What We Learned from a Weekend at the Memorial
With just over two weeks till the Masters, the PGA traveled to Texas for the next two tournaments, with this weekend being played at the Memorial Country Club. Multiple big stars came back for this one, such as Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, with other favorites, such as Tony Finau, also suiting up. In a four-day up-and-down tournament, including a rain delay and a final hole cap off my winner, Min Woo Lee, it was one to remember. With six players finishing 15 under or better and 26 at ten or more under par, the course played somewhat easy considering the talent on the course. As we get closer and closer to Augusta, these tournaments matter more than ever, with players both trying to get their invitee and. players looking to stay hot. Due to the skinny fairways and the rough, players describe this course as a “preview /practice round of Augusta," which made it just more important for the top players as well.
Min Woo Lee Gets His Revenge
After finishing tied for 20th at the Players Championship, the Australian star needed his revenge. Just like Sawgraas, Lee would start out hot, making 15 birdies through his first two rounds of 66 and 64, respectively. Going into the third round, he was a couple of strokes back, however, with one of the leaders being the number one in the world. Lee wouldn’t let the pressure get to him this time, however, shooting a near course record 63 on Saturday before finishing off a 67 in the final round, ending the round with a spectacular two-putt par to prevent a playoff. Min Woo Lee has been one of the more consistent golfers on tour this year, and after this win should give him great confidence going forward. Lee is already one of the most liked players on tour, nicknamed the chef, but if he can continue this type of consistency with his full game, we could be looking at a breakout season from the Australian.
Scottie Looks More Like Himself
Even though Scottie had played decently in the tournaments leading up to Houston, he had never really shown signs of his 2024 self. Fans all around golf were starting to worry, but most figured the Children’s would be his place to bounce back, especially since he is a former winner. Scottie would go into the second round on Friday, shooting a tie for course record 62, adding to his final round of 63 and a combined 36 holes of bogey-free golf. Scottie would come up short after a par on 18 and an up-and-down by Min Woo Lee, but this was definitely the finish Scottie needed. Scheffler reviewed the weekend by saying, “I liked the way my swing started to feel over the weekend.” If Scheffler truly feels like he has his swing back, he will definitely be a contender at Augusta, as fans noticed his distaste for his contact earlier in the year. With only one missed short put on 17 stopping his four birdie-in-a-row streaks, Scottie seemed to have his game much more in control, nailing 15 out of 17 scramble opportunities.
Memorial Park Presents Some Surprising Finishes
While some top placements like Scottie and Min Woo Lee might have been foretold, the 19-under finish by Gary Woodland was one for his career. The 40-year-old from Kansas shot all four rounds under 70, including a second-round 64 and a final-round 62, one that moved up and down with seven birdies, an eagle, and a birdie. From having brain surgery just under two years ago to tying the course record at Memorial Park is a storyline he will keep for the rest of his life. On the opposite side, however, J.J. Spaun and Si Woo Kim both came into this tournament knowing they had to play well in order to relieve the pressure for next week if they wanted their Augusta invite. The opposite happened, however, as both players missed the cut, posting a 71 and 73, respectively, in the first round. While both players still have a shot at playing in Georgia, they now look to the Valero next weekend to get that invite every player looks forward to. Other notable finishes included Jason Day and Wyndham Clark, who both withdrew from the Players Championship two weeks ago with injuries but managed to finish this course at nine and 15 under, respectively. As we get closer and closer to the major season in the PGA, the intensity will only grow, and this tournament proved just that.
