This week we head on down to Jack’s Place for the Workday Charity Classic.  Muirfield Village Golf Club will host its signature event – The Memorial – next week as well.  It marks the first time the same course has been used in consecutive weeks for official events since 1957.  When COVID-19 paused the sports world, the PGA Tour made the decision to scrap the John Deere Classic and opt for two consecutive weeks at Muirfield Village instead.

The PGA Tour had originally planned for The Memorial to be the spot where fans were welcomed back.  However, due to COVID-19 cases spiking nationwide, the Tour has opted to postpone those plans.

Last week’s winner, Bryson DeChambeau, will is taking his first week off since the restart.  Tiger Woods will also sit this week out – marking his 5th straight absence since the restart.  However, the field is still plenty strong with seven of the top-15 players in the world returning after the holiday weekend.

The Course

Muirfield Village will be a busy place for the next couple of weeks.  Hosting events in back-to-back weeks for the first time in 44 years, the Tour will take measures to attempt to limit the wear and tear a golf course takes during a long tournament week.

The Workday Classic will feature a variety of tee boxes that will make the course play shorter than usual – protecting tee areas used for the Memorial.  The rough will sit shorter and the greens will run slower this week as well.  Outside of these changes, there’s not much tournament officials can do to make the course play differently.

Slight changes or not, Muirfield is a course held in high esteem by players and fans alike.  It has hosted Ryder Cups, President’s Cups and is Jack Nicklaus’ personal tribute to Augusta National.  It’s a pure ball striker’s course that rewards accuracy and punishes those who miss fairways.  Attempting to overpower it may result in a long day in the rough – especially next week at Memorial when the rough is even thicker.  It features 73 bunkers and 11 water hazards.

Nicklaus and his team set out to make this golf course a true test of golf.  One that rewards pure golf shots and brutally punishes those who leave their ball in less than ideal locations.  It’s a wonderful course, a shot-makers course that can leave the best player’s in the world scratching their heads.

The Field 

As this is the first rendition of the Workday Classic, we have no “last year’s winner.”  However, Patrick Cantlay won the Memorial last year when he leap frogged the field on Sunday.  He’ll tee it up this week.

Bryson and Rory McIlroy will miss this week and Tiger is rumored to be back for the Memorial next week. Regardless, the field remains red hot.  Just check out these featured groups:

Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Jason Day
Thursday: 7:45 a.m. (No. 10 tee); Friday: 1:10 p.m. (No. 1 tee)

Patrick Cantlay, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth
Thursday: 1:10 p.m. (No. 1 tee); Friday: 7:45 a.m. (No. 10 tee)

Patrick Reed, Matthew Wolff, Rickie Fowler
Thursday: 12:59 p.m. (No. 1 tee); Friday: 7:34 a.m. (No. 10 tee)

Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm, Gary Woodland
Thursday: 7:34 a.m. (No. 10 tee); Friday: 12:59 p.m. (No. 1 tee)

Gambler’s Corner

Last week I ignored my gut and didn’t pick Big Bad Bryson.  This week, I won’t do that.  I like Justin Rose at Workday this week.  For odds, check out this chart from Bovada Sportsbook:

 

Value Picks:

Adam Hadwin 50/1

Byeong Hun An 60/1

Matthew Wolff 80/1

Where to Watch

As usual, knowing where to find the golf can be a complicated mess.  So here it is – good luck.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (CBS).

PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday 6:45 a.m.-6 p.m. (featured groups), Saturday-Sunday 7:00 a.m.-3 p.m. (featured groups). Saturday-Sunday 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (featured holes).

Jack’s Place is always a fun watch.  With the course attempting to play a little different this week, we could be in for some weird stuff.  The Workday Classic is an event that may not even exist outside of this year so technically we’re witnessing history.

It should be a fun one!