Cal Golf: Collin Morikawa, Max Homa Will Tee Off Together at the Memorial

They are matched with defending champion Patrick Cantlay in Thursday's first round.

Cal alums Collin Morikawa and Max Homa will play in the same threesome to open the $12 million Memorial Tournament on Thursday at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.

The third player in their group?

Patrick Cantlay, who beat Morikawa in a playoff to win last year’s Memorial.

The trio will get started Thursday at 8 a.m. EDT on the 10th tee.

Max Homa, Patrick Cantley and Collin Morikawa
PGA Tour

Morikawa, who was ranked No. 2 in the world a month ago, has slipped to No. 4 while Cantlay is No. 6 and Homa has ascended to a career-best No. 28.

Cantlay and Morikawa are listed as the third- and fourth-best betting choices at +1700 and +1900 respectively. Homa is at +3500.

Jon Rahm is favored to win this week according to PointsBets, listed at +1000. Rory McIlroy is second at +1200.

Rahm, who won the Memorial in 2020, was the leader after three rounds a year ago when he was removed from the field after testing positive for COVID-19. Rahm, currently ranked No. 2 in the world behind Scottie Scheffler, went on to win the U.S. Open a few weeks after the disappointment of last year’s Memorial.

Rahm finished in a tie for 48th at the PGA Championship two weeks ago, but he won the Mexico Open on the first weekend of May.

Morikawa twice had the lead on the back on Sunday at Muirfield Village last year, but Cantlay and Morikawa wound up tied at minus-13 through 72 holes before Cantlay won in a playoff, taking home nearly $1.7 million. Morikawa’s runner-up check was for $1 million.

Homa also played well at the Memorial last year, finishing in a tie for sixth place at 6 under.

Morikawa, 25, started strong this season with seven top-10 finishes, including a fifth-place finish at the Masters in April. But he hasn’t wound up higher than a tie for 26th in his past four events, including a tie for 55th at the PGA.

Homa, 31, who already has won twice on the tour this season to earn nearly $4.5 million, has four straight top-25 finishes, including a victory at the Wells Fargo Championship on the second weekend of May.

Cover photo of Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay at the 2021 Memorial by Adam Cairns, Columbus Dispatch

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo


Published
Jeff Faraudo
JEFF FARAUDO

Jeff Faraudo was a sports writer for Bay Area daily newspapers since he was 17 years old, and was the Oakland Tribune's Cal beat writer for 24 years. He covered eight Final Fours, four NBA Finals and four Summer Olympics.