Jack Nicklaus has confirmed that the Memorial Tournament is returning to its traditional date on the PGA Tour calendar from 2025.
The event – which began in 1976 – has nearly always taken place shortly after Memorial Day at the end of May but was shifted to later in the year during 2024 in order to comply with the PGA Tour’s new Signature Event model. The Canadian Open – where Robert MacIntyre triumphed – took its place.
Nicklaus said he agreed to a temporary switch as “a favor” to the PGA Tour but admitted he had been in conversation with commissioner Jay Monahan for a while about ensuring the event was put back in its traditional time slot from next year.
Prior to the 49th staging, which was won by Scottie Scheffler, the 18-time Major winner said “we would prefer the other week” when asked about the switch before going on to explain: “I would rarely play a week before a major championship, so I’m asked to be putting on a golf tournament that I would never play, and that is the essential (issue) from my standpoint.”
In a statement released on Monday, Nicklaus confirmed that his Memorial Tournament would be returning to the week of Memorial Day “in the best interest” of the event itself, the tour, and the players in 2025. The 50th staging will see Barbara Nicklaus – Jack’s wife – as the official honoree.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Nicklaus said: “The relationship the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday has enjoyed with the PGA Tour is more like a partnership. The Tour has acted in the best interest of the Memorial Tournament, and we, in turn, have always supported the Tour and its initiatives.
“That is why a year ago when the Tour presented us its new business model, we were willing to work with them and move the 2024 date to a week before the U.S. Open.
“Over recent months, we have had a number of conversations with [PGA Tour commissioner] Jay Monahan and his team… and together we determined that in the best interest of the Memorial Tournament, the Tour and its players, we would return to our traditional date and start Tournament week on the Memorial Day holiday.”
Midway through the 2024 Memorial, Rory McIlroy stated his preference would be to let the tournament “stand alone” and move it back to late May, therefore avoiding a logjam of elite championships – as…
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