This year marks the 40th anniversary of one of golf’s premier events: the Memorial Tournament, held at the Muirfield Village Golf Club, known as “Jack’s Place,” in Dublin, Ohio.
The golf club and tournament are the culmination of a dream and great effort put forth by World Golf Hall of Fame Member Jack Nicklaus. Inspired by the beauty, design and prestige of The Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in 1966, Nicklaus, along with his friend Ivor Young, discussed a vision of something similar in their home state of Ohio. In their excitement, they set about to make it happen.
Though Nicklaus got off to a slow start, construction officially began in 1972 and the course opened just two years later. With the signature course built, he initiated plans for his new tournament, the Memorial.
Nicklaus had four objectives for the tournament: to further the game of golf, to salute its past champions, to provide sporting entertainment for the fans, and to benefit local charities. In all of these objectives, the tournament has met with great success.
The inaugural Memorial Tournament began on May 27, 1976.
The course was playing extremely difficult with a mere seven rounds in the 60s during the week. Roger Maltbie, in his second season on TOUR, seemed to have the tournament in hand. He hadn’t counted on World Golf Hall of Fame Member Hale Irwin to make a final round charge from seven strokes back to tie in regulation play and force a three-hole aggregate score play-off.
Both players birdied the 15th hole and parred the 16th. They came to the final hole on the par-4 17th in a sudden-death situation. Irwin was safely on the green in two when Maltbie’s second shot was headed over the green and into the crowd on the left. Suddenly, the ball took a 90 degree turn and landed miraculously on the green – it had hit a metal stake holding the ropes and rebounded onto the green.
Irwin, visibly shaken by Maltbie’s good fortune, missed his putt and tied the hole with Maltbie. The two retreated to the 15th hole for a second sudden-death play-off. Irwin decided to play safe “to just get out with a five.” However, his drive went into the woods and landed directly behind a large tree. He took a double-bogey to Maltbie’s 18-foot birdie. The tournament was Maltbie’s.
This was only the beginning of a great championship.
Hale Irwin would come back to win the Memorial in 1983 and again in 1985.
In the 40 times the event has been played, 10 World Golf Hall of Fame Members have won the tournament a total of 14 times, beginning with Jack Nicklaus in 1977 and thus far ending with Ernie Els in 2004.
The 41st tournament kicks off this week with a full field of talent. And to recognize some of golf’s greatest contributors, Hall of Fame Members Johnny Miller, Leo Diegel and Horton Smith will join the Memorial’s group of 65 honorees who have all helped immensely to grow the game of golf.
