2026 Memorial Tournament Power Rankings: Top 10 Golfers To Watch

June 2, 2026

Ian McNeill ranks his top-10 PGA Tour players to watch at the 2026 Memorial Tournament from Muirfield Village Golf Club. His data-backed insights into who is primed for success.

Two weeks ahead of the U.S. Open, the PGA Tour’s best come together at one of the year’s most demanding examinations of complete golf. Muirfield Village’s thick rough and firm, fast Bentgrass greens turn it into a near-Major Championship test, where missed fairways and imprecise approaches are quickly punished.

And with all but one member of the current top 10 in attendance, this iconic venue will also represent the final time this elite group will gather in full before turning their attention to Shinnecock Hills.

But how does this field stack up at the top -- and who, if anyone, should you be targeting on pre-week betting boards? Without further ado, here are my top-10 players to watch at the 2026 Memorial Tournament!

No. 10 - Justin Thomas

Just a chip n' a putt.

Justin Thomas grabs a share of the lead at 4-under with a birdie on No. 6. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/9o4kdIImeV

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 16, 2026

If anyone had lingering doubts about the sustainability of Justin Thomas' return to the top of the game following his injury layoff, the month of May has gone a long way toward dispelling the idea that his PLAYERS Championship performance was a one-off resurgence.

Across his last four starts (Cadillac Championship through the Charles Schwab Challenge), Thomas has logged finishes of T23, 13th, T4, and T13, while gaining an impressive 1.36 strokes per round from tee to green -- the eighth-best mark in this field over that span.

That return to his trademark ball-striking form is significant not only for his long-term outlook, but also for his viability at Muirfield Village. Most importantly, Thomas appears to have stabilized one of the most persistent weaknesses in his profile.

After spending much of last season near the bottom of the Tour in driving accuracy, JT has surpassed the field average in fairway percentage in each of his last four starts. If that improvement is real, it meaningfully changes his outlook at Jack's Place, where avoiding the penal rough is a prerequisite for contention.

His iron play and short game have also trended back toward peak levels during this stretch, while the putter has shown flashes of carrying him as well -- including gains of 3.57 strokes at Quail Hollow and 6.98 strokes at Aronimink.

I'm not yet entirely confident in the week-to-week floor, but at current prices, unwavering faith is hardly required. Thomas can still be found around 40-1 in market -- even off of his best ball-striking performance in 12 months at Colonial (+7.42). I wouldn't blame anyone for taking a shot. When things do inevitably come together for JT, he's capable of contending on any stage.

No. 9 - Xander Schauffele

Xander is admittedly the name within the elite tier that I've been slower to fully buy into through the first part of 2026. But despite my model's less-than-glowing affinity for his early-season profile, the results have continued to speak for themselves for the two-time major champion.

Across his last nine starts, Schauffele has recorded five top-10 finishes and just one result worse than 24th. While his game has yet to fully click in unison, he continues to flash elite-level performance in individual categories that have propelled him into contention.

In the aggregate, he still ranks inside the top 20 in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, Approach, and Putting. And while his ball-striking has cooled in recent weeks, his putter carried him around Aronimink's treacherous bentgrass greens -- gaining 7.5 strokes to the field, the second-best mark of the week.

At Muirfield Village, the hesitation is less about whether Schauffele can contend and more about whether he holds a true edge over the elite tier. He has shown throughout his career, however, that he rarely plays himself out of tournaments. Since missing the cut on debut here in 2018, Schauffele has not finished outside the top 25 in any of his eight subsequent starts.

Even without a clearly dominant statistical category at Jack's Place, his floor remains among the highest in the field -- and that alone keeps him firmly inside the upper tier of contenders.

No. 8 - Russell Henley

LET RUSSELL HENLEY COOK 🔥🎯

Phenomenal shot to set up his FOURTH straight birdie from hole 16 to winning on the first playoff hole

📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/XRXeGURr1O

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) May 31, 2026

Playing in his first non-major, non-signature event since the week before the Masters, Russell Henley capitalized on his status as the tournament's second favorite with a playoff victory at Colonial -- his first win since defeating Collin Morikawa at last spring's Arnold Palmer Invitational.

That triumph in Fort Worth propelled Henley back inside the top five of the Official World Golf Ranking, and this week he'll have an opportunity to carry that momentum into another venue that rewards many of the same strengths.

While Muirfield Village won't offer nearly the same volume of club-down opportunities as Colonial, its demanding rough places a similar premium on driving precision. Few players in the world are better equipped to meet that challenge than Henley. Over his last 50 rounds, the Georgia Bulldog leads this field in Fairways Hit and ranks fourth when combining driving accuracy with greens hit in regulation.

The fit isn't merely theoretical, either. This very tournament helped reignite Henley's season a year ago following missed cuts at both the Masters and Quail Hollow, as he finished tied for fifth -- his best result in six career appearances at Muirfield Village.

This time around, Henley arrives in significantly better form. He enters the week fresh off a season-best ball-striking performance, gaining 11.35 strokes from tee to green at Colonial. Given the confidence generated by that victory and a course setup that rewards many of his greatest strengths, Henley deserves to be viewed as a legitimate contender for another title and affirm his position as one of the game's most under-appreciated stars.

No. 7 - Patrick Cantlay

While many players ahead of him this week will be leaning on either recent form or projected fit, Patrick Cantlay is one of the few in the field with a proven championship pedigree at Jack's Place. A two-time winner here (2019, 2022), Muirfield Village has long stood as one of Cantlay's favorite haunts on the schedule. His combination of precise ball-striking and comfort on firm Bentgrass greens has produced not only those victories, but four additional top-12 finishes at this venue since 2017.

There are also signs that the former World No. 3 is rounding back into peak form. Cantlay arrived at the PGA Championship at Aronimink with four consecutive top-12 finishes, and he currently ranks eighth in this field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green through the first five months of the 2026 season.

That recent run is further reinforced by a strong underlying baseline over his last 20 rounds, where he ranks 10th in this field in Strokes Gained: Approach and 21st in Good Drive Percentage -- a particularly dangerous combination given his historical comfort on these green complexes.

Cantlay has gained strokes putting in six of his last eight starts at Muirfield Village. And when the putter cooperates, the gains tend to come in bunches: he gained 3.68 strokes on the greens here last year (seventh in the field), and from 2019 to 2022 he averaged an elite +3.11 strokes gained putting per appearance at this event.

With both course history and current form aligning more cleanly than at any point in the past year, Cantlay profiles as one of the most dangerous players in the field. At anything north of 30-1, he remains a legitimate win equity play around a venue where he's already shown a winning track record.

No. 6 - Si Woo Kim

While a victory has thus far eluded Si Woo Kim during an otherwise remarkable 2026 campaign, his recent form and extensive success at Muirfield Village make him one of the most compelling contenders outside this week's established favorites.

In his most recent start, Kim leaned on his elite driving accuracy and a scorching putter to out-duel World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler deep into Sunday at the Byron Nelson. A closing 65 ultimately secured a solo runner-up finish, and while the result won't add another trophy to his collection, it served as yet another reminder that Kim possesses the game to stare down the sport's biggest stars when operating at his best.

The encouraging part for this week is that Muirfield Village should place an even greater emphasis on the strengths that have fueled his breakout season. Kim ranks second in this field in Driving Accuracy and seventh in Strokes Gained: Approach, a combination that has historically thrived at a venue where precision is often rewarded more than raw power. With Muirfield annually ranking among the Tour's most punitive tests from the rough, few players enter the week better equipped to navigate its demands.

And unlike some players whose course fit exists primarily on paper, Kim has repeatedly proven his comfort at Jack's Place. Dating back to 2020, he has recorded four finishes of 18th or better at the Memorial. In that span, only Scottie Scheffler has gained more strokes tee-to-green at Muirfield Village.

The putter will likely determine whether Kim merely contends or seriously threatens for the title. Replicating the performance he delivered in Dallas is far from guaranteed. Yet with one of the strongest ball-striking profiles in the field and a proven track record at this venue, Kim's floor is every bit as impressive as his ceiling. By virtually every meaningful metric, the 30-year-old Korean has performed like a top-10 player in the world this season, and Muirfield Village presents another ideal opportunity to reinforce that status.

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No. 5 - Cameron Young

FROM DISTANCE 🦅

Cameron Young EAGLE to go 7-under 👀

📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/5nQje51u8Y

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) May 9, 2026

How far have we come with Cameron Young that a top-10 finish at a Signature Event followed by a T26 in a major championship feels like a relatively quiet stretch?

Despite falling short in the season's first two majors, Young still enters the Memorial with one of the strongest Player of the Year résumés in professional golf. And at Jack's Place, he'll have another opportunity to add to an already impressive body of work against the deepest field the PGA Tour can assemble.

Young has been the king of the Signature Events through the first five months of 2026, claiming victories at both THE PLAYERS Championship and the Cadillac Championship while adding three additional top-10 finishes in seven starts. Championship-caliber tests have consistently brought out the best in his game. Since becoming a full-time PGA Tour member in 2022, Young has recorded top-10 finishes in 39 percent of his major championship appearances.

There are a few reasons, however, why he slots in behind the names above him this week. Among the market's elite tier, Young is the weakest approach player on a per-round basis, ranking 16th in this field. He also lacks the driving precision of players like Scottie Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick, a potentially important distinction at a venue that annually punishes wayward tee shots. And unlike many of his direct peers near the top of the betting board, Young has yet to crack the top 10 at Muirfield Village, with a T25 last season standing as his best result in four appearances.

Yet if there's one lesson from Young's 2026 campaign, it's that his ceiling remains as high as anyone's in the sport when every facet clicks simultaneously. Whether it was the dominant ball-striking display at Sawgrass or the putting masterclass at Doral, Young has repeatedly shown an ability to separate from elite fields when operating at his peak.

If one of those performances resurfaces this week, the rest of the field had better be on notice. Another runaway victory from the Scarborough Slugger may not be far behind.

No. 4 - Ludvig Åberg

From an outright betting standpoint, my unwavering faith in Ludvig Åberg has been a detriment through the first five months of 2026. Yet despite a trophy case that remains lighter than expected, the underlying numbers continue to paint the picture of one of the game's true superstars.

Outside of Scottie Scheffler, nobody in this field can match Åberg's prowess off the tee. The Swede ranks third on the PGA Tour in Total Driving, combining elite distance with remarkable accuracy in a way few players can replicate.

Bud while his driving has been regarded as a premier weapon since arriving on Tour, the real story behind Åberg's ascent has been the development of the rest of his game. Since last season, he has improved from 98th to 8th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 129th -> 9th Around the Green, and 86th -> 52nd in Strokes Gained: Putting. Those gains have elevated him to second on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Total.

The result? Nine consecutive finishes of 21st or better -- including six inside the top eight dating back to February's Genesis Invitational.

That well-rounded profile should translate beautifully to the demands of Muirfield Village. Even before this breakout campaign, Åberg had already demonstrated an affinity for Jack's Place. Across his first two appearances at the Memorial, he has posted finishes of fifth and 16th while gaining a combined 10.61 strokes tee-to-green -- the fourth-best mark in this field over that span.

Until he finally closes the deal, the conversation surrounding Åberg will inevitably center on missed opportunities and Sunday disappointments. Yet history suggests that players who consistently perform at this level eventually break through. And when Åberg finally converts one of these opportunities into a victory, there may not be another player on Tour with a higher ceiling outside of Scheffler himself.

After a T52 finish at Quail Hollow and a largely overlooked T14 at Aronimink, you'd be forgiven for wondering why Matt Fitzpatrick ranks this highly in a field featuring 72 of the PGA Tour's best players.

And while it's fair to suggest Fitzpatrick has cooled off somewhat since rattling off three victories in a four-start stretch this spring, the demands of Muirfield Village could hardly be better suited to his profile.

It starts off the tee, where few players have been more reliable. Fitzpatrick ranks sixth on Tour this season in both Good Drive Percentage and Fairways Hit. Unlike many of the accuracy specialists already mentioned on this list (Si Woo Kim, Russell Henley, etc.), however, Fitzpatrick pairs that precision with above-average distance, helping him rank fourth on the PGA Tour in Total Driving.

His approach play has become one of the most improved aspects of his game, as well. Fitzpatrick has gained at least two strokes on approach in each of his last six starts and leads this field in Strokes Gained: Approach on a per-round basis in 2026. What's particularly encouraging is that he experienced success at Jack's Place even before reaching this level with his irons. He finished fifth here two years ago despite losing strokes on approach for the week and recorded a third-place finish in 2020 while ranking just 94th on Tour in season-long approach play.

Perhaps most impressively, Fitzpatrick has evolved into an elite ball-striker without sacrificing the short-game brilliance that helped him first elevate into golf's upper tier. Through the first five months of the season, he ranks sixth in this field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green. And with Muirfield Village annually featuring some of the fastest and most demanding putting surfaces on Tour, it's worth noting that Fitzpatrick ranks fourth in this field in putting performance on fast greens over his last 75 rounds.

Given the improvements he's made from tee to green, combined with a proven track record at Muirfield Village and one of the most dependable short games in the field, it's difficult to identify many players better equipped to contend this week than Fitzpatrick.

While Rory McIlroy's first five months of 2026 have undoubtedly narrowed the gap between himself and Scottie Scheffler atop the game's hierarchy, Jack's Place has been anything but a personal playground for the four-time major champion.

Alongside Riviera, Muirfield Village remains one of the PGA Tour's true crown jewels that McIlroy has yet to conquer. And while he came within a shot of finally capturing the Genesis Invitational earlier this season, the same cannot be said for his recent results in central Ohio. Since 2019, McIlroy has recorded just one top-10 finish in six appearances at the Memorial, a surprisingly modest return for a player of his caliber.

His recent struggles finding fairways are unlikely to be masked this week. Muirfield Village has consistently featured some of the most penal rough on the PGA Tour, ranking inside the top five in rough penalty in nine of its last 11 editions. Adding to the concern, McIlroy's putter has failed to replicate the elite standard he established a season ago, falling from ninth to 58th in Strokes Gained: Putting on a season-long basis.

None of that should be interpreted as a reason to dismiss McIlroy outright. His combination of distance, iron play, and championship pedigree fully justifies his standing near the top of both betting boards and DFS pricing. However, compared to many of the venues where we routinely endorse McIlroy as the clear player to beat, Muirfield Village simply feels like a less natural fit for his current profile.