PGA Tour to Host Consecutive Weeks at Muirfield Village... What Is the Operational Solution?

'Differentiation' through varying rough lengths, green speeds, teeing grounds, and pin positions

The PGA Tour will unusually take place for two consecutive weeks at the same location, Muirfield Village. Photo by Golf Digest

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] It is a rare spectacle to see.

This is the story of Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, USA, created by the "original golf emperor" Jack Nicklaus (USA). The PGA Tour is being held for two consecutive weeks. Last week, the newly established PGA Tour event Workday Charity Open (total prize money $6.2 million) took place, and this week the Memorial Tournament (total prize money $9.3 million) follows. It is very unusual for the PGA Tour to be held consecutively at the same golf course.

The PGA Tour is finding a solution through course changes at the host site, Muirfield Village. Different settings are applied. The difficulty level is relatively higher for the Memorial Tournament. "The rough at the Memorial Tournament is somewhat longer, and the greens are a bit faster," it was explained. The rough for the Workday Charity Open was 3.5 inches, and the green speed was 11 feet. The winner was Collin Morikawa (USA), with a final score of 19 under par 269.

For the Memorial Tournament, the rough is set at 4 inches, and the green speed is set between 13 and 13.5 feet. Additionally, changes to the teeing ground and pin positions are planned to differentiate the two tournaments. It is interesting that last year Patrick Cantlay (USA) also won with the same score as Morikawa. Muirfield Village is a place where water flows along the course. The fairways are narrow, and the greens are fast. It is a challenging course where players cannot afford to lose concentration on any hole.