Rahm, Spieth, Simpson, Rose Among Latest Memorial Commitments
Officials of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide announced world No. 2 Jon Rahm and major champions Webb Simpson, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose will compete in the 45th edition of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
These latest commitments strengthen the Memorial’s world-class field that already includes Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Justin Thomas and Bubba Watson, all owners of major titles. McIlroy is the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking.
The 2020 Memorial Tournament will be contested next week, July 14-19, in conjunction with the PGA TOUR’s adjusted tournament schedule due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Rahm made his professional debut in 2016 with a T-3 finish at Quicken Loans National, and has never looked back. Six starts into his first full season on the PGA TOUR he grabbed his first win at the Farmers Insurance Open, followed by titles in 2018 and 2019 for a total of three career TOUR victories to date. The 25-year-old is coming off an impressive season with a career-best 12 top-10 finishes and nearly $5 million in earnings. He has added four more top-10s to his resume so far during his 2019-20 campaign and is ranked No. 2 in the world and No. 24 in FedExCup points. The 2020 Memorial will mark Rahm’s second start at Muirfield Village Golf Club, but his third visit with his appearance in this week’s Workday Charity Open. In 2016, the Spaniard was presented with the Jack Nicklaus Award ¾ as the top collegiate golfer in Division I ¾ by the Golden Bear himself during the final round of the Memorial Tournament. Rahm failed to make the cut in his lone start at the Memorial in 2017 after rounds of 73-77.
Simpson, 34, is on pace for a career season on the PGA TOUR, with six top-10 finishes in eight starts, including two wins at the Waste Management Open and RBC Heritage. His victory count on the PGA TOUR sits at seven and his inspired play has moved him to No. 1 in FedExCup points ¾ for the first time since his 2013-14 campaign ¾ and No. 4 in the world. Simpson captured his first major championship at the 2012 U.S. Open in only his second start in the championship, the first player to do so since Jerry Pate in 1976. The North Carolina native has represented the U.S. on three Ryder Cup teams (2012, 2014, 2018) and three Presidents Cup teams (2011, 2013, 2019) since turning professional in 2008 and owns career earnings of $39,705,805. Simpson has teed it up at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide on seven occasions, the last in 2017. His best finish was a T-7 effort in 2011. His Memorial scoring average is 72.64 and his earnings total $365,708.33.
Reed will make his fourth start at the Memorial Tournament next week. He recorded a T-29 finish in his last appearance in 2018 and enjoyed his best result in 2016 with a T-8 effort. His scoring average at Muirfield Village Golf Club is 70.75 and his Tournament earnings equal $368,196.17. The 29-year-old Texas native has posted five top-10 finishes this season, including his eighth PGA TOUR victory at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. He is ranked No. 9 in the world and No. 6 in FedExCup points. Reed captured his first major title and first green jacket at The Masters Tournament in 2018. He has recorded at least one win in seven of the past eight PGA TOUR seasons, with a two-win season in 2016. Reed has represented the U.S. on three Presidents Cup teams (2015, 2017, 2019) and three Ryder Cup teams (2014, 2016, 2018) since turning professional in 2011. During the 2016 Ryder Cup Reed was 3-1-1 in his five matches to lead the American team to a 17-11 victory over Europe. He went head-to-head with Rory McIlroy in one of the most thrilling matches (particularly on the front nine) in Ryder Cup history, eventually making birdie on No. 18 for a 1-up victory, cementing his stature as one of the game’s best match play competitors, and improving his overall Ryder Cup record at the time to 6-1-2.
Spieth has been one of the top players on the PGA TOUR since grabbing his first TOUR victory in 2013 at the John Deere Classic. During his 2014-2015 campaign he claimed five more wins, including his first and second major championship titles at the Masters Tournament and U.S. Open, respectively, and won the Jack Nicklaus Award as PGA TOUR Player of the Year. Spieth garnered two wins the following year and added three more in 2017, including his third major at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. A Dallas native, Spieth, 26, has recorded three top-10 finishes over 11 starts so far during the 2019-2020 season. He has been a member of three U.S. Presidents Cup teams (2013, 2015, 2017) and three U.S. Ryder Cup teams (2014, 2016, 2018). The 2013 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year all but swept the TOUR’s annual awards circuit in 2015, receiving not only the Jack Nicklaus Award, but also the Byron Nelson Award for low adjusted scoring average (68.91) and the Arnold Palmer Award as the TOUR’s money leader. He also captured the 2015 FedExCup title. This will be Spieth’s eighth consecutive Memorial Tournament appearance. His best finish at Muirfield Village Golf Club came in 2015 when he shot a final-round 7-under-par 65 and tied for third. He grabbed another top-10 last year with a T-7 effort. Spieth’s Tournament scoring average is 70.96 and his Memorial earnings sit at $924,473.77.
Rose, 39, will make his 14th start at this year’s Memorial, where he is ranked second on the Tournament’s career money list with $3,368,595, and has a scoring average of 70.67. His T-6 finish in 2018 was his seventh top-10 at Muirfield Village Golf Club and with a 13th place effort last year Rose has recorded nine top-15 finishes over his 13 appearances. In the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Rose became the first gold medalist in golf in the Olympics since 1904. A resident of London, England, Rose is No. 13 in FedExCup points, and his lone top-10 finish this season came in the Charles Schwab Challenge where he tied for third place. The 2010 Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide and the 2013 U.S. Open are among his 10 total wins on TOUR since turning professional in 1998. His career PGA TOUR earnings total $54,081,228.
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