KSR Golf: Memorial Tournament

KSR Golf makes its return again for the first month in June. After bringing up Sam Burns in last week’s column, we prove to be seeing the ball well but have not quite been able to barrel things up with the official picks. Let’s try to change that this week.

The tour makes its yearly stop at Muirfield Village this week for the Memorial Tournament. Let’s find some winners.

Course layout

Muirfield Village has been a yearly stop on the tour since 1976 and is famously known as Jack Nicklaus’ tournament. The Par 72 layout goes over 7,500 yards with tough Par 4s, tricky Par 3s, and very playable Par 5s. Due to that combination of factors, there will be challenges but also opportunities to post low scores.

The field currently sits at 120 players with the top-65 plus ties making it to the weekend. The Par 3s are somewhat short but there is a small landing area on the green with water hazards lurking. Seventy percent of the 10 Par 4 holes are 450-plus yards. Getting from tee-to-green will be essential this weekend.

Advanced stat of the week

Tee-to-green is the number one metric we’re focusing on due to the combined length and small landing areas near the hole. However, players cannot get around scrambling this week. The ability to get up and down to safe par will be essential to keep scorecards looking clean. Strokes gained around-the-green will be important. Our plays this week must check both boxes.

Chris Kirk ranks inside the top-10 of strokes gained in both metrics. The 37-year-old Georgia product is up to No. 63 in the World Golf Ranking and has three top-10 finishes this season without a win. Following a T-5 performance at the PGA Championship, Kirk could have some value here. The ball striker is 80/1 to win at Draft Kings.

Luckett’s Locks

Kirk fits the required metrics very well, but I just trust Sungjae Im a bit more. The top-25 golfer is inside the top-10 of both metrics and ranks No. 4 in around-the-green. Im has five top-five finishes this season with a win back in October. He feels due for another victory, and we’re jumping on him to win at 35/1.

Matthew Fitzpatrick is top-five in strokes gained tee-to-green and falls just outside of the top-10 in around-the-green. The England native made a real run at the PGA Championship and is emerging as one of the best players on the PGA Tour. A top-10 play (+225) feels safe.

Joaquin Niemann also appears to have a strong edge this week falling inside the top-15 in both metrics. Matched up against Cameron Young, we’ll take the phenom from Chile to win (-115).