyaching and head back to the drawing board yet again? We’ll have to wait and see.

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Jack Nicklaus on a Memorial without LIV Golf’s Brooks Koepka, Cam Smith: ‘I don’t even consider those guys part of the game anymore’

Jack’s Place traditionally attracts a star-studded field but being elevated to a designated event hasn’t hurt.

DUBLIN, Ohio – Jack Nicklaus called the field at this week’s Memorial Tournament “probably as good a field as we’ve ever had.”

“They’re all here,” he said on Tuesday in a press conference ahead of the tournament he hosts at Muirfield Village Golf Club, the club he built and that has played host to an annual PGA Tour stop since 1976.

Jack’s Place traditionally attracts a star-studded field regardless of status but being elevated to a designated event with a $20 million purse hasn’t hurt the 120-man field. Indeed, seven of the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking and 38 of the top 50 are in the field as well as 25 of the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings and 22 of the 27 players that have won on Tour this season.

He added, “For all intents and purposes all the top players in the world are here.”

But those impressive figures don’t include two of the four reigning major champions — British Open winner Cameron Smith and PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka — and regular participants such as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and 2018 winner Bryson DeChambeau.

Nicklaus said he sent a congratulatory note to Koepka after he won the PGA two weeks ago at Oak Hill, where he won the Wanamaker Trophy in 1980. Nicklaus has tried his best to stay out of the confrontation between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, but he has an opinion on most every subject and never has been too shy to tell anyone what he really thinks.

“There were certain players that it was probably the right thing for,” Nicklaus said of joining LIV. “It probably spurred the PGA Tour, I don’t think there’s any question about that, either, to move it to greater heights. But it wasn’t for me, it wasn’t for what my legacy was. Obviously, I pretty much started what the Tour is out here.”

2023 Memorial Tournament
Golfers wait to tee off during a practice round for the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. (Photo: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch)

Asked if he was disappointed not to have the reigning major winners in the field this week, he said, “I don’t even consider those guys part of the game anymore. I don’t mean that in a nasty way. This is a PGA Tour event and we have the best field we can possibly have for a PGA Tour event for those who are eligible to be here. The other guys made a choice of what they did and where they’ve gone and we don’t even talk about it.”

Nicklaus added that six or seven LIV players are members of the Bears Club, the private club he built in South Florida, and that all of the players have had their membership renewed and remain active at the club.

“It’s just where they chose to play golf,” Nicklaus said. “I wish them all well.”

Asked if he would permit LIV players to return to compete in the Memorial in future years, he said, “It’s not up to me.” He continued: “I don’t know if I’d let them back or not. They made a choice about what they want to do and that’s what the rules are.”

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Nicklaus played in an era where professional golf for most of the players was a subsistence living. He still remembers earning $33.33 for his first check at the 1962 Los Angeles Open for finishing 50th.

“The first year I played you made the cut — 70 players made the cut, but they only paid 50. And I made money in every tournament I played in my first year. And I had a lot of ’em that I just made the cut,” he recalled. “I shot 64 in the last round in Pensacola to make last money. I think I shot 65 last round in Palm Springs to make maybe last money or close to it. You know, in those days to pick up $250, which is what we were making when we would just make the cut, you know, you wanted that $250. That took care of another week or two of playing golf.”

Was there ever a point where he looked at the money the pros are making today and thought it was staggering?

“I look at it every day, are you kidding me?” he said. “It is staggering.”

But for Nicklaus, winning was the ultimate prize.

“I was all about how good I could be in a sport and money just took care of itself,” he explained. “Some guys, they might not even care about playing golf, they’re just good at it. It’s a means to an end for them. If that’s what it is, that’s fine. Guys who have stayed for the most part are guys that play the game of golf for the game of golf and for the sport of it and the competition. To me, that’s what the thing is all about. Are they getting rewarded for that? Absolutely, they are, I think that’s great. We never made any money playing golf. What’s my lifetime earnings on the regular tour, $5 million?”

Nicklaus guessed his retirement fund from the PGA Tour was $237,000 and that Tiger Woods’s would be $100 million.

“We had to play golf to make a name to go make a living. If I had been playing today would I be doing golf course design, would I be doing other things?” Nicklaus mused. “These guys are really making a fantastic living and setting up their families for a lifetime by really playing the game well.”

Dressed for Success: Billy Horschel at 2022 Memorial Tournament

Check out Billy Horschel’s apparel worn during his win at the 2022 Memorial Tournament.

Billy Horschel remained calm and collected while removing any drama from the final round of the 2022 Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village.

Horschel began Sunday with a five shot lead and coasted through the final few holes en route to his seventh PGA Tour victory.

Known for being one of the most stylish players on Tour, Horschel has been a Ralph Lauren Golf ambassador since 2011.

We’ve already taken a deep dive inside Horschel’s Winner’s Bag but now we get to open up the champion’s closet and see how Billy Horschel dressed for success.

More Dressed for Success: Sam Burns | Jordan Spieth | Jon Rahm

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2022 Memorial Tournament prize money payouts for each PGA Tour player at Jack Nicklaus’ Muirfield Village

Horschel earned his seventh PGA Tour win and first of the year at the Memorial.

It pays to play well on the PGA Tour, folks. Just ask this week’s winner, Billy Horschel.

The 35-year-old Floridian claimed his seventh PGA Tour win and first of the year at the 2022 Memorial Tournament at Jack Nicklaus’ Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, with a four-shot win over Aaron Wise. Horschel made just four bogeys over his four rounds, with three coming in the final round and one in the first round.

Horschel will take home $2.16 million for his efforts, with Wise earning a cool $1.3 million. Check out how much money each PGA Tour player earned this week at the 2022 Memorial Tournament.

More: PGA Tour all-time money list

Position Player Score Earnings
1 Billy Horschel -13 $2,160,000
2 Aaron Wise -9 $1,308,000
T3 Patrick Cantlay -7 $708,000
T3 Joaquin Niemann -7 $708,000
T5 Daniel Berger -6 $411,600
T5 Max Homa -6 $411,600
T5 Denny McCarthy -6 $411,600
T5 Sahith Theegala -6 $411,600
T5 Will Zalatoris -6 $411,600
T10 Sung-jae Im -4 $303,000
T10 Jon Rahm -4 $303,000
T10 Brendan Steele -4 $303,000
T13 Corey Conners -3 $221,400
T13 Si Woo Kim -3 $221,400
T13 Mito Pereira -3 $221,400
T13 Davis Riley -3 $221,400
T13 Cameron Smith -3 $221,400
T18 Adam Hadwin -2 $142,800
T18 Brian Harman -2 $142,800
T18 Garrick Higgo -2 $142,800
T18 Charles Howell III -2 $142,800
T18 Rory McIlroy -2 $142,800
T18 Keith Mitchell -2 $142,800
T18 Xander Schauffele -2 $142,800
T18 Jordan Spieth -2 $142,800
T26 Luke List -1 $89,400
T26 Francesco Molinari -1 $89,400
T26 Pat Perez -1 $89,400
T26 Aaron Rai -1 $89,400
T26 Adam Schenk -1 $89,400
31 Jason Day E $78,600
T32 Abraham Ancer 1 $68,520
T32 Joel Dahmen 1 $68,520
T32 Emiliano Grillo 1 $68,520
T32 Beau Hossler 1 $68,520
T32 Shane Lowry 1 $68,520
T37 Keegan Bradley 2 $51,000
T37 Wyndham Clark 2 $51,000
T37 Mackenzie Hughes 2 $51,000
T37 Martin Laird 2 $51,000
T37 David Lipsky 2 $51,000
T37 Matthew NeSmith 2 $51,000
T37 J.T. Poston 2 $51,000
T37 Jhonattan Vegas 2 $51,000
T45 Matt Kuchar 3 $37,800
T45 Sepp Straka 3 $37,800
T45 Adam Svensson 3 $37,800
T48 Lucas Herbert 4 $32,040
T48 Cameron Tringale 4 $32,040
T48 David Lingmerth 4 $32,040
T51 Lanto Griffin 5 $29,760
T51 Viktor Hovland 5 $29,760
T53 Cameron Davis 6 $27,994
T53 Chris Kirk 6 $27,994
T53 K.H. Lee 6 $27,994
T53 Troy Merritt 6 $27,994
T53 C.T. Pan 6 $27,994
T53 Patrick Reed 6 $27,994
T53 Camilo Villegas 6 $27,994
T60 Doug Ghim 7 $26,640
T60 Lucas Glover 7 $26,640
T60 Brandt Snedeker 7 $26,640
T60 Cameron Young 7 $26,640
T64 Rickie Fowler 8 $25,800
T64 Carlos Ortiz 8 $25,800
T64 Kramer Hickok 8 $25,800
T67 Chan Kim 11 $25,200
T67 Adam Scott 11 $25,200
69 Brandon Wu 12 $24,840
70 Ryan Moore 15 $24,600

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In first action in 55 days, Bryson DeChambeau in positive mood despite a 76 in Memorial

“The fact that I was able to enjoy golf again even though I played terrible.”

DUBLIN, Ohio – Bryson DeChambeau’s first shot on the PGA Tour in 55 days was exactly what he wanted to see.

“I hit it down the fairway, I was like, all right, cool,” he said of his opening drive on the first hole in Thursday’s first round of The Memorial at Muirfield Village Golf Club. “Still have my game somewhat.”

His spirits remained high through the first 11 holes and he was 1 under heading to the water-protected par-3 12th. But he hit his tee shot into the water, then followed with three bogeys in his final five holes to turn in a 4-over 76, which put him nine shots out of the lead.

But for the most part, DeChambeau’s return to the PGA Tour for the first time since he missed the cut in the Masters was a positive sign as he moves on from wrist surgery earlier this year.

“The fact that I was able to enjoy golf again even though I played terrible,” DeChambeau said when asked what he was happiest about. “I know I have a lot of stuff to work on. Just being able to go out there, start to enjoy what this game has given me. It’s great seeing the fans out there, supporting me, pushing me on, even when I’m not doing great. Gives me some comfort that it’s fun again.

Memorial: Friday tee times | PGA Tour streaming on ESPN+

“From a golf perspective, no, I hated every minute of it. But from an emotional standpoint, it was nice to finally be back again in a competitive environment, putting well. Felt like I was putting really good. Wedging was not great. It was all over the place. But I haven’t practiced in a while. I’ve got to go work on that and talk to (coach) Chris Como and we’ll go figure it out.”

The eight-time PGA Tour winner and 2020 U.S. Open champion said this week is a stepping stone into his future.

“It’s a great test run to keep going, because really my eyes are set on the U.S. Open. That’s where I want to be full horse, all horses moving in the right direction. I’m just not there yet with everything,” he said. “But it just didn’t feel like the old me of 2018 like I used to, and so there’s a lot of work I have to do to get back to top form and climb that mountain again. I’m excited to do so.

“I’ve been working so hard to try and understand why the golf swing breaks down. It’s not as repeatable. And my time off, I haven’t been able to hit golf balls. It’s very difficult. You’re in your head the whole time. You have this thought process, and you go out there and it’s OK, but it doesn’t pan out the way you want to.

“So really having a positive attitude even though things aren’t going great out there is important for me. Now, I’ve learned that that’s what really matters for me. I enjoy the journey again. I’ve taken enough time off to where I’m comfortable going after it again; whereas before it was tough because it’s like, man, I was grinding so hard and I wasn’t figuring stuff out. It can just beat you down.

“But I was excited to get out there and play golf again and compete.”

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Hideki Matsuyama’s disqualification from The Memorial Tournament, explained

What a strange morning for the 2021 Masters champion

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Are you confused as to why Hideki Matsuyama was DQ’d from The Memorial Tournament this week? We’re here to help.

The Memorial Tournament tends to be one of the more fun stops along the PGA Tour each year. The mid-season outing at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio not only gives the Tour a chance to honor Jack Nicklaus—who founded the tournament and designed the course—but it often leads to some pretty intense competition as far as non-major events go.

It ended up being a memorable stop for 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama for far different reasons this year.

The 30-year-old from Japan found himself disqualified before he even reached the back nine and it was all over something he likely he didn’t do himself.

Officially, Matsuyama (+3000 to win The Memorial at Tipico Sportsbook) violated rule 4.1a as one club had a marking on it with a substance that was applied just a bit too thick and could impact the flight of the ball. Those markings were reportedly applied by someone working with Matsuyama.  That wouldn’t have been a problem as long as Hideki didn’t actually use the club, but Tour officials didn’t get the message to him in time.

The look of confusion on Matsuyama’s face is just tough to see. Especially after how he battled during the front nine—that includes one of luckiest bounces we’ll see all weekend.

Matsuyama was just barely saved from landing back-to-back shots into the water after his ball rolled onto a narrow bridge instead of falling back into the hazard. He made the turn at three-over par only to be informed he could no longer continue.

It sure seems like there should be a better way to let a golfer know he might be using a prohibited club, but that won’t help Matsuyama at this point.

This is the same tournament Jon Rahm was forced to withdraw from after taking a six-stroke lead through three rounds last year due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Rahm came back to win the U.S. Open in his next tournament after getting cleared to play so maybe there’s some good karma awaiting Matsuyama later this month.

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With 11 consecutive 1-putts, Will Zalatoris puts himself into position at Memorial to knock on victory’s door again

New town, different tournament, same story.

DUBLIN, Ohio – New town, different tournament, same story.

That has become the story for Will Zalatoris, who once again put himself into contention to win his first PGA Tour title Thursday in the opening round of The Memorial at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Zalatoris, who is the highest-ranked player in the world (No. 14) who does not have a Tour title, lost in a three-hole, aggregate score playoff two weeks ago to Justin Thomas in the PGA Championship and lost in a playoff earlier this year to Luke List at the Farmers insurance Open.

Not one to sulk – he missed the cut last week in the Charles Schwab Challenge – Zalatoris picked himself up and made eight birdies on Jack Nicklaus’ gem that had been softened by overnight rain and shot 4-under 68.

He’s one shot behind the clubhouse lead.

“Crazy. Making eight birdies around this place obviously is really nice,” Zalatoris said. “I was just saying earlier before I came out here, Monday, Tuesday, if you said I was going to shoot 68 in the first round, I thought it would be four birdies, no bogeys. I’m shocked at how this place has softened up, with the weather we’ve had, because Monday and Tuesday were probably one of the firmer practice rounds I think I’ve had in my short stint out here.

Memorial: Thursday tee times | PGA Tour streaming on ESPN+ | Columbus Dispatch live blog

“I guess it feels like Augusta. When you get out there Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, it’s crazy firm. All of a sudden greens keep the same pace, but they soften up a little bit.”

Atop the leaderboard is the foursome of List, Cameron Young, K.H. Lee and Cameron Smith. Young, who has five top-3 finishes this season, also is looking for his first PGA Tour title. List and K.H. Lee won their first Tour titles earlier this year. Smith won the 2022 Players Championship.

“If I can hit the driver well, I’m going to put myself in a lot of places where not only do I have a chance to make birdie but it’s hard to make a bogey,” said Young, who was ranked in the 500s a year ago before winning consecutive tournament on the Korn Ferry Tour and staring so well on the PGA Tour. He’s now ranked 30th.

“I think we knew what was possible, but I think I’ve also gotten a lot better throughout this season. I think I’m continuing to figure out how to play professional golf better,” Young added. “I think I’m learning what I can and can’t do. And having done well, I think, makes it a lot easier. If I was really fighting to keep my card for next year, I think it gets a lot harder. To have been around the lead and then finish high a few times, I think, just that comfort level has gone up and I’ve been able to keep going, doing what I’ve been doing.”

After watching Thomas hoist the Wanamaker Trophy, Zalatoris told the assembled media he knew he was going to win a Tour title and it was just a matter of time.

Well, that time could be this week, especially if he continues to putt like he did in the first round. After starting on the 10th with a bogey, Zalatoris had 11 consecutive 1-putt greens, a stretch that included seven birdies.

He had 24 putts.

“I made some nice par saves to keep the momentum going and had a couple of bonuses in there with a couple of 20-footers,” he said. “Pretty pleased where my game is at but need to drive a little better the next few days.”

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Eli, Peyton Manning unveil pro-am strategy at Memorial: ‘Trying not to hit a patron’

On the bag for Peyton was former Ohio State and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez.

With the Ohio State band playing in the gallery, Eli Manning finished his round of the pro-am with a putt for par on No. 18 and a fist pump to the crowd that gathered largely for a glimpse of the former NFL quarterback — or, if they were lucky, a hello and an autograph.

Manning chuckled when asked if he’d ever finished a round of golf with a band alongside.

“I haven’t, but I like it,” Manning said. “I think I need to get a traveling band to come with me every time I play golf. It helps me make some downhill sliders.”

Memorial Tournament: Who will win the 2022 Memorial Tournament? The experts don’t agree

Columbus weather forecast: Here’s the weather forecast for the 2022 Memorial Tournament

Though all three Manning brothers took part on Wednesday — Eli, Peyton and Cooper — there was no competition among the brothers — at least, nothing that Eli wanted to share publicly.

“We were just having fun, trying not to hit a patron,” he said. “… It’s just fun. Fun to be here and get to hang with them last night. We don’t get to see each other all that often.”

And though Eli has played Muirfield Village before, and had a solid round Wednesday that included a birdie on No. 2, don’t mistake that with him having the course figured out.

“It’s hard, I’ve got that figured out,” Manning said. “It’s a lot of fun. Obviously, it’s a great course. The pros have been awesome, getting to play with them.”

Former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning hands back a marker after signing the jerseys of Amelia, 6, and Reid Zupanc, 15, of Delaware, during the Workday Golden Bear Pro-Am at the Memorial Tournament held at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio on June 1, 2022. Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch

Peyton Manning has played in the Pro-Am multiple times, but the course isn’t necessarily easier each time he plays it.

“I feel like they’re changing it based on how I’m hitting it at the Pro-Am every year,” he said. “Jack doesn’t let up.”

On the bag for Peyton was former Ohio State and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver — and former U.S. Congressman — Anthony Gonzalez. The two played together for the Colts from 2007-2011.

There were times coming down the fairway during his round that Peyton would be so busy giving his autograph to any kid who wanted it that he asked Gonzalez if it was his turn to hit or not.

“Once I found out I was playing, he was my first call to come over and spend the day,” Manning said. “We talked about some old times. He’s a great friend and really proud of all he’s done.”

Eli Manning played alongside two-time Memorial champion Patrick Cantlay and pro Alex Norén. Peyton Manning was paired with pros Xander Shauffele and Hudson Swafford.

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Moved by the Lord and encouraged by a healthier wrist, Bryson DeChambeau will make return to PGA Tour at The Memorial

The change in attitude came recently as he realized he can’t put “all of my marbles into one basket, which is golf.”

DUBLIN, Ohio – Bryson DeChambeau is a go.

Finally.

And he thinks he can contend in this week’s Memorial at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

The 2020 U.S. Open champion and 2018 Memorial winner has not played since the Masters in April, where he shot his worst career tournament score at Augusta National – an 80 – in the second round to miss the cut. He withdrew from the PGA Championship two weeks ago and from the Charles Schwab Challenge last week due to swelling in his left hand following wrist surgery on the fracture hook of the hamate.

“It’s been a long time coming,” DeChambeau told the Golf Channel on Tuesday. “Look, do I know I can finish out the week? Yeah. Do I know that I can contend? Yes. Do I know that I can finally enjoy golf again? Yes.

“That’s a big step for me and my health and my mental state.”

DeChambeau, the winner of eight PGA Tour titles, has fallen to No. 24 in the world. But he thinks the time away from the game will prove beneficial.

“Things have changed a lot for me,” he said. “I’ve learned so much about me as a person and my faith and whatnot through golf having been stripped away from me. It’s been a difficult time for me the past seven months not being able to play golf the way I really want to. It still is a little tough every once in a while in the hand to hit golf balls, but for the most part I can’t tell you how excited I am to be back out here. I’m very excited.”

The change in attitude came recently as he realized he can’t put “all of my marbles into one basket, which is golf.”

“There’s more to life than golf,” he said. “It’s been definitely eye-opening for me to have a close relationship with the Lord and just more importantly being happy with myself, too, and more importantly getting closer to him. For me that’s something that’s changed in my life that I’m very, very happy with, and I’m going to continue to fight, continue to be my absolute best out here on the golf course and hopefully inspire some kids along the way and do my due diligence like He wants me to.”

DeChambeau said he will take next week off and hopes to play in the U.S. Open the following week.

“I’m glad I have next week off because I’m going to need that to really recover that hand and get it into a place where I feel like I can start playing golf week in and week out,” he said. “But right now I’m able to have 190 ball speed consistently without really any pain and I’ve got control of the golf ball, I’m not forcing anything. I’m excited about that. I’m very, very happy.”

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Does the spirit of a Native American chief wreak havoc on The Memorial? Even Jack Nicklaus wonders

There’s no confirmation that the chief ever teed up a feathery, the former head of the Wyandot tribe has had Nicklaus’ number.

DUBLIN, Ohio – Jack Nicklaus is the greatest major champion the game of golf has ever known.

Throughout his stellar career, he got the best of the game’s best and all others to win golf’s four most important tournaments a record 18 times and finished runner-up 19 times. In all, he won 73 PGA Tour titles. As Tom Weiskopf said years ago, “Jack knew he was going to beat you. You knew Jack was going to beat you. And Jack knew that you knew that he was going to beat you.”

Obviously, a few players got the better of Nicklaus from time to time in the majors and many other tournaments. Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros were among those who hoisted major championship hardware with Nicklaus looking on.

But there’s one man who has caused Nicklaus more fits than anyone for 50 years.

Chief Leatherlips.

While there’s no confirmation that the chief ever teed up a feathery, the former head of the Wyandot tribe has had Nicklaus’ number more times than not despite being executed in 1810 by members of his own tribe for being too friendly with settlers and refusing to take up arms against them. The execution was ordered by Chief Leatherlips’ brother, Roundhead.

While Nicklaus obviously never met Chief Leatherlips, he became associated with him a little over 160 years later when he broke ground on his sweeping Muirfield Village Golf Club, home to The Memorial.

Local lore holds that the tournament’s host built part of his club an ancient Native American burial ground that includes the final resting place of Chief Leatherlips, who is buried on the spot where he was executed by tomahawk.

Thus, while no evidence supports this contention, locals believe the chief curses the tournament every year.

Rain, wind, fog, hail, snow and even a horde of cicadas have played through the event since the maiden voyage in 1976. The joke in these parts is when the dates for the Memorial roll around, animals start lining up two by two.

The crowd waits because of a rain delay during The 1997 Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Course in Dublin, Ohio.

Nicklaus smiles when asked about the spirit of Chief Leatherlips cursing his event.

“It just makes for a good story,” Nicklaus said. “And a fun one.”

Nicklaus felt Leatherlips’ wrath early on when he won his first of two Memorials in 1977. The victory came on a Monday because thunderstorms and threats of lightning halted Sunday’s final round.

It was the first of 30 of the 46 editions of the Memorial to be affected by bad weather. In those 30 storm-ravaged years, nearly 50 of the rounds were delayed.

And there have been extremes. In 1979, a wind chill of 13 degrees whipped through Muirfield Village. In 1989, Nicklaus moved the tournament to mid-May – and it snowed. The 1990 tournament was shortened to 54 holes with Greg Norman declared the winner. In 2001, Tiger Woods survived six suspensions of play to win the third of his five Memorials.

Jason Day moved to the area in 2010 and immediately became familiar with the tale of Chief Leatherlips.

“I don’t know the whole story,” Day said. “And recently the weather has been all right, right? And we’re supposed to get decent weather this week, right?”

Jason Day of Australia watches his tee shot on the 15th hole second round of The Memorial Tournament Presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 1, 2018 in Dublin, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

No, and, well, yes.

In recent years, since 2016 to be precise, eight rounds were delayed by heavy rain showers, fog and lightning. As for this year, the current forecast calls for 80 and 60 percent chances of storms on Wednesday and Thursday and blue skies thereafter.

Fingers crossed.

As for the worst of the weather Day has seen, he instantly goes back to the 2013 Presidents Cup at Muirfield Village. Played the first week of October, each of the four days of competition was altered because of rain, rain and more rain. It had been more than 20 years that Dublin received 2 inches of rain over four consecutive days the first week of October, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

“We got nearly the entire month of rain in four days,” Day said.

Somehow, the tournament ended on Sunday. By the way, the Memorial that year saw its second round delayed.

Billy Horschel has played The Memorial eight times and calls it one of his favorites despite five of those years being disrupted from above.

“For as good as everything is at Jack’s place, the way the players and family are treated and taken care of, the milkshakes which are the best on Tour, course conditions, practice facilities, the history,” Horschel said before pausing. Then he smiled and joked, “The weather is one thing Jack has never gotten right.”

While players pack a few extra layers of rain gear when heading to Dublin, Luke Donald has learned to just go with what happens and head to the clubhouse.

“Bad weather?” Luke Donald said. “Just an excuse to drink more milkshakes.”

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