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July 01, 2020

World No. 1 and reigning FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy commits to the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide

2017 PGA Champion Justin Thomas, four-time PGA TOUR winner Xander Schauffele and fan favorite Rickie Fowler join world-class field

Dublin, Ohio – Officials of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide announced today that World No. 1 and reigning FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy will compete in the 45^th edition of the Memorial at Jack Nicklaus’ world-renowned Muirfield Village Golf Club.

The Tournament also has accepted entries from major championship winner Justin Thomas, four-time PGA TOUR winner Xander Schauffele, and fan favorite Rickie Fowler.

The 2020 Memorial Tournament will be contested the week of July 14-19 in conjunction with the PGA TOUR’s adjusted tournament schedule due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

McIlroy, who, in 2019, won his second FedExCup title as well as his third Jack Nicklaus Award as PGA TOUR Player of the Year, will make his ninth start at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. He has finished inside the top-10 on four occasions, with his best outing coming in 2016 when he tied for fourth place. His scoring average at Muirfield Village Golf Club is 70.71 to go along with career earnings of $1,094,989.50. He posted his lowest 18-hole score at the Memorial in 2014, when he fired a 9-under-par 63 during the first round, en route to a T-15 finish. The four-time major champion swept the 2018-19 PGA TOUR’s post-season competition-based awards, receiving both the Jack Nicklaus Award and his third Byron Nelson Award for lowest adjusted scoring average (69.06). McIlroy also led the PGA TOUR in top-10 finishes last season with 14. He has recorded a win in nine of the past 11 seasons on TOUR, bringing home multiple wins in five of those years (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2019). McIlroy has garnered $52,619,561 in TOUR earnings since turning professional in 2007. The 31-year-old from Northern Ireland is the      No. 1-ranked player in the world and sits at No. 4 in FedExCup points, after recording his 18^th PGA TOUR victory at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions to go with six top-10 finishes this season.

Thomas, 27, has recorded 12 PGA TOUR victories since his 2015-16 season. He enjoyed a career 2016-2017 campaign, that included five titles, his first major at the 2017 PGA Championship, the FedExCup trophy, the Arnold Palmer Award as the PGA TOUR’s leading money winner and the Jack Nicklaus Award as the TOUR’s Player of the Year. He also joined Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Jordan Spieth as the only players since 1960 to capture five wins in a season. Thomas backed up that epic performance with a three-win 2017-18 season and reached No. 1 in the world rankings for the first time. The Kentucky native is one of only eight players in TOUR history – and the youngest at 23 years, 8 months, 14 days – to card an 18-hole score of 59 during competition, which he achieved in the opening round of the 2017 Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Thomas has made the most of his 11 starts this season, claiming seven top-10 finishes, including two wins at The CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges and the Sentry Tournament of Champions. His impressive start places Thomas at No. 2 in FedExCup points and No. 3 in the world. He will be making his seventh start at the Memorial. His best result came in 2017, when Thomas finished tied for fourth place. He grabbed another top-10 in 2018, with a T-8 effort, but failed to make the cut last year, after opening rounds of 71-80. His Tournament earnings total $648,520 and his scoring average at Muirfield Village Golf Club is 71.72.

Schauffele burst onto the PGA TOUR scene during the 2016-17 season, recording four top-10 finishes, including two wins — A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier and the TOUR Championship. His victory at East Lake helped Schauffele cap off his rookie campaign ranked No. 3 in FedExCup standings and lock up the Arnold Palmer Award as the PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year. The 26-year-old California native has racked up a total of 21 top-10 finishes in his three-plus seasons on TOUR, including four victories. At the end of last season, Schauffele joined Brooks Koepka, 2014 Memorial Tournament winner Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Thomas as one of only four players to finish in the top-15 of the FedExCup standings each season since 2016-17. Schauffele is currently ranked No. 11 in the world and No. 13 in FedExCup points on the strength of four top-10s in 11 starts this season. This will be his third appearance at the Memorial Tournament, where he enjoyed his best finish last year with a T-12 effort, to increase his earnings to $163,800. His scoring average at Muirfield Village Golf Club is 71.17.

Fowler, 31, has been one of the most popular players on the PGA TOUR since turning professional in 2009. He has represented the U.S. on four Ryder Cup teams (2010, 2014, 2016, 2018) and three Presidents Cup teams (2015, 2017, 2019). Fowler has posted five PGA TOUR victories, his first in 2012 at the Wells Fargo Championship and his latest coming last year at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. In 2014, Fowler finished inside the top-5 in all four major championships, tying for second at the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. The 2010 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year has recorded top-12 finishes at The Masters Tournament in five of the past six years, including a T-9 effort in 2019. A resident of Jupiter, Fla., Fowler has posted two top-10 finishes in eight starts this season and is ranked No. 31 in the world. This year will mark his 11^th Memorial Tournament start. He has finished second on two occasions — his first appearance in 2010 and again in 2017. He grabbed his third top-10 at Muirfield Village Golf Club with a T-8 outing in 2018, and finished T-14 last year. His career Tournament earnings total $1,915,164, and his scoring average is 70.91.

For more information about the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, please visit thememorialtournament.com. For the latest news and updates on social media, follow the tournament on Twitter and Instagram at @MemorialGolf and on Facebook at Facebook.com/theMemorialTournament.

About the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide

The Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide is held annually at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. The Tournament, founded and hosted by Jack Nicklaus, is conducted each year with three goals in mind: to honor the memory of individuals living and deceased who have distinguished themselves in the game of golf; to showcase the world’s best golfers competing on one of the most challenging venues in the world for the enjoyment of spectators; and to benefit many Greater Columbus Charities in alliance with the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation, Nationwide Children's Hospital and numerous other local organizations. For more information, visit www.thememorialtournament.com or call 614-889-6700.

About Nationwide

Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Media Contact

Thomas P. Sprouse
Director of Communications,
the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide
E-Mail: tsprouse@thememorialtournament.com
Office: 614-889-6791
Mobile: 614-519-1873

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