June 3, 2026, 11:00 a.m. ET

The 2026 Memorial Tournament is the final signature event before the U.S. Open.World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the favorite, having won this event the last two years.Muirfield Village is a long and challenging par-72 course that tests all aspects of a player’s game.Other top contenders include Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young, and Xander Schauffele.

The PGA Tour returns to the iconic Muirfield Village Golf Club this week for the 2026 Memorial Tournament, hosted by Jack Nicklaus. It’s the latest signature event on the calendar, the final one before the the 126th U.S. Open Championship at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.Y., June 18-21.

Below, we look at Memorial Tournament odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions before the first round begins Thursday in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (+300) is going for the 3-peat, having won this event in each of the last 2 years. He cleared Ben Griffin (+3300) and the rest of the field by 4 shots last year, cruising to a win at Jack’s place. As a signature event, the field is loaded, though, including Rory McIlroy (+950), Cameron Young (+1400), Ludvig Aberg (+1600) and Xander Schauffele (+1600).

Muirfield Village is a major-type course that tests all parts of player’s game. It features thick, difficult rough that makes hitting fairways essential, as well as firm greens that reward players for coming in with shorter irons. Not to mention, it’s staggeringly long at 7,569 yards as a par 72. Scheffler won with a score of 10-under par last year and the winning score hasn’t been better than 13-under since 2019.

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Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Scottie Scheffler (+300)

How can you not like Scheffler at Muirfield, even at this price? He’s finished first, first, third and third in his last 4 starts here, dominating the field in terms of his ball striking. It’s just a matter of whether the putts will fall for him. He’s a perfect fit for this U.S. Open-type course where birdies will be hard to come by and players will need to avoid bogeys.

Si Woo Kim (+2200)

Kim feels bound to win at some point this season and the Memorial Tournament is a good place for him to get across the finish line. He’s finished 15th or better in 4 of the last 5 years, with his worst finish since 2018 being 41st in 2019. His ball striking has been excellent and if he can avoid missed putts inside 5 feet, he’ll be in good shape.

Patrick Cantlay (+2500)

Cantlay has come in better form as of late, finishing 12th or better in 4 of his last 5 starts on the season. The exception was a T-35 at the PGA Championship; he hasn’t played since then. The 2019 champion here won at 19-under par, winning again in 2021 and finishing third in 2022.

Memorial Tournament picks – ContendersJustin Thomas (+4000)

Thomas was second in SG: tee-to-green last week at Colonial and 53rd in putting. That’s a sign of how well he hit the ball and how badly he struggled on the greens. That sort of ball striking is what will win at Muirfield, which is why Thomas is certinly someone to consider. His track record here isn’t at the best, finishing 31st, 33rd and missing the cut in the last 3 years, but he did finish in the top 10 in 2017 and 2018.

Sam Burns (+4000)

Burns has notched top-20 finishes in each of the last 3 years here, including a 12th-place showing in 2025. He’s cooled off after a strong spring, finishing outside the top 25 in each of his last 3 starts, but he tends to play well here and could get in better form before the U.S. Open.

Sepp Straka (+5500)

Straka finished 12th in Austria on the DP World Tour this past weekend after back-to-back poor finishes on the PGA Tour. He now heads to Muirfield where he came in third last year, fifth the year prior and 16th in 2023. He makes some careless mistakes seemingly every week, but if he can dodge those, his ball striking will carry him.

Memorial Tournament picks – Long shotsAkshay Bhatia (+6600)

Bhatia’s short game and putter keep him in the mix every week, which is why he’s hard to pass on at this price. Plus, he finished 16th here last year and 2022 in 2024, so his course history is good. He just needs to keep his driver in the fairway and dial in his irons, because he’s going to make putts.

Gary Woodland (+6600)

Woodland hasn’t played here since 2023 when he finished 24th, but his game is back in good form, so he’s qualified for the event this year. He finished 22nd in 2020 and fourth in 2016, which were his best finishes in the last 10 years.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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