The Memorial Tournament 2021 – Round 1 Matchups and Predictions

The Memorial Tournament in 2021 is back for the 46th year but the redesigned Muirfield Village course will present a completely different prospect for the players.

The greens have been rebuilt, the bunkers modified and the fairways narrowed in a bit to make the course better, this process was spearheaded by the legendary Jack Nicklaus.

Anyway, we cover three pairings and pick a winner at even money for each of the pairings.

Rory McIlroy v Bryson DeChambeau

After McIlroy’s win at the Wells Fargo Championship and backing that up with a solid performance at the PGA Championship on a very tough course, it seems that every part of the Irishman’s game is working except for his putter. He gets to grip with the greens, he could make a major impact on the tournament never mind this matchup.

Viktor Hovland v Jordan Spieth

Spieth has picked up eight top 10 finishes in 11 starts. The Muirfield Village has gone through a major redesign with Bentgrass very prominent across the course, this is good news for Spieth because he has traditionally been efficient on Bentgrass greens.

Colin Morikawa v Hideki Matsuyama 

Morikawa’s accuracy in his approach shots will be crucial as the designed Muirfield Village rewards accuracy and this is a feature of the young man’s game. He already has his first major and should pip The Masters 2021 champion, Matsuyama.