It should feel a lot more familiar to the PGA Tour’s elite this week when they head to Muirfield Village Golf Club for the 2022 Memorial Tournament. A full crowd will be on hand for the first time since 2019, and the course should play more like the major conditions the Jack Nicklaus-owned course in Dublin, Ohio had become known for. Extensive renovations to add length, restore the lightning-fast greens and bolster the diabolical rough will be a major test for the Memorial Tournament 2022 field, which includes seven of the world’s top 10 golfers. Jon Rahm will try to finish what he started last year, when he held a six-stroke lead after 54 holes but had to withdraw. Patrick Cantlay went on to beat Collin Morikawa in a playoff.
Rahm, who won the Memorial in 2020, is the 11-1 favorite in the latest 2022 Memorial Tournament golf odds from Caesars Sportsbook, with Rory McIlroy right behind at 12-1. Cantlay, also the 2019 Memorial champ, is 14-1 and Jordan Spieth is 18-1. Morikawa (20-1), Cameron Smith (20-1) and Xander Schauffele (20-1) also are among the favorites. Will Rahm storm the course like he has the past two years and be worth the premium to have him anchor your 2022 Memorial Tournament picks? Or would a player like Matt Fitzpatrick give you better value? Before you consider any Fantasy golf rankings or make any bets on the 2022 Memorial Tournament, be sure you check out the Fantasy golf projections from SportsLine fantasy expert Riley Gates.
Gates is a writer for 247Sports and has covered a range of sports for nearly five years. He has followed golf closely for much longer and has a profound knowledge of the sport. He also knows what it takes to win, on the course and in fantasy sports.
At last week’s Charles Schwab Challenge, three of Gates’ top six picks finished in the top four on the final leaderboard, including winner Sam Burns and runner-up Scottie Scheffler. Before the PGA, Gates had both winner Justin Thomas and 30-1 shot Zalatoris, who lost to Thomas in a playoff, among his top five picks.
Gates has been on a roll all season. Before the Wells Fargo Championship, four of his top six players finished in the top five. That included winner Max Homa, a 40-1 long shot, and runners-up Keegan Bradley (35-1) and Matt Fitzpatrick (22-1). He also nailed Jon Rahm as the winner in the Mexico Open, and eight of his 20 picks finished in the top eight at the Masters. Anyone who has followed Gates is way up.
Now, Gates has ranked his top golfers for the 2022 Memorial Tournament (see tickets at StubHub), and you’ll really want to see what he has to say. You can only see his Fantasy golf rankings and Memorial Tournament picks at SportsLine.
2022 Memorial Tournament golf expert picks
One player Gates is fully behind this week is McIlroy, who has finished in the top 10 in three straight events, two of them major championships. The 33-year-old’s numbers are impressive across the board, as he ranks first on tour in scoring average (69.15), third in driving distance (320 yards) and second in strokes gained total. The Northern Irishman is excellent out of the sand (19th in saves) and around the green (30th in strokes gained) and can make his putts (34th). His all-around game should succeed at Muirfield, so he is worth paying a high price.
On the other hand, Gates isn’t sure what to expect from Morikawa and is fading him this week. The 25-year-old two-time major champion has hit a cold streak, failing to crack the top 25 in his past four events. He has six top-10 finishes in 12 events this year, but none since the Masters, and has broken 70 in just four of his last 16 rounds. Morikawa is 160th in strokes gained around the green, 167th in sand saves and 120th putting, and those are the most important skills at Muirfield. “There just has not been enough consistency for me to back Morikawa,” Gates says.
How to set your 2022 Memorial Tournament Fantasy golf rankings
For this week’s event at Muirfield Village, Gates is backing a long shot who comes in at higher than 50-1. Gates says this golfer has been heating up, and his low price makes him a steal to fill out your 2022 Memorial Tournament Fantasy lineup. You can find out who it is, and check out all of Gates’ top Memorial Tournament golf picks, at SportsLine.
Who wins the 2022 Memorial Tournament this week in Dublin, Ohio? Who are the top PGA Tour players to target for your Fantasy picks? And which overlooked players can help you win your league this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Riley Gates’ Fantasy golf rankings for the 2022 Memorial Tournament, all from the fantasy expert who has been on fire with his picks, and find out.
