Jack Nicklaus Turns Savior for Scottie Scheffler & Co. as Worrying Us Open Concerns Finds a Memorial Relief

It’s fair to say that none of the parties involved were happy about the Memorial this year. Scottie Scheffler raised concerns about the dates. Jack Nicklaus, the tournament host, agreed. This year, the Memorial was moved to the week before the U.S. Open, much to the chagrin of many. But from next year, the Muirfield Village event will settle on its traditional slot.

The Memorial officially announced that from next year, the tournament will head back to the week of the Memorial holiday. The statement from Nicklaus reads, “Over recent months, we have had a number of conversations with Jay Monahan and his team—ones that have included our presenting sponsor Workday and Co-Founder and Executive Chair Aneel Bhusri—and together we determined that in the best interest of the Memorial Tournament, the TOUR and its players, we would return to our traditional date and start Tournament week on the Memorial Day holiday.”

The problem with the new date (June 6) was it was a week before the U.S. Open. The PGA Tour wanted to have a signature event, and most importantly, an event on home soil, a week before the national major. Hence, the RBC Canadian Open was hosted on Memorial Week, whereas the Jack Nicklaus-hosted signature event moved to June 6.

Jack Nicklaus, however, didn’t want to have his tournament a week prior to the U.S. Open. The veteran golfer said, “I would rarely play a week before a major championship. So I’m asked to be putting on a golf tournament that I would never play, and that is the essential (issue) from my standpoint.” The Monday attendance at Muirfield village was lower than last year as well.

The Jack Nicklaus-designed course is a grueling journey through 72 holes. But the players don’t prefer to grind to the extreme just a week before the U.S. Open. Even the reigning champion, Scottie Scheffler, didn’t hide his dissatisfaction. 

Why Scottie Scheffler & Co. prefer the traditional dates

Scottie Scheffler won the Memorial but would’ve preferred to stay at home. Scheffler’s moving-day lead was almost wiped out by gutsy winds, and unsparing greens at the Nicklaus-designed layout. He shot a 2-over par 74 on Sunday but managed to clinch his fifth title this season thanks to a clutch putt on the 72nd hole. 

It was a rough day and Scheffler would’ve preferred he had a week off after it. That was not to be, as he had to fly to North Carolina for the U.S. Open. The two-time major champion explained, “I think playing the week before, a lot of it depends on the golf course, but I think last week with the golf course the way it was, it probably was not the best prep work for me coming into another challenging event [U.S. Open].” 

Moreover, Rory McIlroy also believed that the Memorial should have stayed in its original spot. The history associated with the tournament draws the top names to Muirfield Village. The current date puts them in a dilemma—they would like to rest and prepare at home before the national major, which has always been one of the toughest tests in golf. But they can’t ignore the charm and lure of glory at the Memorial. That dilemma will be put to a stop next year for the better.