2024 Memorial Tournament scores: Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa edge near lead in Round 1
The third major championship of the season could be next week at No. 2 Pinehurst, but this week’s Memorial Tournament produced a major-caliber bracket. Adam Hadwin leads after the first round thanks to a stellar 6-under 66, but right behind him are some big names hoping to dethrone the Canadian over the next three days.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler played Thursday on his way to a 5-under 67. A birdie on the final hole pushed him past his playing partner, Ludvig Åberg, who needed more than a shot. American one stroke for an opening 68. Joining Åberg at 4 under is the most recent major champion, Xander Schauffele, as the 2024 PGA Championship winner showed few signs of a hangover in first match since the victory at Valhalla.
Collin Morikawa arrived late with the same score as Åberg and Schauffele despite playing in more difficult afternoon conditions and letting a few chances slip away. Players like Viktor Hovland, Tommy Fleetwood, Tony Finau, Max Homa, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas all found themselves in red figures and within shouting distance, with expectations of a tougher Muirfield Village to come. for the remainder of the tournament.
“I was surprised with how sturdy it was when we first got here on Tuesday,” Scheffler said. “I think yesterday’s rain has really calmed it down. As long as it lasts the rest of the week with the winds that we’re expecting then the golf course is going to be really, really good.” It’s challenging. There are a lot of small areas where you have to put the ball, and when the turf hardens and the wind starts blowing, hitting the ball on some small parts of the turf can be extremely difficult.”
Less rain and fiercer winds are forecast for the rest of the week in Dublin, Ohio, meaning Hadwin will most likely be close to the winning score after just 18 holes of play. With seven points enough to secure a playoff spot a season ago, the players are sure to be busy not only with each other but also with the golf course itself from here on out.
Leader
1. Adam Hadwin (-6)
Hadwin had a tee-to-green day that we’re used to seeing from someone like Scheffler. The Canadian racked up nearly seven shots on the field with his long game, with +5.52 of those shots coming from his iron play. While Hadwin hit 14 of the 18 greens in regulation, he hit half of those approach shots within 10 feet. Whether he can maintain this is another question, but it’s still a nice start for the smooth-swinging right-hander.
“It’s only Thursday, there’s a lot of golf left,” Hadwin said. “Like I said, I played a really solid round of golf today. I was off the tee, I hit a lot of greens, I looked good, and then pretty much everything happened.” on the back 9. I hit Close a couple of wedges. I took advantage of Muirfield Village which was probably a little softer with the overnight rain and we had three more rounds to go, and I was once out. hey tore it apart before, so I know how fast it can be. Let’s keep up the good work I did today.”
Other candidates
2. Scottie Scheffler (-5)
T3. Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Åberg, Corey Conners (-4)
T7. Viktor Hovland, Tommy Fleetwood, Akshay Bhatia, Seamus Power (-3)
While Scheffler, as usual, ranked third in strokes gained from tee to green, fifth in strokes gained off the tee and second in strokes gained on approach, Schauffele struggled through the long match. Leading the way in strokes gained and just average everywhere else, the PGA Championship winner will need to improve if he wants to retain his place on this leaderboard.
“Then I’ll go to the range, after we’re done talking and hit the middle of the clubface a little bit more, find some more fairways and some more greens,” Schauffele said. “I’m happy. I’m happy with the way I played, with the way I hung in there and really happy that my short game saved me on a day that could have been a lot worse.”
The man who is perhaps most curious is Morikawa as he has continued this upward trajectory with his game since the Masters. Defeating five consecutive top-20 players in individual events – including a pair of top players in major championships – the 27-year-old is once again on a roll. His short game is sharp – as it has always been – and his iron game is starting to resemble the iron game that carried Morikawa to a few major titles.
Struggling stars
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows for the top names in the sport. Some of them will have to give them work if they plan to stay here for the weekend. With the field narrowed to the top 50 and those within 10 strokes of the lead after Round 2, several notable stars are at risk of making the short trip to Ohio:
- Jordan Spieth: +2
- Will Zalatoris: +2
- Patrick Cantlay: +3
- Cameron Young: +4
- Rickie Fowler: +4
- Brian Harman: +4
- Wyndham Clark: +5
Odds and picks updated at the 2024 Memorial Tournament
- Scottie Scheffler: 7/4
- Collin Morikawa: 7-1
- Xander Schauffele: 7-1
- Ludvig Åberg: 7-1
- Viktor Hovland: 10-1
- Rory McIlroy: 12-1
- Tommy Fleetwood: 20-1
Choose your fighter. I liked Morikawa going into the week, and he did nothing on Thursday to change my opinion. However, I understand some hesitation in starting at 7-1 with 54 holes to play. If you’re looking for some value names, Thomas at 40-1, Homa at 75-1 and Finau at 80-1 are all under 1 and showing some interest as they will experience easier playing conditions on Friday morning and could make a move.
