Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick headline new additions to Memorial Tournament field

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf …

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on Friday, April 7, 2023, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

by: Orri Benatar

Posted: May 9, 2023 / 09:20 AM EDT

Updated: May 9, 2023 / 09:23 AM EDT

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) — More golfers names are being added to the field for the upcoming Memorial Tournament.

The 48th edition of the annual PGA Tour event hosted by Jack Nicklaus at Muirfield Village Golf Club will include two major tournament winners from the British Isles as Rory McIlroy and Matthew Fitzpatrick were added to the roster.

Also coming to Dublin will be American veterans Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker.

These four golfers join an already stacked field that also includes Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, and Sam Bennett. The Memorial Tournament is May 29–June 4 at the Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy, the No. 3 ranked world golfer, is considered among the game’s greats and comes to central Ohio looking to win his first Memorial. The superstar from Northern Ireland burst onto the golf scene in the early 2010s as he spent over 100 weeks as the world No. 1 and won four major championships in a four-year timeframe. With all four of the major wins coming before McIlroy turned 26, he joined Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only golfers to win four majors by the age of 25.

He has won 23 PGA Tour events but is without a major win since the 2014 PGA Championship. McIlroy is also a five-time Ryder Cup winner with Team Europe and looks poised for another appearance in the Ryder Cup this fall in Rome.

Matthew Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick, the No. 7 ranked world golfer, has become one of the stars of the game after his breakthrough in 2022. The former Northwestern golfer claimed his first PGA Tour and first major title last year with a U.S. Open win in Massachusetts. The 28-year-old from Sheffield, England won his second PGA event in April, claiming the RBC Heritage in a playoff over Jordan Spieth.

In addition to his two PGA victories, he also won seven tournaments in the European Tour and finished third at the Memorial in 2020. Fitzpatrick is expected to qualify for this third Ryder Cup with team Europe this year.

Matt Kuchar

Kuchar, the No. 48 ranked world golfer, is now a decade removed from his Memorial Tournament victory over Kevin Chappell. The 2013 triumph at Muirfield was Kuchar’s sixth PGA Tour win and since then, he has won on the tour three additional times. The 44-year-old Floridian last won in 2019 and had his best finish at a major at the 2017 Open Championship.

He has represented the United States in ten combined Presidents Cups and Ryder Cups with victories in six of those events. Kuchar’s 2023 appearance in Dublin will be his 18th in his career.

Brandt Snedeker

Snedeker comes to Dublin for the eighth time as he looks to improve on his tournament best appearance in 2022. For the first time at Muirfield, the 42-year-old from Nashville made the cut with a two-over-par score through the first two rounds. Snedeker is a nine-time winner on the PGA Tour with his best stretch coming in 2012-2013 when he won four events, including the 2012 Tour Championship.

He has finished tied for third place at two majors with a third place finish at the 2008 Masters and 2012 Open Championship. He has played for two American Ryder Cup teams and was a member of the 2016 winning team. Snedeker also won the 2013 Presidents Cup, which took play at Muirfield Village Golf Club.