Steve Palmer's Memorial Tournament first-round preview, best bets, free tips

Golf tips, best bets and analysis for the first round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village on the PGA Tour.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 12.15pm Thursday

Best bets

Sepp Straka first-round leader
1pt each-way 100-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Joaquin Niemann to win threeball
1pt 23-20 bet365

Patrick Cantlay & Viktor Hovland dual forecast
1pt 175-1 Sky Bet

First-round preview

The most mouthwatering threeball of the PGA Tour's post-lockdown schedule is due off at 6.17pm UK and Ireland time on Thursday – a Memorial clash between Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka.

The most prolific Major champion of his generation, the current world number one, and the man who has won four of the last 11 Majors, will do battle for early supremacy at Muirfield Village, Ohio. Woods, McIlroy and Koepka will hog the late first-round coverage, while two all-star groups form the marquee morning matches.

The last three Muirfield Village champions – Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay and Collin Morikawa – tee off together at 1.06pm. Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele are alongside each other at 1.17pm.

The top trio of threeballs are extremely difficult contests to call and the most appealing option on the card is Joaquin Niemann to beat Bubba Watson and Scott Piercy in their 12.44pm meeting. Niemann finished sixth on his Memorial debut in 2018 and the Chilean youngster has made a bright start to his post-lockdown campaign, highlighted by fifth spot in the RBC Heritage.

Watson has missed his last three cuts, while Piercy has form of 64-MC since the PGA Tour resumed. Niemann has matured into one of the most dependable tee-to-green operators on the circuit.

Niemann is tempting in the first-round-leader market, but another rising star who is out even earlier is preferred. Sepp Straka is out first from the first tee – an ideal launchpad for the Georgia-based Austrian to continue his fine recent form. Eighth place in the Rocket Mortgage Classic was followed by 14th spot in the Workday Charity Open.

Straka is capable of setting the early pace, while 175-1 seems a juicy price about Cantlay and Viktor Hovland filling the first two places on the leaderboard come close of play on Sunday. They finished seventh and third in the Workday Charity Open last week and can build on those strong performances by contending on the same course again this week.

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