Scottie Scheffler – The Reigning King
Scottie Scheffler returns to Muirfield Village as the defending champion and top favorite. With a recent PGA Championship win and a T4 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge, Scheffler is red-hot. He leads the PGA Tour in key metrics like Proximity from the Rough and Scrambling, and has only been beaten by four players in three previous Memorial appearances. His course mastery makes him the man to beat.
Xander Schauffele – Riding a Wave of Consistency
Schauffele enters the Memorial with momentum, stacking top-10 finishes in his last ten starts, including a T11 at the Truist Championship and T18 at RBC Heritage. A T8 finish at Muirfield Village last year shows his comfort on the course. With his current form, Schauffele has a real shot at stealing the spotlight.
Patrick Cantlay – The Proven Performer
Cantlay has already conquered the Memorial before, lifting the trophy in 2021. Despite a missed cut in 2024, his T3 finish in 2022 and a recent T4 at the Truist Championship signal a strong return. Three top-fives in his last ten events make him one of the most consistent threats in the field.
Tommy Fleetwood – The Quiet Contender
With Rory McIlroy out, Tommy Fleetwood’s stock rises. He’s in fantastic form, finishing T4 in back-to-back events (Charles Schwab and Truist) and T7 at RBC Heritage. Ranked 13th in the FedEx Cup standings and top-10 in strokes gained stats, Fleetwood could finally claim a signature win in the U.S.
Hideki Matsuyama – The Veteran with Course History
Matsuyama’s first PGA Tour win came at Muirfield Village in 2014, and he’s been solid here ever since, with four top-10 finishes. Though his recent form is mixed, his experience and a 2025 Sentry win make him a real dark horse. He finished eighth here last year and knows how to win on this demanding course.
As the \$20 million battle unfolds, all eyes will be on these five. Will Scheffler go back-to-back, or will a new name emerge from the pack? Let the showdown begin.