Ever since 1974, Muirfield Village has hosted the PGA Tour and presented itself as a bold, demanding championship test that consistently rewards the most complete tee-to-green performers in the field. Jack Nicklaus‘ design places a premium on precision at every stage, with penal rough, strategically placed hazards, and small, firm, undulating bentgrass greens punishing even slight mistakes. Players who miss fairways or find themselves out of position with their approach shots often face an uphill battle just to save par.
As a Signature Event, the Memorial consistently draws one of the strongest fields in golf and is one of only three Signature Events that still features a 36-hole cut. Unlike most elevated events, players must navigate one of the PGA Tour’s toughest tests, with only the top 50 players and ties—or anyone within 10 shots of the lead— advancing to the weekend.The combination of an elite field, a demanding cut line, and a championship-caliber golf course creates a tournament atmosphere that feels remarkably similar to a major championship.
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RELATED: Memorial Tournament picks 2026: To fade Ludvig, or not to fade Ludvig
Muirfield Village typically hosts one of the strongest fields on tour, and this year is no different with only the best players qualifying. Every eligible golfer within the top 40 in the world rankings will be in attendance with the exception of Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland. Scottie Scheffler returns to Muirfield Village with a chance to become the first player since Tiger Woods to win the Memorial Tournament in three consecutive appearances. Given his elite ball-striking and proven success on one of the PGA Tour’s most demanding venues, he once again enters the week as the player to beat.
Here are my favorite plays and fades in each price range for DraftKings lineups for the 2026 Memorial Tournament:
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$9,000+ range Play: Cameron Young, $10,300
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Jamie Squire
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Even with Scottie Scheffler’s salary dropping to $13,500 this week, I prefer to begin my builds with Cameron Young and the more than $3,000 in savings he provides. Over his past 30 rounds, Young leads the field in Strokes Gained per Round at 2.39. On a course that demands a complete skill set, he has gained at least 0.40 strokes per round in all four strokes-gained categories.
A two-time winner in 2026, Young has already proven he can conquer some of the game’s toughest tests. He captured titles at TPC Sawgrass and Trump National Doral, the latter in dominant fashion as he pulled away from the field. He also contended at the Masters, finishing T-3 after playing in the final pairing on Sunday, further demonstrating that he has the talent to win against the strongest fields in golf.
Play: Ludvig Aberg, $10,100
With all the chatter surrounding Aberg’s inability to close out tournaments, I’m not ready to make it a major concern. He’s just 26 years old with only 68 career PGA Tour starts and already owns two victories. During that span, he has posted the fourth-highest top-five finish rate in the world at 24.2 percent, an impressive mark that speaks to both his talent and consistency.
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While he hasn’t won since last year’s Genesis Invitational, his recent form has been outstanding, with six top-five finishes over the past three months. He ranks second in this field in SG/approach, gaining a remarkable 0.89 strokes per round with his irons across his past 30 rounds.
Aberg has also demonstrated an ability to handle Muirfield Village, finishing T-5 in 2024 and T-16 last year. At this stage, all he can do is continue putting himself in contention, and that’s exactly what he has done throughout the 2026 season. The wins will come if he keeps giving himself opportunities on Sunday.
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Aberg has the fourth-highest Top-5% in the Memorial field over the last three years.
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Sign up for the industry’s leading data tool to make golf stats easy to decipher—head to BetspertsGolf.com now and get access to The Rabbit Hole for only $10 for your first month. Use promo code GD10 at sign up for this amazing deal!
Fade: Ben Griffin, $9,000
Recent tee-to-green form has been one of the strongest indicators of success at Muirfield Village, and Griffin ranks last among this upper tier of players, gaining just 0.03 strokes per round in that category over his past 30 rounds. The biggest concern is his approach play, where he has lost 0.54 strokes per round during that stretch.
While his elite short game should help him navigate Muirfield Village’s demanding green complexes and salvage pars when needed, relying on scrambling is a dangerous formula at a venue that consistently rewards strong ball-striking. Given his recent struggles with the irons, he’s a risk I’m willing to avoid this week.
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$8,000+ range Play: Adam Scott, $8,100
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Icon Sportswire
Continuing the tee-to-green theme, Scott ranks ninth in this field, gaining 1.13 strokes per round this season. The veteran has been remarkably consistent, recording just one finish outside the top 40 while adding multiple top-five finishes to his résumé.
He also brings a strong track record at Muirfield Village, highlighted by a runner-up finish in 2019 and a T-9 in 2023. His combination of elite driving, strong long-iron play and world-class touch around the greens makes him an excellent fit for one of the PGA Tour’s most demanding tests.
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Fade: Robert MacIntyre, $8,600
MacIntyre continues to struggle in the area that matters most this week: approach play. He has now lost strokes on approach in five consecutive starts, a concerning trend heading into one of the PGA Tour’s premier second-shot golf courses. Adding to the concern, his normally reliable short game has become increasingly inconsistent over that same stretch.
The recent results reflect those struggles, with finishes of T-42, MC, T-60, T-42 and MC in his last five starts. Until he shows signs of turning around his iron play, it’s difficult to justify paying a premium for him at a venue that places such a heavy emphasis on ball-striking.
Read The Line’s Keith Stewart and Pat Mayo discuss the mystery surrounding Jake Knapp this week:
Watch Stewart’s appearance on the Pat Mayo experience here.
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$7,000+ range Play: Gary Woodland, $7,300
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Sam Hodde
With three top-eight finishes in his past seven starts, including a dominant six-shot victory in Houston, Woodland stands out as one of the best values in the field this week. His ball-striking has been exceptional, as he has gained 1.13 strokes per round tee-to-green over the last three months.
Perhaps even more encouraging has been his improvement on the greens. After spending much of his career losing strokes with the putter, Woodland has gained 0.36 strokes per round putting this season, giving him a much more complete profile. The 42-year-old also brings a strong history at Muirfield Village, recording five top-25 finishes in his last nine appearances, including a pair of top-five results.
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$6,000+ range Play: Bud Cauley, $6,500
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Andrew Redington
Excellent tee-to-green form with upside is exactly what I’m targeting in the $6,000 range this week, and Cauley checks both boxes. Over the last three months, he has gained 0.73 strokes per round tee-to-green, the second-best mark in this salary range behind only Alex Fitzpatrick.
The results have followed the strong underlying metrics. Cauley has finished inside the top 40 in each of his last five starts, highlighted by a solo seventh at the RBC Heritage, a T-26 at the PGA Championship and a T-32 at The Players Championship. Another encouraging sign is his Rabbit Hole data which shows that he tends to elevate his performance in difficult scoring conditions against stronger fields. That profile is an ideal fit for the demanding test awaiting players at Muirfield Village this week.
Ron Klos (@PGASplits101 on X) is a PGA Tour data analyst for Betsperts Golf.
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