Given the challenging nature of the golf course, which mirrors U.S. Open conditions, it was perhaps expected to find two recent winners of that major championship leading the pack early at the 2026 Memorial Tournament. Wyndham Clark, in his initial appearance since securing his first victory of the current season, reached 5 under par during the opening round at Jack Nicklaus’ course, a performance equaled by J.J. Spaun, Tommy Fleetwood, and Ryan Gerard.
“This course demands so much from you,” Clark commented. “I believe I salvaged three situations by chipping clear and leaving myself a shot from approximately one hundred yards. That’s typical here. If your ball lands in the rough, advancing it is nearly impossible, so you must exercise patience, accept the situation, and aim to get the ball in the hole from a hundred yards. I managed that on a few occasions. Then, when you start striking the ball well and converting putts, it evolves into a respectable score.”
This particular round represents Clark’s debut in a signature event for the current season, considering the 2023 U.S. Open victor was not qualified until his triumph at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. In contrast, Fleetwood had a strong presence near the top of the leaderboards in these tournaments earlier in the season, though his performance has seen a minor decline over the past several weeks.
Nevertheless, the English golfer skillfully navigated the course on Thursday, despite reaching only seven greens in regulation (and maintaining a clean scorecard without any bogeys). Spaun extended his impressive play from the previous week’s Charles Schwab Challenge, where he was a contender, just like Gerard, who recorded five consecutive birdies during a stretch on his back nine and is aiming for his second PGA Tour victory, having played in the final group at Colonial on Sunday.
“I believe that on more challenging golf courses, you have a greater opportunity to distinguish yourself through ball striking, which I find fantastic,” stated Gerard. “Occasionally, they can become so excessively difficult that they approach an unreasonable level. We haven’t reached that point yet, but the course is playing tough, firm, and equitable; however, if these conditions persist, it could become exceptionally demanding by Saturday. It promises to be an enjoyable challenge, but our focus will be on keeping the ball in play.”
To the great satisfaction of the event’s organizer, Muirfield Village proved to be over a full stroke above par for the first round. Rory McIlroy appeared set to exceed that figure when his ball landed in the water on the third hole, resulting in a double bogey, but the reigning Masters champion managed to recover, concluding his round at 1 under par.
“My mindset is simply to comprehend that there are 69 holes remaining in this golf competition, with much ground still to cover and numerous potential outcomes,” McIlroy expressed. “Throughout my career, I’ve recorded many double bogeys, and I’ve done so in tournaments I eventually won. Therefore, with sufficient experience in these events, you learn to manage both the good and bad moments without becoming overly elated or excessively disheartened.”
The two-time reigning champion, Scottie Scheffler, completed his front nine at 2 under during the afternoon session, but then played his back nine at 3 over, finishing with a score of 73. The top-ranked player globally struggled with his long game, hitting only seven greens in regulation and splashing his shot into the water on the par-3 16th, which led to a double bogey and a brief exchange with his caddie, Ted Scott.
Tournament Leaders
T1. Wyndham Clark, J.J. Spaun, Tommy Fleetwood, Ryan Gerard (-5)
Despite Clark recently securing a tournament victory with a score of 30 under par, he is among this leading group of four who appear to thrive on more challenging golf courses. Clark, Spaun, and Gerard each finished within the top six for strokes gained on approach shots, with Gerard also excelling in putting; his confidence with the putter seems to be growing.
Unsurprisingly, Fleetwood demonstrated superior performance in strokes gained around the green, successfully executing up-and-downs on all 11 occasions. Although every player showcased excellence in their particular strengths, it appears that mental fortitude will ultimately determine the winner by the conclusion of the week.
“I believe I maintained strong mental focus today,” Spaun remarked. “My game has been feeling quite good for some time now, so I’d say when I relinquished some strokes on holes 11 and 12, I might have allowed that round to slip away. However, I managed to persevere.”
Close Challengers
5. Nick Taylor (-4)
T6. Justin Rose, Sam Burns (-3)
T8. Ryan Fox, J.T. Poston, Shane Lowry, Tony Finau, Patrick Cantlay (-2)
Even though greens were challenging to reach, Rose encountered no difficulties. The ex-world No. 1 successfully landed on 15 greens in regulation and hit 10 out of 14 fairways during his round. This follows a surprising change in his equipment at the Cadillac Championship, which caused some perplexity. After less-than-stellar performances at Doral and Quail Hollow Club, Rose has significantly improved his iron game. This revitalization with his scoring clubs resulted in a top-10 placement at the PGA Championship and could potentially earn him his second victory at Muirfield Village and his second win of the year.
An Uncharacteristic Low Point During a High-Achieving Season
Alex Smalley, known for his fluid swing, has recently achieved a new echelon in his career, with three of his past five tournaments concluding in a top-three finish. Regrettably for Smalley, this impressive streak might be interrupted following his opening round at the Memorial, an 11-over 83. This score represented not only the poorest of his entire (!) professional career but also the third-lowest performance by any PGA Tour participant this season, when assessed by strokes gained. Smalley recorded four sixes and five fives on his scorecard, compared to only two threes, and failed to make a single birdie.
Revised Betting Prospects and Selections for the 2026 Memorial Tournament
Betting figures provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
- Tommy Fleetwood: 6-1
- J.J. Spaun: 8-1
- Scottie Scheffler: 17/2
- Wyndham Clark: 11-1
- Rory McIlroy: 12-1
- Ryan Gerard: 14-1
- Ludvig Åberg: 16-1
- Patrick Cantlay: 17-1
- Justin Rose: 19-1
- Sam Burns: 19-1
- Nick Taylor: 21-1
Two golfers I favored at the start of the week continue to appeal to me following the first 18 holes: Rose at 19-1 and Xander Schauffele at 25-1 after his even-par opening round. Rose’s swing appeared as graceful as it has been throughout the entire season, despite missing some opportunities on the greens. Concurrently, Schauffele performed resiliently even without his peak form and currently trails the leaders by only five strokes.
