Here's everything you need to know about the 2024 Memorial Tournament first-round leader picks — including our expert's three FRL bets for this week's PGA Tour event in Dublin, Ohio.
With the RBC Canadian Open in the rear-view mirror, we now look forward to this week's 2024 Memorial Tournament, which Muirfield Village Golf Club will host once again.
Hosting annually since 1976, Muirfield is a par-72, 7,569-yard track designed by Jack Nicklaus that plays difficult and features Bentgrass greens.
Find my 2024 the Memorial Tournament first-round leader picks below.
2024 Memorial Tournament First-Round Leader Picks (FRL)
Rory McIlroy +1800 (DraftKings | 0.15 Units)
Thursday Tee Time: 1:20 p.m. ET
Rory McIlroy is in great form with two wins over his past four tournaments alongside two other top-12 finishes. Every club in his bag is working right now, so I expect this success to at least partly continue at Muirfield Village.
McIlroy is bombing off the tee like always, but his irons, wedges and putter are all also hot entering this week. He has gained strokes putting, around the green, on approach and off the tee in three consecutive tournaments.
McIlroy has also almost always excelled at Muirfield, boasting eight top-18 finishes across 12 career appearances at this venue. However, he has never sealed the deal here, which is why I prefer his elevated price in the FRL market rather than the outright market.
Collin Morikawa +2500 (DraftKings | 0.15 Units)
Thursday Tee Time: 1:40 p.m. ET
Collin Morikawa tees off just two groups after McIlroy. I also love backing Morikawa in this market since he won at this venue in 2020 for the Workday Charity Open, which was a one-time event that served as a replacement for the John Deere Classic during Covid.
Morikawa also finished runner-up here in 2021, so he clearly has no issues with this course. However, he has not won on Tour since last year's Zozo Championship against a much weaker field.
That is why I prefer him in the FRL market rather than the outright one this week. With that said, Morikawa is still in tremendous form with eight straight weekend appearances.
He boasts four top-10 finishes over that stretch, so he clearly possesses the talent to lead here after the first round.
Tommy Fleetwood +4000 (DraftKings | 0.15 Units)
Thursday Tee Time: 12:05 p.m. ET
Tommy Fleetwood is usually one of my favorite golfers to back in the FRL market. For some reason, he hasn't won on Tour.
However, he is still undoubtedly one of the best golfers in the world, and that naturally makes him one of the best golfers in this field. Fleetwood enters this week in great form and has made the weekend in seven consecutive tournaments.
He also boasts three top-15 finishes over that stretch. That run includes a third-place finish at the Masters, proving he can compete in a field with this level of talent.
This success is likely to continue at Muirfield Village, given that Fleetwood ranks sixth on Tour this season in Scrambling percentage. I mention that stat because Muirfield Village is an incredibly difficult track that rewards scrambling more than any other aspect of the game
Last year, five of the top-six finishers here ranked seventh or higher among the field in Scrambling, the only statistic or metric in which such a trend occurred.
Here's my full betting card for the Memorial Tournament, and you can find more of my thoughts on this week's tournament on the Links + Locks Best Bets podcast:
- Scottie Scheffler Outright Winner (+390 at bet365) – 0.35 Units
- Russell Henley Outright Winner (+5000 at bet365) – 0.35 Units
- Shane Lowry Outright Winner (+7500 at FanDuel) – 0.35 Units
- Keegan Bradley Top 5 (+1100 at DraftKings) – 0.21 Units
- Denny McCarthy Top 10 (+500 at DraftKings) – 0.21 Units
- Jackson Koivun Top 10 (+1300 at DraftKings) – 0.20 Units
- Rory McIlroy FRL (+1800 at DraftKings) – 0.15 Units
- Collin Morikawa FRL (+2500 at DraftKings) – 0.15 Units
- Tommy Fleetwood FRL (+4000 at DraftKings) – 0.15 Units
