The Memorial Tournament Predictions, Picks & Best Bets 2026: Can Scottie Scheffler Be Dethroned?

Neil Parker - Analyst at Covers.com
Neil Parker • Betting Analyst 16+ years betting experience
Updated: Jun 2, 2026 , 12:12 PM ET • 4 min read

Your one-stop shop for Memorial Tournament predictions, picks, and analysis.

Scottie Scheffler, PGA Tour
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Scottie Scheffler during the 2025 Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Course.

The seventh Signature Event of the 2026 PGA TOUR season is here, and it’s another world-class field headed to the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village in Dublin, OH.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is both the back-to-back champion and the betting favorite in the Memorial Tournament odds, and he’s definitely the player to beat despite not cracking my top golf picks for the week.

⛳ The Memorial Tournament: Key takeaways

  • Best early bet: Xander Schauffele to win (+1600) – This will be the ninth consecutive year Schauffele has hit Muirfield Village, and he enters with five Top 10s across his past nine events while ranking seventh in the field in true strokes gained tee-to-green

  • Best early value: Sepp Staka to win (+5500) – The four-time PGA Tour winner has gained true strokes on approaches in five straight events to rank fourth in this field, and Straka has consecutive Top 5s in this event

  • Course: Muirfield Village is a grueling, 7,569-yard Par 72 originally designed by Jack Nicklaus and featuring thick penal rough demanding elite tee-to-green play and tiny, lightning-fast Bentgrass greens to test even the best short games

  • Weather: The early weather forecast calls for comfortable conditions with daily highs hovering between 76°F to 82°F (24°C and 28°C) with mostly sunny skies alongside an isolated, late-afternoon shower risk on Friday

  • Expected cut: The Memorial will have a cut to the top 50 players and ties after Round 2, in addition to any players within 10 strokes of the 36-hole lead
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📊 The Memorial Tournament odds

The Memorial Tournament runs at Muirfield Village Golf Club from Thursday, June 4, through Sunday, June 7.

Golfer BetMGM
Scottie Scheffler +300
Rory McIlroy +1000
Ludvig Aberg +1400
Cameron Young +1600
Xander Schauffele +1800
Matt Fitzpatrick +2000
Russell Henley +2200
Si Woo Kim +2200
Patrick Cantlay +2500
Tommy Fleetwood +2500

Odds from BetMGM, one of our best golf betting sites

Check out the full Memorial Tournament field.


Course breakdown: Muirfield Village Golf Club

Muirfield Village is a punishing 7,569-yard Par 72 originally designed by Jack Nicklaus that received a substantial 2021 overhaul to rebuild all 18 greens and lengthen seven holes. 

The primary course defenses are the thick, penal rough and tiny, lightning-fast Bentgrass green complexes, which make it one of the PGA Tour’s most grueling tests. 

Navigating Muirfield requires precision throughout the bag, and especially during the challenging final three holes, which annually rank as the hardest on property. 

The four par 5s serve as the track's only scorable holes, making par-5 scoring especially critical. Historical data over the past five years showcases elite ball-striking is also a true separator. 

Scottie Scheffler paced the field in true strokes gained tee-to-green the past two years to win, and both Patrick Cantlay and Billy Horschel led the way in the metric during their wins in 2021 and 2022. Viktor Hovland won in 2023 ranking 12th in tee-to-green play and ranking third in true strokes gained putting.

Additionally, Scheffler is the only winner during the stretch who didn’t gain true strokes around-the-green during his 2024 victory, so tidy work around the small, undulated greens is also required. As a result, effective scrambling and bogey avoidance are also winning characteristics.

  • A true ball-striking and sharp short-game test
  • Tiny and quick contoured Bentgrass greens
  • Thick and penal tournament rough
  • Scorable Par 5s ahead of brutal closing stretch
  • Trio of long and demanding Par 3s

Players to watch

  • Scottie Scheffler: The back-to-back champ is the clear player to beat, and his flawless tee-to-green game and touch on and around the greens are a perfect fit for Muirfield Village

  • Ludvig Aberg: Towering approach shots play at this track, and there isn’t a player in the field who has flushed their irons better over the past three months

  • Sepp Straka: With consecutive Top 5s in this event, Straka has proven capable of navigating Muirfield Village, and his ball-striking form has my attention

Key stats & player profiles to target

  • True strokes gained tee-to-green and on approach
  • Par 5 scoring
  • True Strokes gained around-the-green, scrambling
  • Bogey avoidance
  • Strokes gained putting
  • Adjusted scoring average

Players to watch

  • Xander Schauffele: The statistics pop across the board for Schaufele, including ranking seventh in adjusted scoring average, fifth in Par 5 scoring average and 15th in bogey avoidance this year

  • Si Woo Kim: If you think Kim can prevent himself from putting his way out of contention, he’s 10th in adjusted scoring average with high-end tee-to-green numbers for the season and has spiked to the tune of three Top 5s across his past five events

How to watch the Memorial Tournament & tee times

How to watch:

  • Thursday-Friday: 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
  • Saturday: 12:30-2:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. ET (CBS)
  • Sunday: 12:30-2:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel), 3-6:30 p.m. ET (CBS)

Tee times:

  • Round 1 and 2 tee times will be released Tuesday, June 2

Memorial Tournament betting FAQ

Who is the 2026 Memorial Tournament favorite?

World No. 1 and back-to-back champion Scottie Scheffler (+300) is the betting favorite at BetMGM.

When is the 2026 Memorial Tournament?

The 2026 Memorial Tournament will be played from Thursday, June 4, to Sunday, June 7.

Where will the 2026 Memorial Tournament be played?

The 2026 Memorial Tournament will be played at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.

What are Memorial Tournament FRL markets?

First Round Leader (FRL) markets center around which golfers will be in the lead following the first 18 holes of the tournament.

How do Memorial Tournament matchup bets work?

When betting Memorial Tournament matchups, you're selecting which golfer will score better between the two golfers listed in that specific market. There are 18-hole, single-round matchups, in addition to tournament-long, 72-hole matchups.

What is the Memorial Tournament cut line?

The Memorial Tournament features a cut to the top 50 players and ties after Round 2, in addition to any players within 10 strokes of the 36-hole lead.

Are Memorial Tournament odds the same across all sportsbooks?

You'll see slight to significant variations in odds across sportsbooks for the Memorial Tournament; it's always good practice to check multiple sports betting sites for the best odds.

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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Neil Parker - Covers
Betting Analyst

Neil Parker is, first and foremost, a sports fan. A huge supporter of the Cowboys, Cubs, and Maple Leafs, he has managed to parlay his passion into writing gigs at some of the top websites in the industry.

Neil takes a numbers-based approach to his handicapping and complements his in-depth statistical analysis with a keen eye on the markets to provide the best available odds. He loves to lean on his rolodex of idioms to offset his inner nerd. When it comes to wagering, he throws down on anything that catches his eye at bet365, Betway and BetVictor. He also keeps a close eye on CoolBet because the polar bear brand often has outlier NHL and NFL moneyline prices.

Neil graduated with honors from St. Thomas University in 2007 before completing his BEd at Acadia University in 2010. After teaching a myriad of courses and subjects, he found a groove delivering fun lessons to exceptional learners in non-traditional classroom environments. If his decade-plus teaching run taught him anything about sports betting, it’s to stay the course and use the summer – or offseason – to refresh and prepare to be better in the year to come.

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