The PGA sets its sights on Muirfield Village, as the Memorial is set to tee off this Thursday. This Jack Nicklaus course is one of the staples of the PGA Tour season, and with it comes a ton of top-end players. Coming off a week where Emiliano Grillo finally won outright, there are plenty of options to keep the momentum going. Let’s dive into a few outrights worth considering based on the 2023 Memorial odds.
The Memorial 2023 Odds & Bets: Collin Morikawa Is Close
2023 Memorial Outright Bet: Collin Morikawa (22-1, FanDuel)
The big names are in the field, which is always a blessing and a curse when looking at outrights. Naturally guys like Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler are serious threats to win, rendering everyone else a losing ticket at any time. However, if they do not win, the benefit in the numbers cannot be overstated. A perfect example is getting Collin Morikawa at 22-1 despite the win drought he is going through.
Morikawa has a runner-up at this event in 2021, where he was on fire tee to green and synced that with a hot putter. The previous year he finished 48th and struck it nearly as well — except for the slight issue of losing over eight strokes putting. That shows what bettors have to endure with Morikawa’s short game, as he putts himself out of plenty of tournaments.
Coming into Memorial, it has been more of the same for Morikawa, with elite iron play surrounded by average-at-best everything else. Last week he finished 29th due mostly to negative strokes putting once again. Bentgrass is not a bad surface, and he has shown in a small sample he at times can get hot on these greens. Anytime Morikawa’s irons are secure — which they are right now — he has to be considered, and he is a hot putting week away from breaking this slump.
2023 Memorial Outright Bet: Rickie Fowler (45-1, FanDuel)
The never-ending saga with Rickie Fowler continues. Muirfield Village is a track that suits his game, and he has a decade-plus of experience competing at this event. Fowler may never regain the form he once had, but it is clear he still has what it takes to win on the PGA Tour.
A lot of people thought the PGA Championship could be a spot for Fowler to break through, but unfortunately he missed the cut on the number. That was short-lived, though, as Fowler played last week and finished sixth at Charles Schwab, flipping both the irons and putter from the previous week. Looking at Fowler’s 2023 season, it is clear the iron play is what is making the difference, with positive strokes gained on approach in every event outside of the PGA Championship. At a course where he has been so close many times over the years, it is a fine spot to consider Fowler at 45-1, especially if his putter and irons continue to work together.
2023 Memorial Outright Longshot: Christian Bezuidenhout (170-1, FanDuel)
A field like Memorial does not provide a ton of room for longshot winners, but there are a few names worth checking out. Christian Bezuidenhout at 170-1 allows for allocating a small amount for a potentially massive payout if he somehow catches lightning in a bottle. Bezuidenhout is not a premier player on tour, but he has plenty of experience and comes in playing quality golf.
Putting and iron play have to be the formula for Bezuidenhout to have any potential success. Last time out at Charles Schwab, he finished 21st thanks to strokes gained with the irons and the putter. It is now six straight events where he has gained strokes, and that is a recipe for success at any track. Add in that Bezuidenhout has gained strokes putting in both his appearances at this course, and there is at least a path to him succeeding. He is more likely a reasonable top-20 ticket, but a lottery play on the 170-1 number is doable given the positive signs in Bezuidenhout’s recent form.
