The post ‘It was just insane’: Tour stars shocked by ‘brutal’ test at Memorial appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘It was just insane’: Tour stars shocked by ‘brutal’ test at Memorial appeared first on Golf.

Friday at the 2026 Memorial Tournament saw carnage up and down the leaderboard. Gusty, ever-changing winds, deep rough and increasingly crispy greens at Muirfield Village sent scores soaring.

The treacherous conditions inspired adjectives like “brutal” and “insane” from the likes of PGA Tour stars Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Thomas (who needed a hug from Rory McIlroy after the round), while World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was left feeling like he was going to shoot “about 90.”

Even Ryan Gerard, who shot 69 and sits in second, said of Muirfield Village, “Mentally and physically this place is a monster.”

Justin Thomas on Memorial carnage: ‘Hardest round of golf I can remember’

While J.T. Poston, somehow, some way, managed to shoot an incredible 65 in Round 2 that gave him a one-shot lead, many stars were just happy to make the cut given the conditions on Friday. Jason Day (76), Jordan Spieth (79) and Rickie Fowler (82) all failed to earn Saturday tee times.

You can count Thomas among those thrilled to survive and play the weekend. After finishing his round, Thomas told reporters that it may have been the “hardest round of golf” he had ever played, even counting major championships.

“I can’t put into words how hard that was. That was the hardest round of golf that I can remember, major, non-major, it was just insane,” an exhausted Thomas said Friday evening in Ohio. “The wind wasn’t really the direction it was supposed to be or kind of forecasted to be for kind of like half the day and that usually isn’t something that happens when it’s at 25, 20, 25 miles an hour. It was just hard. You don’t have a bail out on half your shots out here so you have a lot of shots over water and you’re like, well, I hope it’s helping or I hope it’s not hurting. But everybody’s dealing with the same thing, but, man, it was brutal.”

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He added: “I’m sure it sucks for all of us.”

Thomas also shared that while he’s happy he made the cut, he’s also happy he doesn’t have to play next week, because the brutal conditions have zapped his confidence.

“I mean, if I was playing next week, no, this would be absolutely terrible. I would be exhausted, I would be, I probably wouldn’t have a lot of confidence in my game. I probably would not want to do anything the next week. So I’m very happy that I have a week off next week,” Thomas said.

Thomas finished with a three-over 75, leaving him five over and T47 heading into the weekend at the Memorial. McIlroy finds himself T19 after shooting a 74 on Friday.

The two stars played alongside each other on Friday, and the experience was so taxing, they skipped the post-round handshake and instead comforted each other with a hug after putting out on the final green.

“It was a mutual hug,” Thomas said. “We just looked at each other and I think we both, we were like, we need a hug. He probably realized I needed one maybe more. It was a grind. It was a different grind for him, but, yeah, we were just battling out there.”

Scottie Scheffler: ‘I felt like I was going to shoot about 90 today’

If there’s one quote that sums up Friday’s round at this week’s Memorial, it’s this one from Scheffler, the World No. 1 and two-time defending champion.

“I felt like I was going to shoot about 90 today,” Scheffler remarked Friday evening. To be fair, Scheffler was talking more about how poorly he was playing, rather than the difficult playing conditions.

“I don’t know if you were out there on the course, but I was going to be hard to find if you were out watching my group,” Scheffler joked. “I felt like I got my first birdie putt of the day on the 13th hole. I maybe had one on 11, but I couldn’t imagine I hit more than six or seven greens today.”

He did add that the tough test Muirfield Village presents exacerbates bad shots.

News

Scottie Scheffler hits into the water. Then comes some words 

By: Nick Piastowski

“So around this golf course, with heavy rough and deep bunkers, you got to be hitting the ball in the right spots and for a long time today that was definitely not the case for me.”

Of course, it’s all relative. Scheffler toughed out an even-par 72 on Friday that featured three birdies. Only 13 players put together better scores in Round 2.

Scheffler only beat Fleetwood by one shot on Friday, but Fleetwood sounded more like Thomas when describing the conditions.

“Yeah, it was pretty brutal, actually. It was tough,” Fleetwood said on Friday. “If you could sort of process that the wind could do anything, and on top of that, it was very, very firm, the greens were crispy now. It was just tough.”

Fleetwood explained that at times the wind was so tricky, he and playing partner Cameron Young found themselves playing vastly different yardages from the same spots.

“When you’re in a two ball so you can see what the other player does as well and like, the 10th hole today… Cameron’s hitting 8-iron from where he was in the fairway and it carried 160 yards. I hit a wedge and carried it 160 yards in the space of what, a minute? And then 12, Cam hit a great shot, and I heard him say he was playing it 158 and, I mean it didn’t sniff the green. I played it three yards less, and it looked like it was struggling at one stage. It was confusing, but that’s what the wind did, it swirled around a lot. And then you got to pick your poison on where you want to chip from.”

As for Poston’s 65 in the face of brutal winds, Fleetwood said, “That’s phenomenal… how many people broke par this afternoon?”

Just 13 for the entire day, Tommy.

Heading into Saturday’s third round at the Memorial, only 11 players are under par.

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The post 2026 Memorial Tournament Saturday TV coverage: How to watch Round 3 appeared first on Golf.

The post 2026 Memorial Tournament Saturday TV coverage: How to watch Round 3 appeared first on Golf.

The third round of the 2026 Memorial Tournament kicks off Saturday morning at Muirfield Village. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament on Saturday, including full Memorial Tournament TV coverage, streaming details and complete Round 3 tee times.

How to watch Memorial on Saturday

The second round at the Memorial saw most players’ scores soar in treacherous conditions at Muirfield Village. But someone forgot to tell J.T. Poston.

While other players were holding onto dear life, Poston went out and made eight birdies and one bogey for a seven-under 65.

The incredible round launched Poston into sole possession of the lead at the halfway mark. Ryan Gerard will start Round 3 one shot back at eight under.

Rory McIlroy (74) and Scottie Scheffler (72) are tied at one over heading into Round 3. Jordan Spieth is heading home early after a Friday 79 saw him miss the cut.

You can watch the third round of the Memorial Tournament on TV via CBS and Golf Channel. Golf Channel opens the coverage on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET, then CBS takes over at 2:30 p.m. ET. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early streaming coverage starting at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday, as well as featured group and featured hole coverage. The GOLF App will carry a simulcast of Golf Channel’s Saturday TV coverage.

Below you will find everything you need to know to watch the third round of the 2026 Memorial Tournament.

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How to watch on TV Saturday

CBS and Golf Channel will air third-round TV coverage of the 2026 Memorial Tournament. Golf Channel’s telecast runs from 12:30-2:30 p.m. ET, followed by CBS’s broadcast from 2:30-6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

How to stream online Saturday

You can stream the third round of the 2026 Memorial Tournament via PGA Tour Live on ESPN+, which will offer streaming coverage starting at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday in addition to featured group and hole coverage.

2026 Memorial Tournament Round 3 tee times (ET)

Tee No. 1

8:50 a.m. – Justin Thomas
8:55 a.m. – Corey Conners, Sepp Straka
9:06 a.m. – Lucas Glover, Mac Meissner
9:17 a.m. – Tom Hoge, Ludvig Aberg
9:28 a.m. – Chris Gotterup, Michael Kim
9:39 a.m. – Russell Henley, Nico Echavarria
9:50 a.m. – Si Woo Kim, Denny McCarthy
10:01 a.m. – Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Brandt Snedeker
10:12 a.m. – Bud Cauley, Patrick Rodgers
10:23 a.m. – Ryo Hisatsune, Cameron Young
10:39 a.m. – Harris English, Ryan Fox
10:50 a.m. – Nick Taylor, Matt Kuchar
11:01 a.m. – Matt Fitzpatrick, Adam Scott
11:12 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Gary Woodland
11:23 a.m. – Sungjae Im, Justin Rose
11:34 a.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Hideki Matsuyama
11:45 a.m. – Jacob Bridgeman, Kristoffer Reitan
11:56 a.m. – Alex Noren, Sahith Theegala
12:07 p.m. – J.J. Spaun, Kurt Kitayama
12:18 p.m. – Maverick McNealy, Keegan Bradley
12:34 p.m. – Tony Finau, Harry Hall
12:45 p.m. – Shane Lowry, Taylor Pendrith
12:56 p.m. – Alex Fitzpatrick, Aaron Rai
1:07 p.m. – Xander Schauffele, Wyndham Clark
1:18 p.m. – Eric Cole, Patrick Cantlay
1:29 p.m. – Sam Burns, Tommy Fleetwood
1:40 p.m. – J.T. Poston, Ryan Gerard

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The second round of the 2026 Memorial Tournament begins Friday morning at Muirfield Village. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament on Friday, including full Memorial Tournament TV coverage, streaming details and complete Round 2 tee times.

How to watch Memorial on Friday

After one round at Muirfield Village, there’s a four-way tie for the lead. Former U.S. Open champions J.J. Spaun and Wyndham Clark fired five-under 67s to reach the top of the leaderboard. They are joined by World No. 8 Tommy Fleetwood, whose 67 featured zero bogeys. Ryan Gerard also finds himself at five under.

Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth didn’t have quite as good of days Thursday, but each successfully reached red numbers to head into Round 2 at one under.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who has won the last two Memorial Tournaments, struggled to a one-over 73 in Round 1.

With three rounds to go and $20 million on the line, anything can happen from here on out.

You can watch the second round of the Memorial Tournament on TV via Golf Channel beginning on Friday at 2 p.m. ET. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early streaming coverage starting at 7:45 a.m. ET on Friday, as well as featured group and featured hole coverage. The GOLF App will carry a simulcast of Golf Channel’s Friday TV coverage.

Below you will find everything you need to know to watch the second round of the 2026 Memorial Tournament.

Get ESPN+

With an ESPN+ subscription, you gain access to PGA Tour Live, where you can stream the best PGA Tour events live from wherever you want.

$11.99/month from ESPN+

How to watch on TV Friday

Golf Channel will carry second-round TV coverage of the 2026 Memorial Tournament from 2-6 p.m. ET on Friday.

How to stream online Friday

You can stream the second round of the 2026 Memorial Tournament via PGA Tour Live on ESPN+, which will offer streaming coverage starting at 7:45 a.m. ET on Friday in addition to featured group and hole coverage. You can also stream a live simulcast of Golf Channel’s Round 2 TV coverage on the GOLF App.

2026 Memorial Tournament Round 2 tee times (ET)

Tee No. 1

7:45 a.m. – Tom Hoge, Alex Noren
7:55 a.m. – Patrick Rodgers, Nicolai Højgaard
8:05 a.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Sudarshan Yellamaraju
8:15 a.m. – Taylor Pendrith, Tony Finau
8:25 a.m. – Ryan Gerard, Mark Hubbard
8:35 a.m. – Brandt Snedeker, Eric Cole
8:45 a.m. – Sahith Theegala, Si Woo Kim
8:55 a.m. – Harry Hall, Denny McCarthy
9:10 a.m. – Harris English, Robert MacIntyre
9:20 a.m. – Alex Fitzpatrick, Jacob Bridgeman
9:30 a.m. – Kristoffer Reitan, Maverick McNealy
9:40 a.m. – Ben Griffin, Brian Harman
9:50 a.m. – Gary Woodland, Patrick Cantlay
10:00 a.m. – Russell Henley, Matt Fitzpatrick
10:10 a.m. – Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Åberg
10:25 a.m. – Aaron Rai, Scottie Scheffler
10:35 a.m. – Matt McCarty, Lucas Glover
10:45 a.m. – Min Woo Lee, Mac Meissner
10:55 a.m. – Brian Campbell, Pierceson Coody
11:05 a.m. – Ryan Fox, Daniel Berger
11:15 a.m. – Jason Day, Jordan Spieth
11:25 a.m. – Billy Horschel, Sam Stevens
11:40 a.m. – J.T. Poston, Ryo Hisatsune
11:50 a.m. – Adam Scott, Alex Smalley
12:00 p.m. – Nico Echavarria, Nick Taylor
12:10 p.m. – Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners
12:20 p.m. – Andrew Novak, Hideki Matsuyama
12:30 p.m. – Chris Gotterup, Sepp Straka
12:40 p.m. – Shane Lowry, Sungjae Im
12:55 p.m. – Akshay Bhatia, Sam Burns
1:05 p.m. – Wyndham Clark, J.J. Spaun
1:15 p.m. – Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler
1:25 p.m. – Cameron Young, Tommy Fleetwood
1:35 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas
1:45 p.m. – Kurt Kitayama, Michael Kim
1:55 p.m. – Matt Kuchar, Bud Cauley

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The post Scottie Scheffler hits into the water. Then comes some words  appeared first on Golf.

The post Scottie Scheffler hits into the water. Then comes some words  appeared first on Golf.

Scottie Scheffler says his swing was good.  

But ensuing drop-zone shots aren’t, which led the world No. 1 to vent during Thursday’s first round of the Memorial Tournament — and many of his thoughts were picked up by Golf Channel and PGA Tour Live mics. The comments came on Muirfield Village Golf Club’s par-3 16th hole, where Scheffler’s tee shot found the water to the left of the green, despite him believing he had made clean contact.  

Words then followed. Most were voiced toward caddie Ted Scott, and the conversation centered around misjudging the wind.

“I never thought that I was in the water,” Scheffler said from the tee box as Scott started to walk ahead. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t hear a word you’re saying.”

“I feel like that was a good shot,” Scheffler said as he started to walk toward the drop zone. “Now I’m in the water. Because it came in out of the right. Absolutely flushed a 7-iron and we get the wind wrong, and I end up in the water. I don’t think you understand how frustrating that is. I thought it was a good shot. It really was. … Golly.”

“I liked that shot,” Scheffler said at the drop zone. “I don’t understand what I’m meant to do. I don’t understand. I really don’t. I mean, it was five yards short of the green, flushed 7-iron, because it’s into off the right. Like there’s no way it could curve that much. … It’s so frustrating. … I’m hitting good shots and dropping. We cannot get the wind wrong.”

From the drop zone, Scheffler then hit to 10 feet, and he two-putted from there for a double bogey. The conversation between Scheffler and Scott continued on the walk to the green, and briefly on the walk off of it. On the Golf Channel broadcast, analyst Curt Byrum said that “sometimes being a good Tour caddie is being able to just take the abuse the player is going to give you, take the shrapnel that’s coming your way. … And Teddy Scott has been there a million times.”

As for whom to blame, a caddie can advise, but the player, of course, hits the shot. Afterward, a reporter asked Scheffler for his thoughts on the 16th. 

“That’s just another really good iron shot, and the wind switched from down off the right to pretty significantly in off the right,” he said. “If it’s down off the right, that ball’s probably where I hit my wedge shot to. So just don’t really know what I’m supposed to do there outside of trying to hit a good shot, and then it’s frustrating when it doesn’t work out, especially when it doesn’t work out in that direction.

“I would rather get gusted in off the left, not in off the right there. All you can do is just try to hit good shots. It can be very frustrating sometimes when you feel like you’re hitting good shots and then you’re going to the drop zone.”

Was Scheffler hitting good shots on Thursday and not getting the results he was expecting?

“Yeah, that’s how it felt,” he said. “Yeah, the wind is just hard to predict. It’s just hard to predict. When it gets gusty and then greens are this firm — I mean, 12’s a good example, too, where you can’t — like, you have two or three yards where you can actually hold that green, especially with how firm they were getting.

“Eleven’s a good example too because if I hit 4-iron and it’s straight across, if I land pin high, I’m going to go over the green in the rough. Five-iron’s tough because when the wind’s going like this and this, I could end up 15, 20 yards short of the green in the rough, and then you bring water into play.

“So there’s a lot you got to think about, and I think it gets even more challenging when the greens are this firm and the wind is unpredictable, especially on a day where the wind felt like it was going to be lighter and it was for most of the day, which is — I think it just shows kind of how tough the golf course is.”

After 16, Scheffler birdied 17 and parred 18, and he finished with a one-over 73, which was six back of the lead. On the birdie, Scheffler caught a break when his second shot, from the right fairway bunker, kicked to a favorable position just off the right side of the green — and from there, Scheffler chipped in. 

“Got a good break there,” Scheffler said. “That was fun. That was good. Good breaks are more fun than — that one — see, that’s the thing that can be so frustrating about golf is I striped one on the hole before that and I end up in the water. That one I kind of hit thin, and you get a good bounce and I end up on the fringe and I chip in. Look, it’s always a touch thin out of the bunker, but I was trying to hit it a little higher so I could hold the green. And then that one lands in the rough just over the bunker, which is also dead, that bunker, and ended up chipping one in. So you’re just like, all right. 

“Yeah, what a game. I felt like I didn’t get anything out of the round, all of a sudden you just get a lucky bounce and you’re like, OK, well, I’m going to try to smile, it’s still hard.” 

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The post This Jordan Spieth miracle? It features a back turn — and a 15-second wait  appeared first on Golf.

The post This Jordan Spieth miracle? It features a back turn — and a 15-second wait  appeared first on Golf.

Jordan Spieth, over Muirfield Village Golf Club’s first five holes, two-putted five times. He hit 10 putts, missing birdie looks from 19, 21, 14, 50 and 13 feet, so when he left the 6th hole with 11 putts in the most improbable of ways, his summation of the event felt as accurate as his golf ball’s roll.  

“It’s golf right there.”

Golf golfed, and Spieth Spiethed on the 6th green during Thursday’s first round of the Memorial Tournament. In the end, Spieth birdied the par-4, but how he played his third stroke is worth some examination. After his tee shot finished just to the right of the right fairway bunker, he hit his second shot to the right part of the green, which kept him away from trouble but left him with a bit of a geometry problem. 

With the pin on the left side of the green and a dramatic right-to left slope facing him, the question Spieth had was how far right would he have to aim on a 63-foot putt. During Wednesday’s practice round, he said he tried the putt twice. 

“And I hit it poorly,” Spieth said. 

But he had an idea of what it would do. On putts like that, he said, he’ll try to find where “the fall line is on top and, you know, see a pitch mark or something where my ball needs to essentially roll around.” Thursday, Spieth rotated to the point where his back was facing the hole. 

He then hit. 

After 3 seconds, Spieth started to walk slowly behind it. This gave him a good peek at the break, should he need to hit another putt, though it also looked like he was walking his ball to his home, which would have been an all-time swagger move. “You can’t tell from where you hit it when you’re playing that much break,” Spieth said, “so a lot of times I just walk to the high side and see. But I was also starting to walk because I thought maybe it was a foot short, which it’s hard to judge that from that far.”

For 15 seconds, Spieth waited. 

At second 14, his ball inched toward the 4 o’clock spot on the hole. And then it disappeared. 

A one-putt. 

As of late Thursday afternoon, the video of it on the PGA Tour’s X account had drawn three-quarters of a million views, and you can watch it below. 

“So I hit the putt kind of around where I wanted to, and I thought it was maybe a foot or so short overall, and as it kept going down, I’m like, it might get there, it’s at the hole,” Spieth said. “And then it fell off the side of the lip, which was nice. 

“I had decent chances on the first five holes and felt like I hit pretty good putts that just missed. And then, of course, it’s golf right there, right? So you stay patient, you get rewarded.”

From there, Spieth played even-par golf for a one-under 71, putting him four back of the leaders. 

“It’s great just to get into red on this golf course before anything else,” Spieth said. “Because then you don’t feel like you’ve — you don’t feel, like on 7, I didn’t feel like I needed to try to hit it further on the third shot, I didn’t have to try to get back to the pin. It shouldn’t matter, but when we’re used to shooting under par when we play, it’s really nice when you actually get that one, and it actually kinds of helps you stay patient from there. 

“I hate when the golf course is beating me, so I always want to be ahead of it. And obviously out here that’s different than the last tournament I played, but it’s just kind of a mentality thing. So I felt like I just, I had a very good game plan and stuck to it today. But that being a bonus one makes you think, OK, if I was trying to shoot a couple under maybe that’s three-under now, because you weren’t necessarily expecting to get that one.” 

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The post Wyndham Clark was ‘dating’ putters. Now he’s finally found the one appeared first on Golf.

The post Wyndham Clark was ‘dating’ putters. Now he’s finally found the one appeared first on Golf.

After a few months of “dating” different drivers and putters, Wyndham Clark has settled on the ones he likes, and his game is coming around.

And when it comes to his putter, you can see why he finally believes he’s got what all golfers search for with the flatstick: The one.

This week at the Memorial, Clark talked about his journey as a gear-free agent this season and joked that the beginning part of the year, when he was working through drivers and putters furiously, was like dating.

“I’ve made some funny comments of, you know, that it’s like a girlfriend I’ve been dating a lot. Let’s just say that with clubs,” he said.

But now, after winning in his last start in Dallas, he feels like he’s locked down his bag for the most part.

“I love every club in my bag,” he said. “From my 60 degree all the way up to driver and putter, it’s every club that I think is the best for me. So in that sense, I love it. It just took maybe a longer time to get there.”

That includes this heavily lead-taped Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset CB putter that he added at the RBC Heritage. Clark originally gamed a standard-length Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset in Houston and has been in the head shape since.

Where he really started to find his stroke on the greens was in Hilton Head when he went to the 38″ build.

While doing his putting drills, Clark initially felt he had a tendency to miss left. The amount of toe hang (5 degrees) on the Ally Blue Onset helped counteract that. He loved a softer feeling putter, so the soft PEBAX insert in the Scottsdale TEC was a great fit.

Ping’s Onset models are unique in the equipment world because they’re not considered “zero-torque.” While the shaft is placed behind the face, it’s not oriented through the center of gravity of the putter. Instead, the shaft is in front of the CG, allowing the golfer to “pull” the CG for increased stability, similar to a car towing a trailer instead of pushing it.

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Since switching to the CB build, Clark has gone from 155th in putting, losing more than 0.7 shots per round on the greens, to 80th, where he is now gaining strokes on the season. That includes his win at the Byron Nelson, where he led the field with 3.143 Strokes Gained: Putting per round.

It’s not just a certain distance on the green that Clark is excelling in, either. His percentage of putts made outside of 20 feet has gone from 8.26% (52nd on Tour) to 9.5% (18th) since moving to the Ally Blue Onset shape in March. And his make percentage from inside five feet has gone from 96.4% (118th) to 97.02% (T85).

The percentages may seem small, but it’s enough to make a difference on the PGA Tour, where every shot counts.

Wyndham Clark’s putter Specs:

Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset CB
Loft: 3˚
Lie: 70˚
Length: 38″
Headweight: 385g (17g tip weight)
Insert: PEBAX
Grip: SuperStroke Tour 3.0 17″

Want to find the best putter for your game in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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The post 2026 Memorial Tournament Friday tee times: Round 2 pairings appeared first on Golf.

The post 2026 Memorial Tournament Friday tee times: Round 2 pairings appeared first on Golf.

The 2026 Memorial Tournament continues on Friday, June 5, with the second round at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. You can find full Memorial Tournament tee times for Friday’s second round at the bottom of this post.

Memorial Friday tee times: What to know

At this week’s Memorial Tournament, Jordan Spieth is once again trying to end his lengthy winless streak on the PGA Tour.

Before Spieth’s drought began in the spring of 2022, he had racked up 13 Tour victories in his career. However, none of them came at Muirfield Village, home of the Memorial.

Now the three-time major winner is hoping to change that. He teed off early in Thursday’s opening round and got off to a solid start. With two birdies through 11 holes, Spieth was near the top of the leaderboard. But struggles late left him a few shots back of the early lead.

In Friday’s second round, Spieth will try to right the ship and get into contention for the weekend.

Spieth tees off for Round 2 on Friday at 11:15 a.m. ET alongside Jason Day.

You can watch Friday’s second round of the 2026 Memorial Tournament from 2-6 p.m. ET on Golf Channel. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early streaming coverage starting on Friday morning at 7:45 a.m. ET, in addition to featured group and featured hole coverage.

Check out the complete Round 2 tee times and groupings for the Memorial Tournament below.

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2026 Memorial Tournament tee times for Friday: Round 2 (ET)

Tee No. 1

7:45 a.m. – Tom Hoge, Alex Noren
7:55 a.m. – Patrick Rodgers, Nicolai Højgaard
8:05 a.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Sudarshan Yellamaraju
8:15 a.m. – Taylor Pendrith, Tony Finau
8:25 a.m. – Ryan Gerard, Mark Hubbard
8:35 a.m. – Brandt Snedeker, Eric Cole
8:45 a.m. – Sahith Theegala, Si Woo Kim
8:55 a.m. – Harry Hall, Denny McCarthy
9:10 a.m. – Harris English, Robert MacIntyre
9:20 a.m. – Alex Fitzpatrick, Jacob Bridgeman
9:30 a.m. – Kristoffer Reitan, Maverick McNealy
9:40 a.m. – Ben Griffin, Brian Harman
9:50 a.m. – Gary Woodland, Patrick Cantlay
10:00 a.m. – Russell Henley, Matt Fitzpatrick
10:10 a.m. – Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Åberg
10:25 a.m. – Aaron Rai, Scottie Scheffler
10:35 a.m. – Matt McCarty, Lucas Glover
10:45 a.m. – Min Woo Lee, Mac Meissner
10:55 a.m. – Brian Campbell, Pierceson Coody
11:05 a.m. – Ryan Fox, Daniel Berger
11:15 a.m. – Jason Day, Jordan Spieth
11:25 a.m. – Billy Horschel, Sam Stevens
11:40 a.m. – J.T. Poston, Ryo Hisatsune
11:50 a.m. – Adam Scott, Alex Smalley
12:00 p.m. – Nico Echavarria, Nick Taylor
12:10 p.m. – Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners
12:20 p.m. – Andrew Novak, Hideki Matsuyama
12:30 p.m. – Chris Gotterup, Sepp Straka
12:40 p.m. – Shane Lowry, Sungjae Im
12:55 p.m. – Akshay Bhatia, Sam Burns
1:05 p.m. – Wyndham Clark, J.J. Spaun
1:15 p.m. – Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler
1:25 p.m. – Cameron Young, Tommy Fleetwood
1:35 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas
1:45 p.m. – Kurt Kitayama, Michael Kim
1:55 p.m. – Matt Kuchar, Bud Cauley

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The post ‘Pretty far-fetched’: LIV star argues pro golf purses should be reduced appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘Pretty far-fetched’: LIV star argues pro golf purses should be reduced appeared first on Golf.

After years of struggles, Cameron Smith and his golf game are on the rise. But the major champion and LIV Golf star thinks prize money in pro golf should go in the opposite direction.

That was the gist of his comments to the Mirror Sports U.S. this week at LIV Golf Andalucia in Spain. The 2022 Open champion laid out why he thinks the stratospheric rise in golf purses amid the LIV Golf-PGA Tour feud has gotten out of hand, and that purses across pro golf should be reduced “back to the way it was.”

How golf prize money has increased since LIV’s arrival

At the end of 2022, Smith was at the height of his powers. He won the Players Championship early that year, then followed it up with a breakthrough major victory at the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews, where he topped Rory McIlroy in the final round.

Smith then signed a massive LIV Golf contract worth reportedly upwards of nine figures. Since its inception, LIV Golf has featured $30 million purses with $4 million going to the winner. Those numbers were far higher than the prize money found on the PGA Tour back then.

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Not wasting any time, Smith cashed in with a win at the 2022 LIV Chicago event, adding two more LIV victories in 2023.

In response to LIV’s huge purses, the PGA Tour and the majors fought back by massively increasing their own prize money. The Players Championship is a great example.

In 2021, Justin Thomas took home $2.7 million from the total $15 million Players purse for his win at TPC Sawgrass. That was by far the biggest purse in pro golf at the time.

In 2022, the prize money increased dramatically, with Smith earning $3.6 million out of a $20 million purse.

But the increases weren’t done. From 2023 to present, the Players Championship has sported a $25 million purse with $4.5 million going to the winner.

Major purses have gone through similar, though slightly more modest increases, and the PGA Tour added a series of Signature Events with $20 million purses.

Cam Smith on massive golf prize money: ‘Time for everything to come back’

The way Smith sees it, the ever-increasing purses need to stop, and prize money needs a return to sanity. After telling the Mirror Sports U.S. that reduced LIV purses in 2027 would not make him leave the tour, he spoke more broadly about the issue of sky-high purses.

“This has been an awesome four or five years for us golfers, for everyone around the world. It’s changed a lot of things, but I think realistically, it’s time for everything to come back to the way it was,” Smith argued.

That is especially true on LIV, where executives are in a frantic search for investors following the Saudi Arabian PIF’s decision to pull all funding from the tour after this season.

“It was obviously not working, and it’s pretty far-fetched, realistically,” Smith told the Mirror Sports U.S. “So we’ll see what happens. I’m sure there are going to be a lot of changes, particularly with prize money next year.”

If LIV Golf survives to see a 2027 season, and prize money is reduced dramatically, the question then becomes this: will the PGA Tour and majors follow suit?

While Smith supports the idea, it might be harder to convince other pro golfers that they deserve a pay reduction.

As for Smith’s game, it seems to be finally rounding into form. After six-straight missed cuts at majors dating back to 2024, he contended at the 2026 PGA Championship and finished T7.

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The post 2026 Memorial Tournament Thursday TV coverage: How to watch Round 1 appeared first on Golf.

The 2026 Memorial Tournament kicks off Thursday with the first round at Muirfield Village. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament on Thursday, including full Memorial Tournament TV coverage, streaming details and complete Round 1 tee times.

How to watch Memorial on Thursday

You have to go all the way back to 2023 to find a Memorial champion whose name is not Scottie Scheffler. The World No. 1 has triumphed at Muirfield Village the last two years amid his domination on the PGA Tour.

This year, Scheffler is once again the betting favorite, but not just because of his two-time defending champion status. Scheffler has seven top-5 finishes in only 11 starts this season, including a win at the American Express. That’s helped him easily maintain his No. 1 ranking and move into an early lead in the FedEx Cup standings.

Now Scheffler will try to get back into the winner’s circle for the first time since January, and his mission begins on Thursday.

You can watch the first round of the Memorial Tournament on TV via Golf Channel beginning at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early streaming coverage starting Thursday at 7:45 a.m. ET, as well as featured group and featured hole coverage. The GOLF App will carry a simulcast of Golf Channel’s Thursday TV coverage.

Below you will find everything you need to know to watch the first round of the 2026 Memorial Tournament.

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How to watch on TV Thursday

Golf Channel will provide first-round TV coverage of the 2026 Memorial Tournament from 2-6 p.m. ET on Thursday.

How to stream online Thursday

You can stream the first round of the 2026 Memorial Tournament via PGA Tour Live on ESPN+, which will offer streaming coverage starting at 7:45 a.m. ET on Thursday in addition to featured group and hole coverage. You can also stream a live simulcast of Golf Channel’s TV coverage on the GOLF App.

2026 Memorial Tournament Round 1 tee times (ET)

Tee No. 1

7:45 a.m. – Brian Campbell, Pierceson Coody
7:55 a.m. – Ryan Fox, Daniel Berger
8:05 a.m. – Jason Day, Jordan Spieth
8:15 a.m. – Billy Horschel, Sam Stevens
8:25 a.m. – J.T. Poston, Ryo Hisatsune
8:35 a.m. – Adam Scott, Alex Smalley
8:45 a.m. – Nico Echavarria, Nick Taylor
8:55 a.m. – Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners
9:10 a.m. – Andrew Novak, Hideki Matsuyama
9:20 a.m. – Chris Gotterup, Sepp Straka
9:30 a.m. – Shane Lowry, Sungjae Im
9:40 a.m. – Akshay Bhatia, Sam Burns
9:50 a.m. – Wyndham Clark, J.J. Spaun
10:00 a.m. – Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler
10:10 a.m. – Cameron Young, Tommy Fleetwood
10:25 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas
10:35 a.m. – Kurt Kitayama, Michael Kim
10:45 a.m. – Matt Kuchar, Bud Cauley
10:55 a.m. – Tom Hoge, Alex Noren
11:05 a.m. – Patrick Rodgers, Nicolai Højgaard
11:15 a.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Sudarshan Yellamaraju
11:25 a.m. – Taylor Pendrith, Tony Finau
11:40 a.m. – Ryan Gerard, Mark Hubbard
11:50 a.m. – Brandt Snedeker, Eric Cole
12:00 p.m. – Sahith Theegala, Si Woo Kim
12:10 p.m. – Harry Hall, Denny McCarthy
12:20 p.m. – Harris English, Robert MacIntyre
12:30 p.m. – Alex Fitzpatrick, Jacob Bridgeman
12:40 p.m. – Kristoffer Reitan, Maverick McNealy
12:55 p.m. – Ben Griffin, Brian Harman
1:05 p.m. – Gary Woodland, Patrick Cantlay
1:15 p.m. – Russell Henley, Matt Fitzpatrick
1:25 p.m. – Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Åberg
1:35 p.m. – Aaron Rai, Scottie Scheffler
1:45 p.m. – Matt McCarty, Lucas Glover
1:55 p.m. – Min Woo Lee, Mac Meissner

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The post Rory McIlroy has been ‘frustrated’ at Memorial. Jack Nicklaus has solutions appeared first on Golf.

The post Rory McIlroy has been ‘frustrated’ at Memorial. Jack Nicklaus has solutions appeared first on Golf.

In 13 career appearances at Big Jack’s Memorial Tournament, Rory McIlroy has five top-10 finishes and another four top-20s. It’s a record, on one of the game’s splashiest stages, that most players would embrace, but McIlroy is, of course, not most players. He’s a 30-time PGA Tour winner with six major titles and the career Grand Slam. He has arrived at a place where he’s not looking to win just any tournaments but the right kind of tournaments. Majors. National opens. Events hosted by or affiliated with legends.   

“I would say here and Tiger’s event at Riviera, they’re the two that I would love to win,” McIlroy said Wednesday.

Tiger’s event is the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles, where McIlroy has gone winless in 10 attempts. “Here” is this week’s event, the Memorial, at Muirfield Village in Ohio, where McIlroy is 0-for-13. “I always thought it would be cool to win here and take that little walk up the hill off the 18th green and shake Jack’s hand,” McIlroy said.

McIlroy and Nicklaus go back nearly two decades: mentee and mentor, fellow GOATs and South Floridians, occasional lunchmates at the Bear’s Club. During one of those bread-breakings a couple of years back, McIlroy gave Nicklaus a shot-by-shot description of how he planned to attack Augusta National at that year’s Masters. “I wouldn’t change a thing,” Nicklaus told him. “I think it’s exactly the way you should play it.” Before this year’s Masters, Nicklaus spotted McIlroy during a range session and offered him more counsel. “I put my hands on his shoulders,” Nicklaus said, “and I said to him, ‘No effing double bogeys.’”

McIlroy did card a couple of doubles, but Nicklaus’s message still was received: Don’t be a dummy out there. Heeding that strategy led McIlroy to his second straight green jacket.

Which brings us back to Muirfield Village. What wisdom has Nicklaus imparted to McIlroy about how to manage Nicklaus’s masterwork?

“He hasn’t asked me,” Nicklaus said Tuesday.

Reporters did, though — specifically, whether Nicklaus had any theories about why McIlroy had not yet triumphed at Muirfield. Nicklaus provided a thoughtful answer.

“I think that this golf course is a golf course that really requires patience,” he said. “I didn’t design it for big hitters, didn’t design it for short hitters, didn’t design it for the middle. I tried to design it so we could take care of everybody and try to give a fair shake to every kind of player. And when you get that, you can’t just stand up and just whack away at it on every hole.”

That grip-it-and-rip-it approach is how a younger Nicklaus used to try and slay his own design (unsuccessfully), and it’s not hard to imagine a younger, bolder McIlroy coming into MVGC with the same mentality. In time, though, McIlroy, like Nicklaus, has learned that driver — at least with the distance he smashes his tee shots — is no good at Muirfield. That’s because the fairways pinch his landing zones.

“It’s frustrated me in a way that I feel like my biggest weapon is in some way neutralized here,” McIlroy said. “And then I have to play the golf course like most of the other guys in the field.”

That is, strategically — identifying the best leaves for the most optimal angles into the greens and then controlling the flight and spin of those approaches.  

The greens are no pushover, either, Nicklaus said, particularly for players who like to zip back their irons (see: most modern Tour pros). “Take 3, 6, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, and 18,” Nicklaus said. “If you spin the ball off of those greens, what happens? Not a good result.”  

The alternative? Vary your trajectories, Nicklaus said. That’s what he learned to do, both at Muirfield and another ballpark with which he became synonymous, Augusta National. ”I think Augusta’s a trajectory golf course also,” Nicklaus said.

McIlroy is a traj maestro. Really, he can do just about anything he wants with a golf ball. At Muirfield, it’s just a matter of committing to the shots that the course demands. If McIlroy can follow that formula, a warm handshake from his Bear’s Club pal might be in his very near future.

“I would love to see Rory play well here,” Nicklaus said.  

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