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May 07, 2024

Viktor Hovland set to defend his title at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday

DUBLIN, Ohio – Officials of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday announced today that the Tournament has accepted the entry of defending winner and reigning FedExCup champion Viktor Hovland to compete in the 2024 Memorial Tournament.

Joining Hovland in the 49^th edition of the PGA TOUR Signature Event, hosted by golf legend Jack Nicklaus, will be Workday brand ambassadors Rory McIlroy, four-time major championship winner and three-time FedExCup champion, and Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 U.S. Open champion. 

The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday is June 3-9 at the world-renowned Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Hovland, 26, is one of the PGA TOUR’s bright young stars, with six victories in his first five years, including the 2023 Memorial Tournament. Hovland became the first Norwegian to win on TOUR when he secured his first professional victory at the 2020 Puerto Rico Open. Following that, Hovland found his second and third TOUR wins at the 2020 and ‘21 World Wide Technology Championship, becoming the only player in the event’s history to successfully defend his title. The 2018 U.S. Amateur champion is coming off a career-best season on the PGA TOUR in 2022-2023 that included nine top-10s, with three wins and one runner-up finish over 23 starts. After defeating Denny McCarthy in a playoff at Muirfield Village Golf Club, Hovland capped off his season with back-to-back wins in the final two FedExCup Playoff events, the BMW Championship and TOUR Championship to claim the FedExCup trophy. This will be Hovland’s fifth start at the Memorial Tournament where his Tournament earnings total $3,679,608 to go with a 72.63 scoring average. 

McIlroy, a three-time winner of the Jack Nicklaus Award as PGA TOUR Player of the Year, will make his 13^th start at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. He has finished inside the top-10 on five occasions, with his best outing coming in 2016 when he tied for fourth place. His scoring average at Muirfield Village Golf Club is 71.14 to go with career earnings of $2,050,384.50 after a T7 finish in 2023. McIlroy is coming off back-to-back multi-win seasons for the first time since recording three in a row from 2013 to 2016. It was the seventh time in his illustrious PGA TOUR career that McIlroy captured more than one title in a season, and his 2021-2022 campaign culminated in a record-setting third FedExCup title. The 35-year-old from Northern Ireland is ranked    No. 2 in the world and has grabbed seven top-25s over nine starts this season, including a third-place finish at the Valero Texas Open and his 25^th PGA TOUR title at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with playing partner Shane Lowry. McIlroy’s four major championship wins include the 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 PGA Championship, and The Open and a second PGA title in 2014. McIlroy is second in PGA TOUR career earnings, with $83,096,279 since turning professional in 2007. 

Fitzpatrick, 29, has finished in the top-10 on the PGA TOUR 33 times since turning professional in 2014, including two this season, and 18 since 2022. The Sheffield, England, native grabbed his first PGA TOUR title and first major championship win in 2022 in the 122^nd U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. With the victory, Fitzpatrick joined Jack Nicklaus as the only players to have won a U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur at the same venue. Fitzpatrick won the U.S. Amateur in 2013. He recorded his second TOUR win last season after a playoff victory at the RBC Heritage over Jordan Spieth. His best Memorial Tournament finish came in 2020 when he finished third and led the field in scrambling (19/26). Fitzpatrick grabbed another top-10 Memorial Tournament finish last year with a T9 to move his career scoring average to 72.25 and earnings to $1,205,082 over his five starts at Muirfield Village Golf Club. The three-time European Ryder Cup team member is No. 33 in FedExCup points and No. 14 in the world.

The Tournament also announced today the return of the Military Outpost presented by JobsOhio. This on-course destination, designed to recognize and honor Ohio’s military service men and women, is located along the 13^th fairway and offers complimentary refreshments for all military¾active, reserve and veterans. The Outpost will be open each day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Wednesday, June 5. A military ID is required for entry.

In addition to partnering with the Memorial Tournament through the presentation of the Military Outpost, JobsOhio will also join the Tournament in hosting a Military Appreciation Brunch at the Memorial on Wednesday, June 5, in association with the Tournament’s Salute to Service Day. The brunch will host a group of invited active service men and women and feature an appearance by Jack and Barbara Nicklaus and 2024 Memorial Honoree Juli Inkster.

Wednesday’s Salute to Service Day provides complimentary access (up to four tickets) to the Memorial Tournament and is open to all active, retired, reserve, veteran military personnel, Ohio National Guard, Gold Star Families along with federal, state and local law enforcement officers and Fire Fighters/EMS. For more information visit, https://www.thememorialtournament.com/tickets/salute-to-service/.  

Workday provides outreach to the incredible veterans in its workforce and local communities. In conjunction with the Tournament’s military initiatives, Workday is dedicating its suite on Hole No. 18 to host Gold Star and veteran families as the Memorial Tournament, Workday, and JobsOhio honor the memory of individuals who have distinguished themselves in service.

The Memorial is also proud to announce that with Workday’s support, the Tournament this year will serve as the official start of a new PGA TOUR-wide program called Folds of Honor Friday. Each Friday across the PGA TOUR will be dedicated as a time to celebrate and recognize those that serve and sacrifice for our country. In support of this initiative, the Tournament and Workday are encouraging patrons, players, caddies and volunteers to wear Red, White and Blue during this year’s Friday round.

Folds of Honor awards life-changing scholarships to families of fallen or disabled U.S. service members and first responders.

“The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday is proud to partner with JobsOhio and Folds of Honor to recognize and honor Ohio’s military service men and women,” said Tournament Executive Director Dan Sullivan. “The programs we are offering through the Appreciation Brunch and Military Outpost, Workday’s expanded outreach and now Folds of Honor Friday, will provide an opportunity for many service men and women to enjoy the Memorial Tournament and interact with others within the military, and with those who support the military. We are looking forward to a great week.” 

One of the primary objectives of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday remains a genuine philanthropic focus. The 2023 Memorial Tournament raised over $4.9 million for charitable organizations in Central Ohio and beyond, including $4.6 million for the Memorial’s collaborating charitable partners, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation and the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation. It was the second consecutive year the Tournament’s charitable giving total topped the $4 million mark. Since its first playing in 1976, the Memorial has eclipsed $52 million in donations to charity, with nearly $37 million going to Nationwide Children’s.

The 2024 Memorial Tournament presented by Workday will mark the third year in which Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation will be recognized by the Tournament as a charity beneficiary. Eat. Learn. Play. receives general support from the Memorial with a portion of the official PGA TOUR event’s 2024 charitable proceeds benefiting the Oakland, California, based foundation. Furthermore, Nationwide Children’s Hospital—a charitable beneficiary of the Memorial since the Tournament’s inception—and Eat. Learn. Play. collaboratively focus on programs and services that provide access to nutritious meals, quality reading resources and support, and safe places for all children to play and be active.

“We’re proud to serve as the Tournament’s presenting sponsor and contribute to the Memorial’s rich history and commitment to the community and charitable impact, which is made possible by Jack and Barbara Nicklaus,” said Aneel Bhusri, co-founder and executive chair, Workday. “We share this commitment with our charitable partners Eat. Learn. Play., Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, and look forward to seeing the world’s best golfers - including Workday brand ambassadors Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick – hit the course in a few weeks.”

“We’re incredibly excited to be returning for the third year as one of the charitable beneficiaries of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, an iconic event that brings together the best in the sport of golf to raise money for good,” said Chris Helfrich, CEO of Eat. Learn. Play. “Building on the success of the past two years, we are excited to continue our collaboration with Nationwide Children’s Hospital and our shared focus on providing resources and support that create a positive impact for children and families in Central Ohio, our hometown of Oakland, California, and beyond.”

“The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday is vital for raising funds and awareness that benefit the mission at Nationwide Children’s Hospital,” said Tim Robinson, CEO of Nationwide Children’s. “Since its inception, the Tournament’s support has continued to help our physicians, researchers and staff work towards a healthier tomorrow for children everywhere, including our most vulnerable patients in our Memorial Tournament Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Additionally, as we enter year three of the partnership with Eat. Learn. Play., the Memorial’s impact on child health beyond hospital walls broadening our reach into the community continues to grow exponentially.”

Tickets for the 2024 Memorial Tournament are available for purchase by contacting the Tournament Ticket Office 9 a.m.-5 p.m. EDT weekdays at 877-MT BADGE (877-682-2343) or by visiting www.memorialtickets.com. Children 15 and under can attend the Tournament for free with a ticketed adult. Daily practice round tickets for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are also available. The cost is $60, and they are valid for all three practice-round days.

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

About the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday
The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday 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, Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation and numerous other local organizations. For more information, visit www.thememorialtournament.com or call 614-889-6700.

About Workday
Workday is a leading enterprise platform that helps organizations manage their most important assets – their people and money. The Workday platform is built with AI at the core to help customers elevate people, supercharge work, and move their business forever forward. Workday is used by more than 10,000 organizations around the world and across industries – from medium-sized businesses to more than 50% of the Fortune 500. For more information about Workday, visit workday.com.

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