The Memorial Match is returning to its unique spot on the PGA Tour calendar.
After putting an settlement with the PGA Tour to stage its occasion the week earlier than the U.S. Open in 2024, Jack Nicklaus introduced Monday that his Memorial Match will happen throughout the first weekend of June.
Which means the match will start on Memorial Day Monday, two weeks earlier than the U.S. Open.
“The connection the Memorial Match offered by Workday has loved with the PGA Tour is extra like a partnership. The Tour has acted in the most effective curiosity of the Memorial Match, and we, in flip, have at all times supported the Tour and its initiatives. That’s the reason a yr in the past when the Tour offered us its new enterprise mannequin, we have been keen to work with them and transfer the 2024 date to per week earlier than the U.S. Open,” Nicklaus mentioned in an announcement.
“Over latest months, now we have had quite a few conversations with Jay Monahan and his crew—ones which have included our presenting sponsor Workday and Co-Founder and Government Chair Aneel Bhusri—and collectively we decided that in the most effective curiosity of the Memorial Match, the Tour and its gamers, we might return to our conventional date and begin Match week on the Memorial Day vacation.”
The Memorial Match presents a grueling take a look at yr in and yr out, nearly serving as a ‘Mini-major.’ This yr’s version actually lived as much as that billing, as Scottie Scheffler fought agency and quick circumstances, in addition to a charging Collin Morikawa, to win by a stroke at 8-under par. Scheffler even mentioned it performed like a U.S. Open, nevertheless it’s extraordinarily troublesome for each the thoughts and the physique to play a U.S. Open-type course in back-to-back weeks.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25495279/2157481142.jpg)
Therefore, at Pinehurst No. 2 this previous week, Scheffler defined why he doesn’t wish to play the week earlier than a significant going ahead.
“I believe taking part in the week earlier than, quite a lot of it will depend on the golf course, however I believe final week with the golf course the way in which it was, it in all probability was not the most effective prep work for me coming into one other difficult occasion,” Scheffler mentioned Sunday.
“I shot 5-under throughout the first spherical on the Memorial, which might have been the simplest day, and after that, I used to be 3-under from there on out. I imply, that’s fairly U.S. Open-like, and to play that many rounds, particularly with what I’ve been coping with the weeks main up or the entire season, been taking part in quite a lot of good golf and being in rivalry, I believe perhaps my prep would have been a little bit bit higher for this week if I used to be at dwelling.”
Curiously, Nicklaus, the 18-time main champion who has gained extra of them than anybody else, agreed with this sentiment.
“Once I performed, I not often performed per week earlier than any main championship. So I’m requested to be a part of placing on a golf match in per week that I might by no means play,” Nicklaus mentioned earlier than his match.
“From a sponsor’s standpoint, Memorial Day has been what our title is, and we have been round Memorial Day. [Monday] is generally an enormous day gallery-wise for us as a result of it was Memorial Day, and we had perhaps a thousand individuals right here [this year on Monday].”
Now Nicklaus will get his want, as his match will welcome the PGA Tour’s finest gamers two weeks earlier than Oakmont Nation Membership in Pittsburgh—one other brutally powerful course—will host the 2025 U.S. Open.
And better of all, Scheffler, now figuring out that the 2025 Memorial aligns along with his plans, can be there defending his title, too.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. Make sure you try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.