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The Memorial Field and Rose Zhang debuts on LPGA
From the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village to the Lotte Open in Incheon - here's your comprehensive guide to this week's global golf events
Jack Middlebrook
May 31, 2023
Top 100 preview
This week, 72 out of the top 100 male golfers will play across two events: The Memorial Tournament will feature the majority of the top talent, with 68 players, and the European tour will have four players at the European Open.
84 of the top 100 golfers are in action in women's golf across four events. The Mizuho Americas Open will host the lion's share, with 56. On the other side of the globe, 13 of the top women players will be at the Lotte Open for the Korea LPGA, while the Japan LPGA will have 12, and the Ladies European Tour has 3 top 100 players.
Purses
The Memorial Tournament
Mizuho Americas Open
European Open
BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup
UNC Health Championship
Richard Mille Yonex Ladies Golf Tournament
Lotte Open
Helsingborg Open
PGA Tour - The Memorial Tournament
We celebrate Jack Nicklaus week on the PGA Tour, with Nicklaus hosting The Memorial Tournament at the prestigious Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. This significant event, which always attracts a powerful field, marks this year's eighth designated event.
With a clear forecast, the course is expected to play firm and fast throughout the week.
Jon Rahm and Patrick Cantlay emerge as two favorites entering the tournament. Cantlay, a two-time Memorial winner with five top-10 finishes, has yet to secure a win this year. Despite his recent struggle at the PGA Championship (T50), Rahm's proven performance at Muirfield Village, including his 2020 tournament win, remains promising.
Viktor Hovland keeps finding himself near the top, and this week looks like another great chance to better his second-place finish at the PGA Championship.
Sam Bennett, the exceptional Texas A&M player, and Masters low amateur, will debut professionally. Also, last year’s British Amateur champion, Aldrich Potgieter, is joining the field.
Before the event, Jack Nicklaus awarded the Nicklaus Award to the best college golfer of the year, Ludvig Aberg, the Swedish golfer from Texas Tech, who also finished first in the PGA Tour University Rankings. Although not participating this week, Aberg has his PGA Tour card and will debut at the Canadian Open next week.
LPGA - Mizuho Americas Open
The LPGA shifts focus to the Mizuho Americas Open at the Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey. With some players skipping the match play last week in Las Vegas, the field is stacked for this inaugural event hosted by Michelle Wie West.
World number one Jin Young Ko is expected to be in contention this weekend, riding on her recent playoff win at the Cognizant Founders Cup. Lydia Ko seeks her second win after opening the season victoriously at the Saudi Ladies and is set to bounce back after a missed cut at the Chevron Championship.
Amid a field filled with top names, the story of the week centers on Rose Zhang making her professional debut. Fresh off a win at the NCAA individuals, Zhang caps a storied amateur career at Stanford, concluding with the most wins in Stanford history, a US Amateur title, and a recent victory at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. The expectations are high, and we are eager to see how her game measures up against the world's best.
Joining Zhang in the field is another Stanford Cardinal, Megha Ganne, who received a sponsor's invite. Ganne, a New Jersey native, has previously participated in two US Opens.
DP World Tour - European Open
The European Open unfolds at the Green Eagle Golf Courses - North Course in Hamburg, Germany. The player to keep an eye on in this tournament is Victor Perez, who, despite a missed cut at the KLM Open, has shown consistent form across several recent tournaments, with multiple top-15 finishes, including a T12 at the PGA Championship.
Japan Golf Tour - BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup
The BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup will take place at the Shishido Hills Country Club - West Course in Kasama, Japan. Takumi Kanaya is the golfer to watch, bolstered by a T3 finish at the Gate Way To The Open Mizuno Open and a series of solid performances in recent tournaments.
Korn Ferry Tour - UNC Health Championship
The UNC Health Championship is set to be held at the Raleigh Country Club in Raleigh, North Carolina. Pierceson Coody is one of the top-ranked players in the field. While he has struggled to find consistent form recently, he remains a favorite to be in the mix on Sunday. Rico Hoey enters the competition on a high note, coming off a win at the Visit Knoxville Open and a tie for second at the AdventHealth Championship.
Japan LPGA - Richard Mille Yonex Ladies Golf Tournament
The Richard Mille Yonex Ladies Golf Tournament is scheduled at Asagiri Jamboree Golf Club in Fujinomiya, Japan. Miyuu Yamashita has been in exceptional form recently, fresh off back-to-back wins at the Resort Trust Ladies and Bridgestone Ladies Open tournaments. Can she pull off a three-peat?!
Korea LPGA - Lotte Open
The Lotte Open is unfolding at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Bear's Best Cheongna Golf Club in Incheon. Top players include Hyo-Joo Kim, currently ranked 10th in the world, who recently tied for 3rd at the LA Open. Also worth keeping an eye on are Da Yeon Lee, who triumphed earlier in the year at the KLPGA Championship and Yu Jin Sung, who won the Match Play event two weeks ago.
Ladies European Tour - Helsingborg Open
The Helsingborg Open, part of the Ladies European Tour, is set to start at Allerum Golf Club in Helsingborg, Sweden. The field boasts 24 Swedish players, with top local competitors being Caroline Hedwall and Johanna Gustavsson.