The Memorial Tournament (branded as the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday for sponsorship reasons, and also referred to as simply the Memorial) is a PGA Tour golf tournament founded in 1976 by Jack Nicklaus and originally played on Memorial Day weekend. It is played on a Nicklaus-designed course at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb north of Columbus. The golf course passes through a large neighborhood called Muirfield Village, which includes a 1999 bronze sculpture of Nicklaus mentoring a young golfer located in the wide median of Muirfield Drive.
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History
The greater Columbus area is where Jack Nicklaus spent most of his early life. The golf course he designed at Muirfield Village, north of Columbus, was opened in May 1974, and two years later it hosted the first Memorial Tournament. The par-72 course was 7,072 yards (6,467 m), a considerable length for the mid-1970s.
At the Masters Tournament in 1966, Nicklaus had spoken of his desire to create a tournament that, like The Masters, had a global interest, and was inspired by the history and traditions of the game of golf. He also wanted the tournament to give back in the form of charitable contributions to organizations benefiting needy adults and children throughout Columbus and Ohio. The primary charitable beneficiary of the tournament is Nationwide Children's Hospital.
One of the features of the tournament is a yearly induction ceremony honoring past golfers. A plaque for each honoree is installed near the clubhouse at Muirfield; Nicklaus himself was the 2000 honoree, and his wife Barbara was honored in 2025.
Invitational status
The Memorial Tournament is one of only five tournaments given "invitational" status by the PGA Tour, and consequently it has a reduced field of only 73 players in 2024 (as opposed to most full-field open tournaments with a field of 156 players). The other four tournaments with invitational status are the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the RBC Heritage, Charles Schwab Challenge, and the Genesis Invitational. Invitational tournaments have smaller fields (between 69 and 132 players), and have more freedom than full-field open tournaments in determining which players are eligible to participate in their event, as invitational tournaments are not required to fill their fields using the PGA Tour Priority Ranking System. Furthermore, unlike full-field open tournaments, invitational tournaments do not offer open qualifying (aka Monday qualifying).
In June 2014, the PGA Tour approved a resolution to grant the winner a three-year exemption, one more than other regular Tour events and on par with winners of the World Golf Championships, The Tour Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Field
For the 2026 season, eligible PGA Tour members who can participate in this 72-player event include:
Top 50 players from the previous year's FedExCup Playoffs & Eligibility Points List through the Playoffs
Top 10 available players from the current year's FedExCup Playoffs and Eligibility Points List through the Charles Schwab Challenge
Top 5 available players who accumulate the most FedExCup points in the "swing" of full-field events prior to this event
Tournament winners in the current season
PGA Tour members in the Top 30 of the Official World Golf Ranking as of the Monday before the tournament
4 sponsor exemptions restricted to PGA Tour members
The Division 1 College Player of the Year from 2025 (the Jack Nicklaus Award)
One exemption for exceptional lifetime achievement of 80+ career wins
Remaining positions filled by players below the top 10 available players from the current year's FedExCup Playoffs & Eligibility Points List through the Charles Schwab Challenge
Tournament highlights
1976: Roger Maltbie won the inaugural Memorial Tournament, defeating Hale Irwin in a four-hole aggregate playoff. On the third extra hole Maltbie's errant approach shot appeared headed for the gallery when it hit a post, causing the ball to bounce onto the green, where both parred to remain tied; Maltbie then birdied the 18th hole to win the playoff.
1977: Poor weather resulted in a Monday finish for the tournament; host Jack Nicklaus won by two shots over Hubert Green.
1980: David Graham birdied the 72nd hole to edge Tom Watson by one shot; Watson was bidding to become the first Memorial champion to defend his title.
1984: Jack Nicklaus defeated Andy Bean in a sudden-death playoff to become the first two-time Memorial winner.
1991: Kenny Perry won for the first time on the PGA Tour, defeating Irwin on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
1993: Paul Azinger birdied the 72nd hole by holing out from a bunker to finish one shot ahead of Corey Pavin.
1994: Tom Lehman shot a tournament record 268 (-20) for 72 holes on his way to a five-shot victory over Greg Norman.
2000: Tiger Woods became the first Memorial winner to successfully defend his title, finishing five shots clear of Ernie Els.
2001: Woods won for a third consecutive year, seven shots ahead of runners-up Paul Azinger and Sergio García.
2005: Bart Bryant saved par from a hazard on the 72nd hole to win by one shot over Fred Couples.
2007: K. J. Choi shot a final round 65 to win by one shot over Ryan Moore.
Course layout
Muirfield Village Golf Club in 2016
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Winners and honorees
Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
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Multiple winners
Eight men have won the Memorial Tournament more than once through 2025:
5 wins: Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, 2001, 2009, 2012)
3 wins: Kenny Perry (1991, 2003, 2008)
2 wins: Jack Nicklaus (1977, 1984), Hale Irwin (1983, 1985), Greg Norman (1990, 1995), Tom Watson: (1979, 1996), Patrick Cantlay (2019, 2021), Scottie Scheffler (2024, 2025)