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The PGA TOUR’s best have congregated together for yet another Signature Event, as this week’s festivities bring us to Muirfield Village for the 2026 Memorial Tournament. While limited field events have typically not been kind to longshot contenders, we’ve seen our fair share of surprises on the big stage this season, with longshots like Aaron Rai and Kristoffer Reitan winning over the last month. Will we see another surprise longshot winner shake Jake Nicklaus’ hand at the end of this week?
Jack Nicklaus’ renowned Muirfield Village Golf Club has famously produced eclectic leaderboards that have crowned everyone from Scottie Scheffler to William McGirt over the last decade. It is a stern test from tee to green that may reward a winner at single digits under par. That calls for premiums on Scrambling, Bogey Avoidance, and performance on comp courses that feature similar length (7,500+ yards), thick rough, and firm and fast Bentgrass greens.
We’ll look to dig for some diamonds in the rough in this article ahead of the Memorial Tournament.
THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT ODDS
THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT INTRODUCTION
One of the most visually stunning properties on the PGA TOUR schedule, the identity of Muirfield Village’s perfectly manicured setup lies in its length, generous fairways, long and penal rough, and firm and fast Bentgrass greens.
After renovations, Muirfield Village now stands 100 yards longer, playing as a 7,569-yard par 72. Unique to Muirfield Village compared to most other PGA Tour tracks, the four par 5s are the only holes that feature a scoring average below par. That makes Par-5 Scoring and Bogey Avoidance crucial to contend this week.
Firm, fast, and tight Bentgrass greens signify this course. Players must be precise with their approaches and hit their landing areas in order to hold these greens. That consequently puts an emphasis on playing from the fairway. Muirfield Village features some of the most penal rough on Tour. It’s nearly impossible to hold these tight greens from the rough, so strength around the greens will be a must for players to contend.
Read my 2026 the Memorial Tournament preview for a deeper dive into the course. Let’s get to our 2026 the Memorial Tournament picks, focusing on longshots and PGA Tour golf sleepers for your DFS lineups.
FINDING VALUE IN GOLF DFS PICKS: THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT
To identify “value” any given week on the PGA Tour, I find it’s best first to understand the consensus key stat profile. Then, take a stance on the elements of the tournament that may go overlooked. At the Memorial Tournament, Recent Form, SG: APP, and Event History are consensus key areas factored into each player’s price.
From a golf DFS picks perspective, I will take a stance primarily on the importance of Comp Course History, Par 5 Scoring, and Approach Proximity from over 175 yards. These three areas, in particular, have proven to show a sticky trend of repeat contenders, so I’ll look to whittle down my player pool to those with multiple high finishes at Muirfield Village in the past, and who have demonstrated a strong fit on comp Jack Nicklaus designs in recent years.
Below, find my favorite value PGA golf Fantasy picks and longshots for the 2026 Memorial Tournament odds. Stats pulled across the last 36 rounds unless otherwise noted.
Maverick McNealy
Statistically, 2026 has been the best season yet for 30-year-old, Maverick McNealy. The 2024 RSM Classic winner hasn’t exactly had many sweaty Sundays this season, but he’s been incredibly consistent with top-30 finishes in 11 of his last 13 starts. It seemed as though his breakthrough moment was coming at the PGA Championship, where he played in the final pairing on Saturday before settling for a T18 finish.
Muirfield Village would be a sensible spot for McNealy to break out. He was a T5 finisher at this event last year, and ranks 6th in Comp Course History with top-15 finishes in his latest visits to Olympia Fields, Bay Hill, Torrey Pines, and Caves Valley. McNealy is an excellent Bentgrass putter and has shown he has one of the most well-rounded games on the PGA Tour, ranking top-10 in SG: Short Game, Par-5 Scoring, and Bogey Avoidance.
Kurt Kitayama
Something’s got to give with Kurt Kitayama this week, as he has never gained strokes on approach at Muirfield Village over his first three appearances, but currently sustains a streak of 26 consecutive events in which he’s gained strokes on approach. It’s clear this is a dramatically different version of Kitayama than we saw the last time he teed it up here in 2024, and that means his three prior missed cuts will present some betting and fantasy value.
Kitayama has been a premier ball striker in 2026, ranking top-10 in SG: Ball Striking, SG: APP, and Prox: 175+. With his short game rounding into form now as well, he seems headed for a big win soon. In his last four starts, he’s finished T10, T18, T9, and T8. The 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational winner has proven he can handle the high stakes of a Signature event on a long, demanding venue, making him a longshot with serious win equity this week at Muirfield Village.
Kristoffer Reitan
Speaking of proven Signature Event winners on long and challenging venues, Reitan is only one start removed from his breakthrough win at Quail Hollow, where he flexed his Total Driving prowess and putting skill to conquer the Truist Championship. Reitan has sustained this heater for two months now, making it through the cut in each of his last six starts, with four top-15 finishes over that span.
The PGA Tour rookie will be seeing Muirfield Village for the first time this week, but a lack of course familiarity has clearly not held him back to this point in the season. Profiling as a long driver in great approach form with spike putting upside, there’s no reason to doubt whether his game can translate at Muirfield Village. For his price, Reitan is one of my favorite salary savers in DFS this week.
Tony Finau
If volatility is what you’re after for DFS tournament purposes, Finau is well worth a look at the Memorial Tournament. He ranks top-10 in terms of Course History at Muirfield Village in this loaded Signature Event field with five top-15 finishes, and just one missed cut over nine career appearances. That includes two top-10s over his last four visits.
No two weeks have been quite the same for Finau in 2026, so there is certainly risk to take on in fantasy formats. The good weeks have been worth chasing, though, as Finau has four top-20s over his last 12 starts. He has dialed up his Driving Distance dramatically over the last three weeks, which will serve him well at Muirfield Village’s 7,569-yard layout. Just one start removed from a season-best T6 finish at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, Finau is a sleeper to watch in Dublin, Ohio this week.
Best of luck if you bet or play any of these golf DFS picks for the Memorial Tournament!
Photo Credit: AP/Matt Slocum
