Tiger Woods used to kick ass in The Memorial Tournament but he won’t have the chance to win his sixth championship there this week, as he was not included in the list. There won’t be a lack of star power though with the likes of Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, and Jordan Spiethall coming down to Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. None of the Big Three, however, has won at Memorial so it looks like a tournament always ripe for a sleeper to win.
It was certainly disappointing for Kirk bettors that the nine-year pro withdrew midway of THE PLAYERS Championship. While that’s unfortunate, you shouldn’t overlook Kirk as a viable sleeper in the upcoming Memorial Tournament. If anything, his withdrawal in THE PLAYERS Championship only takes away some of his shine and makes him a bit more fit to be classified a sleeper. See, Kirk has finished in the top 25 in five of his last six tournaments, excluding THE PLAYERS Championship and the ongoing Dean & Deluca Invitational, where he is tied for 15th as of this writing.
Daniel Berger
Consider Berger a rising star if you haven’t already. Berger, winner of last year’s TOUR Rookie of the Year award, has made a terrific run over the last few tournaments. After placing tied for ninth in THE PLAYERS Championship, Berger has extended his streak of T20 finishes to five events. The highest he’s placed during that stretch was a T5 in the Shell Houston Open. Berger didn’t make the cut in his lone appearance at Muirfield Village thus far in his pro career, but his streak should be enough to outweigh people’s reluctance to put some value on him this coming Memorial Tournament.
Ernie Els
Els is a legend. He’s won The Memorial Tournament back in 2004, too. But his current form is far from inspiring, having been cut in four of 12 events on the season. So why the sleeper status? One word: familiarity. Els will be making his 23rd straight start at Muirfield Village this week. That’s a ton of experience other golfers would like to have heading into the tournament. Furthermore, Els has always performed well in event, placing at least tied for eighth at Memorial five times before. That includes his championship run in 2004 and a runner-up finish in 2000.
