Memorial brings green to Dublin

by Bill Bender and Rashad Daoudi
Staff Writers

From its inaugural exhibition match between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf in 1974 to Tiger Woods' uncontested tournament win in 2000, the Muirfield Village Golf Club continues to be the site of spectacular performances.

The 2001 Memorial Tournament should not be an exception. With a field consisting of Woods, Brad Faxon and Davis Love III, it is clear the Memorial brings in the Professional Golfers' Association's top talent. The first man to commit to the 2001 Tournament, however, is the founder "The Golden Bear" himself.

Steve Lyons, marketing director for the Memorial Tournament, said despite Woods' recent accomplishments, Nicklaus is still the main attraction.

"Tiger has obviously raised interest and opened up new doors for us," Lyons said. "But Jack Nicklaus continues to be our man. The fans in Columbus absolutely adore him."

While Nicklaus has won the tournament twice, in 2000 Woods became the first golfer to take back-to-back Memorial championships. Woods chases the three-peat this season, along with the hefty purse that goes to the champion.

The 2001 Memorial increased its purse to $4.1 million from $3.1 million in 2000. The winner of the tournament takes home $738,000. With the increased winnings, the Memorial is one of the top five purses on the 2001 PGA Schedule.

But purse size might not always matter, said Joe Weisler, Muirfield Village Golf Club PGA professional. While money is an obvious incentive, tour players get excited to play in the Memorial because it is one of the top courses on the tour.

"Muirfield ranks as the top course I've played and is certainly one of the best courses in the U.S.," Weisler said. "As far as the difficulty of the course, it is at the top of its class. Basically, players aren't shy to say how much they enjoy to play in this tournament."

When the Memorial is not going on, Muirfield Village is breeding ground for some of the top professional and amateur players in the country. Weisler said while the amateurs are talented, the course is tougher to play during the tournament.

"Obviously there is much more detail that goes into the course during this tournament that year-round players may not see," Weisler said. "Certain things about the course such as greens and pin placement are tailored to be a little tougher for the (PGA) tour players."

The 2001 tournament field has led to yet another sell-out for the Memorial Tournament. As part of the opening ceremonies, the Captain's Club will honor golfer Payne Stewart, who died in a plane crash.

In 2000, Nicklaus was honored with the award. Lyons said Nicklaus should be honored for his involvement in making the Memorial Tournament a success.

"He's put Columbus on the map," Lyons said. "If you look at the city 26 years ago, it's very different from today because of the tournament. You can accredit the success to him."

Nicklaus takes a shot at the Memorial Tournament next week. The tournament runs from May 28 through June 3 at the Muirfield Village Country Club in Dublin.