will zalatoris pga tour stats

The Memorial presented by Workday

Muirfield Village Golf Club

FedEx St. Jude Championship

The breakthrough: Will Zalatoris survives bizarre, thrilling playoff to grab first PGA Tour win

MEMPHIS — There were two moments that defined the final playoff hole of Will Zalatoris' maiden PGA Tour victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, and neither one of them was an actual shot.

A chaotic playoff reached feverish heights (or depths, depending on your perspective) when Zalatoris reached the par-3 11th hole, the third and final theater of his duel against Sepp Straka at the first event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Zalatoris had honors, but his shot was in trouble immediately. It came up well short of the green, and as it bounced eight times along the stone facade separating dry land from the water, it seemed ludicrous to believe that it wouldn't eventually careen off at the wrong angle and disappear into the beckoning pond. In a stroke of what appeared to be good luck, though, the ball somehow came to a stop on dry land.

"I thought there was no chance that ball was covering the water," Zalatoris said later. "When it landed and saw it bounce a few times and heard the crowd cheer, I knew I got a pretty fortunate break."

As if this sequence of events wasn't sufficiently strange, Straka followed by hitting almost exactly the same shot. He just wasn't as lucky; his ball bounced twice and fell into the water.

Which brings us to the first moment, when Straka proceeded to the drop zone without getting a good glimpse of the Zalatoris’ lie. If he had the chance to look, he would have seen a ball lodged between a flat stone and an overhanging wall of thick Bermuda grass—a lie that seemed to guarantee the ball would go backward when struck, and that only a maniac would attempt to chip forward. As far as Straka was concerned, though, Zalatoris had a direct chip for his second shot, and he proceeded to the drop zone with that in mind.

"I figured he probably had a chip," Straka said. "Yeah, the wind kind of caught me off guard on that one. I guess it did him, too. That's why we both kind of hit it a little right."

Zalatoris and his new caddie, Joel Stock, took their time trying to figure out if they could play this shot on the third extra hole, ultimately deciding it was too risky.

MORE: The clubs Will Zalatoris used to win at TPC Southwind

Had Straka known the fate that awaited Zalatoris, things might have been different. As Straka made his way to the drop zone, took an aggressive line on his third shot, and sent it into the bunker, Zalatoris and his new caddie, Joel Stock, were intently contemplating their next move. They stared at the ball practically to death, looking for anything optimistic, and this was the second key moment of the final hole, because at long last, buoyed by the fact that Straka was in the bunker, they decided not to take the ambitious shot, and to head to the drop zone themselves.

"Considering where Sepp was, and he had four feet for 5, there's no reason for me to try that shot and make it bank right into the grass and go back in the water and all of a sudden I've lost the golf tournament," Zalatoris said. "I knew I wouldn't have played the shot, but I at least was going to take a peek at it. Joel told me about three times, ‘Hey, Sepp's got four feet for 5, go back, go back.’ ”

Stock was working for Zalatoris for the first time after Zalatoris split with his friend Ryan Goble in the middle of the Wyndham Championship a week earlier. Their first round wasn't everything they dreamed—a one-over 71—but starting Friday, Zalatoris asked Stock to help him read the putts, and from there everything started to work. On Sunday, Stock was in his ear at the most critical time to help him avoid making a bad decision, but throughout the round he managed to keep him calm, at times resorting to what Zalatoris called "dad jokes." (Example: What's brown and sticky? A: A stick.)

MORE: More drama for Cameron Smith after bizarre rules violation

It was Stock who seemed intent on almost forcing his player to the drop zone on 11. From there, Zalatoris hit a brilliant third shot to seven feet, and made the bogey to capture the tournament and jump to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup points standings with two playoff events remaining.

To summarize: He was lucky the first shot stayed out of the water, then he wasn't lucky because he had to treat it like it was in the water, but then he was lucky again because the fact that it didn't go in the water fooled Straka into thinking he had a clean shot, and Straka had to play the rest of his hole like Zalatoris wasn't in the water. Simple, right?

"It just shows you," Zalatoris said, "I mean, at that point it's basically match play. Yes, very fortunate in the fact that it looked like I had maybe an easy up-and-down and I didn't, and maybe for Sepp to hit one over there towards the flagstick."

On the previous playoff hole, playing TPC Southwind’s 18 for a second spin in overtime, Straka had made a terrific decision of his own, opting not to hit his second shot from an awkward spot inside a penalty area near water, taking relief (and adding a stroke to his scorecard) and hitting his 152-yard third shot to eight feet. He made par, and only Zalatoris' 14-foot par putt following an errant tee shot that stayed in bounds by the good graces of a friendly tree kept Straka from winning right there.

Straka shakes Zalatoris' hand after falling on the third extra hole at TPC Southwind.

In fact, that was the second massive putt Zalatoris had made to that point, the first coming on the final hole of regulation, when he holed a 10-footer for par and shouted amid the roars:

"What are they going to say now?"

That was a reference to the same line Steph Curry shouted after winning the NBA Championship in June, and though Zalatoris was embarrassed about it afterward, it spoke to the frustration of someone who had come close to winning again and again, in very big tournaments, before this breakthrough. Zalatoris' season has been a gutting run of almosts, highlighted by a playoff loss to Justin Thomas at the PGA Championship and a runner-up finish at the U.S. Open after a closing duel with eventual winner Matt Fitzpatrick. It was particularly gratifying that his most clutch shots down the stretch came with the putter, which has long been seen as his greatest weakness.

"It's kind of hard to say 'about time' when it's your second year on tour," Zalatoris said, "but about time."

MORE: Major winners Scott, Glover among four pros to play their way into FedEx Cup top 70, extend season by a week

Sitting in front of the media, a small grin spreading beneath his aquiline nose, Zalatoris made it clear that he never felt any self-pity, even during the close calls. In fact, to hear him tell it, each so-called "failure" was actually a step forward.

"Anytime you put yourself in contention you're going to learn something about yourself," said Zalatoris, who joined Camilo Villegas (2008 BMW Championship) as the only pros to win their maiden tour titles in a FedEx Cup playoff event. "The first second at the Masters was life changing because it put me in position to play out here as much as I wanted to and put me kind of on the map. The second at the PGA was kind of affirmation that it wasn't a fluke of a week, and the third one at the U.S. Open gave me that much more belief that I can win a major, I can win out here."

That self-belief propelled him through his season, and through the strange, dramatic moments on a hot Sunday in Memphis, where the 25-year-old "finally" grabbed the brass ring that was always meant to be his. As he would say, about time.

Will Zalatoris and the return of a budding PGA Tour star

NASSAU, Bahamas — He walked off the 18th green toward the scoreboard with a big ol’ black 9 next to his name and just apologized. “I’m sorry you had to watch such bad golf today,” Will Zalatoris joked to the volunteers as he gave them the customary autographed ball.

Thursday was supposed to be his day, his return to golf seven months after a back injury forced Zalatoris to withdraw before the Masters and undergo microdiscectomy surgery to repair the issues that plagued him for years. He would debut his new broomstick putter and show the world that one of the most exciting young stars in golf was back.

Advertisement

Instead, there was that black 9, a brutal first-round 81 at the Hero World Challenge thanks to a poor putting performance — losing 5.89 strokes on the green (a Shotlink number he actually says is wrong!) with that new putter. But who cares? Really, who cares? Zalatoris truly laughed all of it off, repeating, “I had no expectations coming in.” That was the entire point of choosing this event, a relaxed 20-man field in front of maybe a few hundred wealthy spectators in the Bahamas.

“This week is a lot of R&D,” Zalatoris said.

What matters is that Zalatoris was here, and it doesn’t hurt that he bounced back with a 68 on Friday while leading the field in putting. But what really matters is the past year to get here.

“Yeah, it’s been …,” he began his news conference Tuesday before trailing off. “It’s been an interesting seven months.”

Because Zalatoris was about to become one of the dudes . He was something of a unicorn, so thin but with ridiculous swing speed, long drives and filthy iron play. It all added up to finishing top 10 in his first three majors as a PGA Tour player, including a second-place finish at the 2021 Masters. Then in 2022, he went T6, 2 and T2 at the first three majors, losing the PGA Championship to Justin Thomas in a three-hole playoff and playing in the final group at the U.S. Open with Matt Fitzpatrick. It was almost comical, a then-26-year-old star who still hadn’t won a PGA Tour event but had six top-10 major finishes. That’s as many as Patrick Cantlay and Viktor Hovland combined, to date.

Great to see from Willy Z. 🙌 Will Zalatoris drains the birdie putt from 33 feet out on 17! 📺: Golf Channel & @peacock | #HeroWorldChallenge pic.twitter.com/4WhX6imjnV — Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) December 1, 2023

So when Zalatoris finally won the 2022 Memphis St. Jude Invitational in a thrilling playoff, he almost came to tears. All this excitement and promise was finally coming together.

“Yeah, it’s kind of hard to say ‘about time’ when it’s your second year on tour,” Zalatoris said that day, “but about time.”

One week later, his back went out. He had to withdraw from the BMW Championship in the third round, but he and his surgeon decided not to do surgery. He withdrew from the Presidents Cup and worked his way back with an underwhelming ramp-up to the Masters as he tried to tinker with his swing mechanics. Then, 30 minutes before his Masters tee time, it went out again. “Kind of a golfer’s worse nightmare.” He left Augusta, and his 2023 season was over.

It leaves Zalatoris in golf purgatory, waiting to see if this will be just one hiccup or the kind of moment that stunts a career. He is simultaneously someone who can be one of the PGA Tour’s biggest stars and someone who just turned 27 with one win on tour. No longer young, the 2023 season should have been his year. He would have been a shoo-in for the Ryder Cup. Instead, it was all on hold.

“I had been on kind of cruise control for two years of just this steady progression, being in contention at majors, I think not really giving myself the time to fully kind of appreciate kind of where I was physically,” Zalatoris said.

The hardest part was patience. He never knew when he’d be able to come back. He couldn’t pick up his dogs, and little events like walking down the stairs were big moments.

But it also meant time Zalatoris normally doesn’t get. He and his wife, Caitlin, could make bucket list trips like going to Wimbledon. “I was able to kind of just live life,” he said. He returned to school, doing some Wake Forest elective classes he never finished. “I’m 27 and I’m writing my resume for work and made a LinkedIn account and whatnot.”

All of these things are little examples of why there can be optimism Zalatoris can succeed in this comeback. On the surface, he looks like the Dallas country club kid he is, the son of a shopping mall developer. But then he begins to talk, and you realize he’s a nerd. He’s cool and self-deprecating and gets obsessed with figuring out why things are the way they are. So when he talks about all the struggles of the past year, he tries to reframe it.

“I feel like I know myself better physically, know myself better mentally,” he said. “So I think there’s going to be a lot of positives that are going to come from this time off. It’s not like I just sat around and didn’t even watch golf or think about golf. I was watching guys every day, seeing how some of my buddies were playing. So my mind was always there, but when you’re not able to have a club in your hand …”

He started hitting balls without restrictions only six weeks ago. His surgeon wanted him to return a week ago at the RSM Classic, but Zalatoris and his team decided on the Bahamas in part because there wouldn’t be pressure at the start of the tour’s silly season. During his morning range sessions, he could be heard debating college football or talking about baseball with his caddie and coach.

The key to all of this to work, though, is trying to reduce the stress on his back without losing his explosiveness. He had this winding, athletic “backwards C” type swing.

“I’ve always been a very hyperdynamic — my left foot’s off the ground like (Justin Thomas),” Zalatoris said. “Well, the reality is that actually put a lot of stress on my back, and I had a bunch of side bend and maybe my posture wasn’t perfect.”

So he and coach Troy Denton worked on leveling out that swing, making it more rotational and horizontal. A big focus is keeping his left heel on the ground, which comes with give and take. It takes stress off his back, but he might lose some power. It also adds accuracy. Zalatoris always gained more than 11 strokes off the tee in distance, but he lost strokes in accuracy. He said he’s still getting up as high as 178 mph ball speed sometimes (he was generally in the 180s before the injury) while hitting more fairways (he’s hit 50 percent through two rounds in Nassau).

So when Zalatoris shot an 81 Thursday, he was frustrated, but he was not upset. He is working on a new swing and an entirely new putting style simultaneously, while managing his back. “It’s just mental rust,” he said. Also, he laughed at the 5.89 strokes lost putting, saying he thinks the Shotlink was way off. He said he had putts miss by 6 inches but Shotlink said they missed by 11 feet.

By Friday, he looked far sharper, sinking difficult eagle and birdie putts, including a 33-foot birdie on No. 17. His 68 included seven birdies or eagles, with most of his bogeys coming via wild drives on this sandy course. Zalatoris was notorious for his struggles on the greens pre-injury and is now using the broomstick putter popularized by Lucas Glover this summer. “I’m still learning how to use that thing, but I think the last 12 holes it was really good.”

“I know really, really good golf is ahead,” he said. “It’s just getting the reps in.”

His goal from here on out is just to get back to par, making positive steps toward playing that good golf. These are all just little moments toward trying to make that leap in 2024, to get out of that purgatory and take his place again as one of the best golfers in the world. Nobody has ever denied he can be as good as anyone. This is just the fork in the road in his career.

So as he finished up his round, signed his scorecard and went to greet Caitlin, he hugged her and smiled.

“Little easier today, huh?”

(Top photo: Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)

Get all-access to exclusive stories.

Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us.

Brody Miller covers golf and the LSU Tigers for The Athletic. He came to The Athletic from the New Orleans Times-Picayune. A South Jersey native, Miller graduated from Indiana University before going on to stops at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Indianapolis Star, the Clarion Ledger and NOLA.com. Follow Brody on Twitter @ BrodyAMiller

• The Masters at Augusta National
• Masters Watch Live
• Masters Video Highlights
• Masters Leaderboard
• The Masters Tournament History
• Masters Tournament Schedule
• Masters Patrons: Weather, Parking, Directions
• Masters Field
• Masters - Augusta National Golf Course
• Track Your Favorite Players at the Masters
• Shop: The Masters at Augusta National
• The Masters: Tee Times & Groupings
• Masters Newsletter
• Play Masters Fantasy

View every shot that he makes at the 2024 Masters

Cumulative breakdown of scores per hole

Will Zalatoris Overall

Double bogeys, official score card.

Social Channels:

Past Masters

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Will Zalatoris gets 1st PGA Tour win in playoff at Memphis

Will Zalatoris holds the trophy after winning the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Will Zalatoris celebrates after defeating Sepp Straka, of Austria, in a playoff in the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Will Zalatoris kisses the trophy after winning the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Will Zalatoris, left, looks at his tee shot on the 11th green during a playoff in the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Will Zalatoris celebrates after making a putt on the 18th green during the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Sepp Straka, of Austria, gets ready to hit off the sixth tee during the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Sepp Straka, of Austria, hits off the sixth tee during the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Sepp Straka, of Austria, hits out of a bunker on the 11th green during a playoff in the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Will Zalatoris looks at his tee shot lie on the 11th green during a playoff in the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Lucas Glover, right, talks with his caddie before putting on the 18th green during the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Adam Scott, of Australia, watches his shot off the sixth tee during the third round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

Cameron Smith, of Australia, watches his putt on the fifth green during the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Sepp Straka, of Austria, reacts as he misses a birdie putt on the 18th green during the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Will Zalatoris, right, greets Sepp Straka, of Austria, after defeating Straka in a playoff in the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

• Copy Link copied

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The 10-foot par putt in regulation was so crucial and the moment so important that Will Zalatoris doesn’t remember screaming out when he made it, “What are they gonna say now?”

It took three playoff holes to get the answer Sunday in the FedEx St. Jude Championship, and it was more along the lines of what they won’t say.

Zalatoris is no longer the best on the PGA Tour without a victory.

Already a force in the majors, Zalatoris got that first win out of the way with clutch putts and smart decisions to beat Sepp Straka and capture the first FedEx Cup playoffs event.

“It’s hard to say, ‘About time,’ when it’s your second year on tour, but it’s about time,” Zalatoris said. “Considering all those close finishes, it means a lot.”

He could have been referring to his runner-up to Hideki Matsuyama in the Masters last year, playoff losses at Torrey Pines and at Southern Hills in the PGA Championship, and most recently the putt that burned the edge of the cup that kept him from a U.S. Open playoff.

This one could have gone either way, a playoff that featured three penalty drops in three holes, neither player making birdie and Zalatoris winning on the par-3 11th with a bogey.

He looked to be in trouble from a fairway bunker on the 18th in regulation until Zalatoris made that 10-footer for par at a 4-under 66. He was in the trees, close to a boundary fence on the 18th on the second playoff hole when he wisely chipped out and made a 15-foot par putt.

Nothing was more wild than the final hole.

His tee shot hit the bank and then bounced seven times on the rocks before coming to rest. Straka followed with a shot that hit the bank, took one bounce off the rocks and went into the water. A huge break for Zalatoris? Not really. He had no realistic shot.

Straka went to the drop zone and his wedge went into the back bunker. He played his fourth shot out to 4 feet as Zalatoris was still going over his options.

“Considering where Sepp was and he had 4 feet for 5, there’s no reason for me to try that shot and make it bank right into the grass and go back in the water and all of a sudden I’ve lost the golf tournament,” Zalatoris said.

He went to the drop zone, hit to 7 feet and let his raised hands drop over his head in relief when he made the winning putt.

Zalatoris moves into the top 10 in the world for the first time and takes the No. 1 spot in the FedEx Cup, assuring him a reasonable shot at the $18 million prize in two weeks.

Straka, already a winner this year in the Honda Classic, narrowly missed a 20-foot birdie putt for the win on the 18th for a 67. He had a 25-foot putt for the win on the 18th on the first playoff hole and had to make a 7-footer the second time around to stay in the game.

“This course is where every shot you hit you’re on the edge of your seat,” Straka said. “Add the nerves of competing for a tournament to that, especially for a playoff event and yeah, it can get a little crazy.”

They finished at 15-under 265.

Straka, who played bogey-free over the final 13 holes in regulation, moves to No. 8 in the standings and is assured his first trip to the Tour Championship at East Lake.

Lucas Glover came away with a consolation prize. The former U.S. Open champion came into the FedEx Cup playoffs at No. 121, knowing that only the top 70 advance to the next tournament.

Glover closed with a 66 and wound up in a tie for third. Not only was he among four players who moved into the top 70, he now is at No. 34 and has a good chance of being part of the top 30 who go to the Tour Championship to play for the $18 million first prize.

Also moving into the top 70 were Adam Scott, Andrew Putnam and Wyndham Clark, who had reason to think he had thrown away his chances when he played a four-hole stretch in 4-over par and had to save par on the 18th for a 72. He finished at No. 70 by three points.

Meanwhile, No. 1 in the world stays with Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, who missed the cut and spent Sunday playing Pine Valley for the first time.

British Open champion Cameron Smith could have replaced him by winning, and he arrived at the TPC Southwind two shots out of the lead. And then he was four shots back without hitting a shot. Smith was given a two-shot penalty when rules officials realized upon review that when Smith took a penalty drop in the third round, the ball was still touching the red hazard line.

They checked with Smith, who confirmed it was touching the line. He birdied the first hole, made only one other birdie, shot 70 and tied for 13th. Smith declined interview requests.

More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

• Will Zalatoris

• Birthday: 08/16/1996
• College: Wake Forest University

ODDS & RANKING

2022-23 season results, 2022-23 strokes gained, 2022-23 tournament results, pga tour wins.

• 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship

CAREER RESULTS

Career strokes gained, valspar championship past results, latest stories, recommended stories.

Tiger Woods accepts special exemption into 2024 US Open at Pinehurst No. 2

These are the three things a golfer should think about before every chip or pitch shot

The Hydragun HeatPulse massager is perfect for the walking golfer for recovery and pain relief

Rory McIlroy set to re-join PGA Tour Policy Board, replacing Webb Simpson: Report

2024 RBC Heritage final results: Prize money payout, PGA Tour leaderboard and how much each golfer won

15-year-old Miles Russell finishes inside LECOM Suncoast Classic top 25, earns another Korn Ferry start

Advertisement

Will zalatoris odds to win the 2024 the memorial tournament presented by workday, share this article.

Will Zalatoris is heading to Muirfield Village GC in Dublin, OH this week, as he’ll be one of the many golfers playing in the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday from June 6-9.

Wanting to wager on Zalatoris in this week’s tournament? Here are some ways to get in on the betting action.

the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday details and info

• Date: June 6-9, 2024
• Course: Muirfield Village GC
• Location: Dublin, OH
• Previous Winner: Viktor Hovland

How to watch the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday

• Thursday: Golf Channel
• Friday: Golf Channel
• Saturday: Golf Channel
• Sunday: Golf Channel

Catch all the action with Fubo! Get live sports and shows without cable. Click here for a free trial and start streaming today.

Zalatoris odds to win the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday

The current odds on Zalatoris to win the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday are +7500. If you decided to bet $10 on Zalatoris, you’d end up with $760.00 if he won.

PGA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook . Odds updated Wednesday at 8:56 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub .

Zalatoris odds to finish in the top 5 at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday

Zalatoris is +1200 to finish in the top five at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. If you bet $10 on Zalatoris, you’d get $130.00 back.

Zalatoris odds to finish in the top 10 at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday

Odds for the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday are available, and Zalatoris is listed at +550 to at least finish in the top 10. That means wagering $10 on Zalatoris would give you $65.00.

Other betting markets for Zalatoris at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday

There are lots of other ways to wager on golf too. For example, you can pick whether a player will make the cut, or who will be in front at the end of the first round. More common golf wagers include one-on-one matchups and 3-ball matchups (when three players are grouped together and teeing off at the same time). It’s easy — just select who will wind up posting the best score in that round.

Zalatoris recent performances

While Zalatoris hasn’t won any of the 10 tournaments he has participated in this season, he has come away with two top-five finishes and three top-10 finishes. In his past four events, Zalatoris has finished in the top 10 once. Zalatoris will seek to make the cut for the sixth straight event. Zalatoris has one top-five finish in his last two trips to this tournament. His average finishing position over that span is fifth.

Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Golfweek operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Most Popular

Golfweek's best 2024: top public-access golf courses in every state, ranked, 'we have a commissioner who is a chicken s---': how the rank-and-file feel about signature events, golfweek's best 2024: top private golf courses in every state, ranked, rickie fowler, jordan spieth, wyndham clark among the notables to miss the cut at 2024 memorial, scottie scheffler is relentless, rory mcilroy gives update on pga tour-pif meeting and more from saturday at 2024 memorial tournament, meet the 12 liv golf players in the field for the 2024 u.s. open at pinehurst no. 2, an early look at the betting favorites for the 2024 u.s. open at pinehurst no. 2.

Will Zalatoris

• United States
• Birthdate 8/16/1996 (27)
• Birthplace San Francisco, California
• College Wake Forest
• Swing Right
• Turned Pro 2018

Quick Links

The memorial tournament pres. by workday - jun 6-9, muirfield village golf club, racing positions.

• Mark Schlabach
• Paolo Uggetti

Recent 2024 PGA TOUR Tournaments

Latest videos, north: fitzpatrick played brilliantly to win his first u.s. open, scheffler wins memorial tournament, shares special celebration with family, shane lowry has priceless reaction after chipping in for birdie, adam hadwin gets his final round started with a chip-in birdie, rahm shows some discomfort after tee shot ends up in water, jon rahm (foot) withdraws from liv event ahead of u.s. open, scottie scheffler's errant tee shot leads to triple bogey on hole 9.

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your US State Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Disney Ad Sales Site
• Work for ESPN
• Corrections

More From Forbes

The memorial tournament 2024 golf odds, pga picks, props and featured groups.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

DUBLIN, OHIO: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, Adam Scott of Australia and Viktor Hovland of Norway ... [+] walk off the 18th tee during the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

A marquee Signature Event this week in the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village should provide a strong test for the limited field of 72 top golfers ahead of next week’s U.S. Open . The top 50 players plus ties make the cut, and players odds, profiles, matchups, tee times and featured groups are provided and updated as leading online sportsbooks and analysts provide more information by Wednesday.

Known as Jack's Place , the Nicklaus-designed masterpiece at Muirfield Village has been a regular stop on Tour since 1976. This is the 49th edition and fourth since the second course renovation in 2020, which included rebuilding of all 18 greens, relocation of several greens, contour changes on bentgrass greens, rebuilding bunkers, relocating, leveling and seeding tees, and renovating and seeding bentgrass fairways.

Hole-By-Hole Course Description And Overview

• The Memorial Tournament - June 6-9
• Muirfield Village Golf Club - Dublin, Ohio
• 7,569 yards, Par 72
• Purse: $20 million, $4 million to the winner

The course conditions and scoring have toughened since the 2020 renovation.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, the memorial tournament 2024 odds.

Leading favorites and contenders golf odds from FanDuel Sportsbook refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting.

Odds leaders: 28 of the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking are in the field.

• +360: Scottie Scheffler (Round 1 leader +1200)
• +850: Rory McIlroy (Round 1 leader +1800)
• +900: Xander Schauffele (Round 1 leader +1800)
• +1400: Collin Morikawa (Round 1 leader +2200)
• +1800: Viktor Hovland (Round 1 leader +2500)
• +2200: Ludvig Aberg (+220 top 10)
• +2500: Patrick Cantlay (+230 top 10)
• +3000: Justin Thomas (+240 top 10)
• +3500: Tommy Fleetwood (down from +4500, and +240 top 10)
• +4500: Hideki Matsuyama (+320 top 10)
• +5000: Wyndham Clark, Tom Kim, Russell Henley
• +5500: Jordan Spieth, Sahith Theegala, Matt Fitzpatrick
• +5500: Sam Burns, Corey Conners, Max Homa, Byeong Hun An
• +6000: Sungjae Im, Alex Noren, Si Woo Kim
• +6500: Tony Finau
• +7000: Billy Horschel, Sepp Straka, Keegan Bradley, Cameron Young
• +7500: Will Zalatoris, Shane Lowry
• +8000: Jason Day, Denny McCarthy
• +9000: Brian Harman, Tom Hoge
• +10000: Harris English

72-Hole Winning Score: Over/Under 276.5 (Par 72)

Power rankings, golf stats and player profiles and performances are included as golfers take aim at a prestigious title at the Memorial.

The Memorial Tournament is presented by Workday, whose PGA Tour Ambassadors include Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker.

Types Of Bets And How To Read The Odds

Review the results and top players performances at the 2024 PGA Championship, won by Xander Schauffele. The course at Valhalla in Louisville plays similar length to Muirfield Village with bentrass greens and similar size, averaging 5,000 square feet.

Approach play stats are still more significant than driving stats at Muirfield Village when evaluating strokes gained data. Longer approach shots for proximity to hole stats are worth identifying on golfers as they also sharpen their Around the Green game with more rough around the smaller greens at Muirfield and limited runoff areas making hitting greens more difficult.

Missing the fairway’s has resulted in Muirfield having the second-lowest birdie percentage from the rough of any course on the PGA Tour.

• SG: Around the Green (fast)
• SG: Approach and Ball Striking
• SG: Putting (on bentgrass)
• SG: Tee-to-Green, Off the Tee
• Par-4 Scoring (focus 450-500 yards)
• Proximity to Hole (150-200+ yards)

In the 2023 tournament at Muirfield, 51% of approach shots came from beyond 175 yards.

Making birdies on Par 5’s is where scoring is made for your player picks at Muirfield. The four par 5s are the only holes which feature a scoring average below par. The SG: Par 5 leaders over their last 36 rounds on bentgrass greens and diffucult courses include Rory McIlroy, Sam Burns, Andrew Novak, Shane Lowry and Sahith Theegala.

Note that 14 of the past 16 winners have ranked inside the top-10 of SG: Approach for the week at Muirfield. That includes past winners Viktor Hovland, Billy Horschel, Patrick Cantlay, Hideki Matsuyama, Matt Kuchar, and Justin Rose.

Titleist has also unveiled the new GT2, GT3 and GT4 drivers on the PGA Tour this week. According to the company, Titleist drivers have been the No. 1-played models on the PGA Tour for the last five years. No word yet on which players might be making the switchover.

Leading golf analysts and contributors picks to win and top finishing position in the 2024 Memorial Tournament. Check back Tuesday and Wednesday as picks become available.

• Golf Digest: Viktor Hovland (3), Collin Morikawa (2), Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay and longshots Byeong Hun An, Sahith Theegala, Russell Henley, Si Woo Kim, Shane Lowry, Sam Burns, Matt Fitzpatrick
• SportingLife: Tommy Fleetwood, Max Homa, Sam Burns and big longshots Rickie Fowler, Austin Eckroat
• Golf Bet: Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and longshots Si Woo Kim and Will Zalatoris with top-10 finishes Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns and Morikawa
• FanDuel : Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and top 10/20 Russell Henley, Sepp Straka, Keegan Bradley

Golf.com also picks Denny McCarthy to win this week after just missing in a playoff last year to Viktor Hovland (-7) with Scottie Scheffler finishing T3, Si Wook Kim and Jordan Spieth (T4), Rory McIlroy and Adam Schenk (T7) and Matt Fitzpatrick, Adam Scott and Rickie Fowler finishing top-10. McCarthy is also the only top-1o finisher last year who also finished top 10 in the 2022 event at Muirfield Village when he was T5 behind winner Billy Horschel (-13). And Patrick Cantlay (-13) beat Collin Morikawa in a playoff to win the 2021 Memorial with Scheffler T3 and Shane Lowry, Max Homa, Si Woo Kim and Xander Schauffele all finishing top-11.

Many legends of the game have won the Jack Nicklaus-hosted Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village ... [+] Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio including 5-time winner Tiger Woods. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Update : World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has finished in 3rd place in the 2023 and 2021 Memorial Tournament. Lead Data Analyst and The Athletic contributor Justin Ray adds that Scheffler had one of the more incredible statistical weeks in modern golf history at the 2023 Memorial. Scottie gained 20.69 strokes on the field tee-to-green, the 2nd-highest total over 72 holes since the PGA Tour started tracking the statistic in 2003 (Vijay Singh gained 21.14 at the '04 Deutsche Bank).

Scheffler led the field in:

• Greens in regulation
• SG Off the Tee
• SG Approach
• Proximity to the hole
• SG Around the Green

But Scottie was dead last in the field in SG: Putting, which cost him the chance to win while finishing 1-shot behind winner Viktor Hovland.

Tournament Matchups

Additional golf betting odds and matchups from FanDuel and leading online sportsbooks are updated and adjusted througout the tournament along with props and live betting.

The last two weeks tournament matchups are 3-0 on these pages in the RBC Canadian Open and Charles Schwab Challenge .

Check back Tuesday and Wednesday as matchups are posted by sportsbooks and others added.

• Schauffele (-130) vs. McIlroy (+110)
• Scheffler (-200) vs. McIlroy (+160) - Bet McIlroy
• Matsuyama (-120) vs. Theegala (+100)
• Schauffele (-130) vs. Morikawa (+105) - Bet Schauffele
• Lowry (-110) vs. Horschel (-110)
• Hovland (-125) vs. J. Thomas (+105)
• Sungjae Im (-110) vs. Sam Burns
• Conners (-130) vs. Clark (-105)

How To Watch The Memorial Tournament

All times Eastern. Tournament June 6-9 (estimated times, to be finalized)

• Thursday-Friday: 2-6 p.m. (Golf Channel/Peacock)
• Saturday: 12: 30-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel/Peacock), 2:30-6 (CBS)
• Sunday : 12:30-2:30 p.m. (GC), 2:30-7 (CBS)

Streaming coverage online available at PGA Tour Live on ESPN+, Peacock and Paramount+.

Thursday and Friday pairings and tee times .

Featured Groups

Thursday PGA Tour Live on ESPN+

(Marquee groups ** showcase every shot from each player in the group)

• 8:55 am Hole #1 : Shane Lowry, Matt Fitzpatrick
• 9:45 am Hole #1 : Chris Kirk, Keegan Bradley
• 10:05 am Hole #1 : Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay **
• 10:20 am Hole #1 : Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland **
• 10:30 am Hole #1: Scottie Scheffler, Ludvig Åberg
• 9:35 am Hole #1 : Rickie Fowler, Max Homa
• 9:45 am Hole #1: Jason Day, Justin Rose
• 9:55 am Hole #1 : Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas
• 10:05 am Hole #1: Brian Harman, Jordan Spieth **
• 10:20 am Hole #1: Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa **

Featured holes Par 3’s at No. 4, 12, 16 and Par 5 at No. 15

Odds To Win 2024 U.S. Open

Check out more golf news , picks and information you can bet on for the Memorial Tournament and weekly PGA Tour golf tournaments. Next week it’s the U.S. Open, where betting on golf’s most grueling test will be even more popular with fans firing for fairways and greens on their favorite players, props and picks.

You can bet on it.

MORE FROM FORBES

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

• CBSSports.com
• Fanatics Sportsbook
• CBS Sports Home
• Champions League
• Motor Sports
• High School

Football Pick'em

College Pick'em

Fantasy baseball, fantasy football, fantasy basketball, fantasy hockey, franchise games, 24/7 sports news network.

• CBS Sports Golazo Network
• PGA Tour on CBS
• UEFA Champions League
• UEFA Europa League
• Italian Serie A
• Watch CBS Sports Network
• TV Shows & Listings

The Early Edge

A Daily SportsLine Betting Podcast

Beyond the Arc

It's NBA Playoff Time!

• Podcasts Home
• The First Cut Golf
• We Need to Talk Now
• Eye On College Basketball
• NFL Pick Six
• Cover 3 College Football
• Fantasy Football Today
• My Teams Organize / See All Teams Help Account Settings Log Out

2024 U.S. Open odds, golf picks: Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy predictions from model that won the Masters, PGA

U.s. open 2024 picks for tiger woods, rory mcilroy, brooks koepka and more 2024 u.s. open golfers.

The third major of the year will be decided when the PGA Tour heads to Pinehurst No. 2 for the 2024 U.S. Open. The tournament gets underway on Thursday, June 13 and will feature a star-studded 2024 U.S. Open field with the likes of Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm among the big names chasing the coveted U.S. Open trophy. Wyndham Clark enters the U.S. Open 2024 as the defending champion and will try to become the first golfer to defend his U.S. Open title successfully since Brooks Koepka (2017-18).

Scheffler, the No. 1 ranked player in the world, is the 4-1 favorite according to the latest 2024 U.S. Open odds. He's followed by McIlroy (9-1), Xander Schauffele (10-1), Koepka (12-1) and Rahm (12-1) among the 2024 U.S. Open golfers. Before locking in your 2024 U.S. Open picks or entering any PGA DFS tournaments on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, be sure to  see the golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine .

Our proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, the model is up almost $9,000 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure's model correctly predicted Scottie Scheffler would finish on top of the leaderboard at the 2024 Masters, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and The Players Championship this season. McClure also included Hideki Matsuyama in his best bets to win the 2024 Genesis Invitational. That bet hit at +9000, and for the entire tournament, McClure's best bets returned nearly $1,000.

The model also predicted Jon Rahm would be victorious at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions and The American Express. At the 2023 Masters, the model was all over Rahm's second career major victory heading into the weekend. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the third round, but the model still projected him as the winner. It was the second straight Masters win for the model, which also nailed Scheffler winning in 2022.

This same model has also nailed a whopping 12 majors entering the weekend, including three straight Masters and the 2024 PGA Championship. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now that the 2024 U.S. Open is approaching, SportsLine simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising.  Head to SportsLine now to see the projected 2024 U.S. Open leaderboard .

2024 U.S. Open predictions for Brooks Koepka, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy

One shocker the model is calling for at the U.S. Open 2024: Brooks Koepka (12-1), a five-time major winner and the U.S. Open champion in 2017 and 2018, struggles and barely cracks the top 10. Koepka seems to find his form heading into majors. However, he enters the 2024 U.S. Open having finished outside the top 25 in each of his last three starts in majors.

In addition, Koepka has shot over par in five of the eight rounds he's played at majors in 2024. In total, he has shot over par in eight of his last 11 rounds at major championships. Kopeka's lack of consistent tournament golf seems to be catching up to him, and the model sees far better value in the 2024 U.S. Open field.  See who else to fade here . 

The model has also locked in its projection for Tiger Woods (125-1), a 15-time major winner. Woods has won the U.S. Open three times in his career, the most recent coming in 2008. His 15 major titles rank second all-time behind only Jack Nicklaus (18).

Woods is one of golf's five winners of the career Grand Slam, but injuries have taken their toll on the 48-year-old. He had to withdraw from the Genesis Invitational in February and is coming off a missed cut at the PGA Championship in May. He made the cut at the Masters in April, but shot an 82 and 77 in the final two rounds to finish 60th.  See where every golfer finishes here .

On the other hand, the model has examined Rory McIlroy's (9-1) chances to win his second U.S. Open after being victorious in 2011. McIlroy has made 23 straight cuts, the third-longest active streak on tour. He has a high floor, but McIlroy has also had a low ceiling, for the most part, this season on tour. He has just four top-10s, as do 21 other players on tour, after he was one of just three golfers with at least 13 top-10s last season.

McIlroy's metrics indicate he should place better than he has thus far, as he ranks among the top five in the strokes gained categories of total, tee-to-green and off-the-tee. He's also second in driving distance and third in scoring average (adjusted), but a golfer is only as strong as his putter. The four-time major winner sits outside the top 100 in 3-putt avoidance, which could undermine his ball-striking to reach the green. Even with that, McIlroy has improved his finish in each of his last five U.S. Open starts, and after being a runner-up in 2023, there's just one spot he can improve to in 2024.  See the full U.S. Open projections from the model here .

How to make 2024 U.S. Open picks

The model is targeting three golfers with 2024 U.S. Open odds of 20-1 or longer who will make surprising runs. Anyone who backs these longshots could hit it big. You can only see the model's 2024 U.S. Open picks here .

Who will win the 2024 U.S. Open, which longshots will stun the golfing world, and where will Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy finish? Check out the latest 2024 U.S. Open odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected U.S. Open 2024 leaderboard, all from the model that has nailed 12 golf majors , including this year's Masters and PGA Championship.

2024 U.S. Open odds, field

See the full U.S. Open 2024 picks, best bets, and predictions here .

Scottie Scheffler 4-1 Rory McIlroy 9-1 Xander Schauffele 10-1 Brooks Koepka 12-1 Jon Rahm 12-1 Ludvig Aberg 14-1 Viktor Hovland 18-1 Collin Morikawa 18-1 Bryson DeChambeau 20-1 Patrick Cantlay 22-1 Wyndham Clark 22-1 Joaquin Niemann 25-1 Cameron Smith 25-1 Max Homa 30-1 Justin Thomas 33-1 Cameron Young 35-1 Dustin Johnson 35-1 Jordan Spieth 35-1 Hideki Matsuyama 35-1 Shane Lowry 40-1 Sahith Theegala 40-1 Tom Kim 40-1 Tony Finau 40-1 Sungjae Im 40-1 Matt Fitzpatrick 40-1 Jason Day 45-1 Tommy Fleetwood 50-1 Min Woo Lee 50-1 Tyrrell Hatton 50-1 Brian Harman 55-1 Corey Conners 60-1 Sam Burns 60-1 Patrick Reed 60-1 Si Woo Kim 65-1 Justin Rose 65-1 Sepp Straka 70-1 Louis Oosthuizen 75-1 Abraham Ancer 75-1 Rickie Fowler 75-1 Adam Scott 75-1 Talor Gooch 75-1 Russell Henley 90-1 Daniel Berger 100-1 Keegan Bradley 100-1 Keith Mitchell 125-1 Ryan Fox 125-1 J.T. Poston 125-1 Billy Horschel 125-1 Tiger Woods 125-1 Sergio Garcia 125-1 Thomas Pieters 150-1 Kurt Kitayama 150-1 Phil Mickelson 150-1 Mito Pereira 150-1 Denny McCarthy 150-1 Harris English 150-1 Christiaan Bezuidenhout 150-1 Adam Schenk 175-1 Emiliano Grillo 175-1 Austin Eckroat 175-1 Robert MacIntyre 175-1 Marc Leishman 175-1 Adam Hadwin 175-1 Lucas Glover 200-1 Nick Taylor 200-1 Davis Riley 200-1 Mackenzie Hughes 200-1 Jason Kokrak 200-1 Harold Varner III 225-1 Seamus Power 225-1 Taylor Moore 250-1 Ben Kohles 250-1 Gary Woodland 250-1 Aaron Wise 250-1 Francisco Molinari 350-1 Joel Dahmen 350-1 Martin Kaymer 500-1 Bernhard Langer 750-1  

Our Latest Golf Stories

2024 U.S. Open odds, picks, best bets, field

Cbs sports staff • 5 min read, 2024 u.s. open odds, scottie scheffler picks.

Purse and payouts for 2024 Memorial Tournament

Patrick mcdonald • 1 min read.

How to watch 2024 Memorial Tournament

Rahm WDs from LIV Houston with apparent foot injury

Kyle porter • 1 min read.

Father's Day golf gift guide for 2024 season

Kyle porter • 5 min read, share video.

2024 U.S. Open picks, odds, best bets, field

Scheffler, Schauffele, McIlroy lead

Rahm WDs from LIV event with apparent foot injury

2024 Memorial prize money, purse, payout breakdown

Furyk names assistant captains for Presidents Cup

All charges dropped against Scheffler in Louisville

U.S. Open odds: Scheffler stands as heavy favorite

Davis Love III enthused about golf's young stars

Johnny Damon: How I started loving golf

Jim Furyk offers key advice to Ryder Cup captains