World’s top 5 golfers to gather for Memorial Tournament

Memorial Tournament, one of the premier events on the PGA Tour, will take place from June 1st to June 4th at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, United States. Hosted by "golf legend" Jack Nicklaus (83), who has won 73 times on the PGA Tour including 18 major championships, the tournament has been designated as a premier event starting this year, with total prize money of $20 million and a winner's prize of $3.6 million.

In line with its status as a premier event, the top five players in the world rankings will all be competing. As of May 29, the top five players in the world rankings are Scottie Scheffler (United States), Jon Rahm (Spain), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Patrick Cantlay (United States), and Xander Schauffele (United States).

The PGA Tour has announced its power rankings to predict the potential winners of this tournament, placing former champion from 2020 Jon Rahm in the top spot. Rahm has already claimed four victories this season and currently leads the FedExCup rankings. In the 2021 tournament, Rahm held a six-stroke lead at the top, heading into the final round, making him a strong candidate for back-to-back victories. However, shortly after the third round, he tested positive for COVID-19 and had to withdraw, ending his title defense. Patrick Cantlay went on to win the tournament, securing his second tournament victory following his triumph in 2019. Last year's champion, Billy Horschel (United States), who defeated Aaron Wise (United States) by four strokes, will be aiming to defend his title.


Heon-Jae Lee uni@donga.com