The Loop
Fantasy Fix: Why we're picking this guy in a tuxedo to win the Memorial
By Alex Myers
The power structure in professional golf seemed to find some stability last week as new No. 1 Adam Scott won the Crowne Plaza Invitational. Are we about to see a wave of big names start winning again on the PGA Tour? We'll have to wait and see, but there's certainly a good chance of that this week with a star-studded field teeing it up at Muirfield Village for the Memorial. Which marquee names have the best chance of being at Sunday evening's trophy ceremony with tournament host Jack Nicklaus? Our weekly fantasy lineup:
Starters -- (A-List): Matt Kuchar. The most shocking piece of golf news last week wasn't Rory McIlroy ending his engagement to Caroline Wozniacki, but Kuchar finally having a bad week on the course. Kuchar missed the cut at Colonial, but we're not worried about whether he'll be able to turn it around at a tournament where he's finished in the top 10 five years in a row, including a win last year.
(B-List): Justin Rose. The reigning U.S. Open champ has a win, a runner-up and two other top 10s at Muirfield Village the past six years. He also has finished in the top five in both of his other May starts (Wells Fargo and the Players) on the PGA Tour. He only finished 25th at last week's BMW PGA, but he did look sharp in his tuxedo.
(B-List): Rory McIlroy. The breakup aside, McIlroy had looked close to breaking through all year and he finally did last week at the BMW PGA. This is not good news for the rest of the PGA Tour. McIlroy has struggled at the Memorial the past two years, but he was fifth in 2012 and T-10 in 2011.
(C-List): Pat Perez. Perez has cooled off after a hot start to 2014, but he's finished in the top 30 at Muirfield Village five straight years, including a T-8 in 2013.
Bench/Backups: Adam Scott, Jim Furyk, Justin Rose, J.B. Holmes.
Knockout/One-and-done pick: Justin Rose. We are burning a big name here, but hey, this is a big tournament. The Memorial will always be a special place for Rose, who won his first PGA Tour title here in 2010. Now he returns to Muirfield Village for the first time as a major champion. Not that the tournament host will be that impressed.
Previously used: Keegan Bradley (Doral), Tim Clark (Sony), Graham DeLaet (Phoenix), Luke Donald (Valspar), Rickie Fowler (Honda Classic), Jim Furyk (Heritage), Bill Haas (Farmers), Billy Horschel (Zurich), Charles Howell III (Humana), Freddie Jacobson (Valero), Dustin Johnson (Northern Trust), Zach Johnson (Colonial), Martin Laird (Kapalua), Graeme McDowell (Bay Hill), Adam Scott (Masters), Jordan Spieth (Houston), Henrik Stenson (Players), Jimmy Walker (Pebble -- winner!), Gary Woodland (Nelson).