the Memorial Tournament 2025 FRL Tips: Three names to know for Round 1

Plenty of top golfers will be teeing it up at the Memorial Tournament this week and as always, we are casting our eye out as to who might have a fast start.

Our golf tipster Jamie Worsley has picked out three names at good prices for who might be sitting on top of the leaderboard come the end of Round 1. You can check out his the Memorial Tornament FRL Tips below...

*You can read Jamie's full in-depth the Memorial Tournament 2025 Betting Preview behind the link.

Muirfield Village will welcome a high-quality field for the opening round of the Memorial Tournament tomorrow. The breezy conditions look reasonably consistent throughout the day; therefore, we should be able to pick freely across the tee times to find the first-round leader. 

The 72-man field will go out in pairs and all begin on the 1st, flowing out in regular 10-15-minute intervals—which begin at 07:50 and end at 14:00.  

It will be cool and benign early doors but as the temperatures begin to rise, so do the wind speeds. It is expected to blow at around 12-16mph over much of the opening round, and though it's a little gustier in the afternoon, it shouldn't create a significant bias.  

This means that everyone is in-play in this week's first-round leader market, and I've got three selections to follow throughout the day on Thursday. 

Denny McCarthy 

Start time: 08:40 

Denny McCarthy has an excellent record at Muirfield Village, where he's twice finished inside the top five. He arrives here after a strong performance in the PGA Championship, and as one of the best first-round performers on tour, he holds plenty of appeal in this market. 

McCarthy hasn't missed a cut in 2025 and has recorded seven top-25s in his 13 starts. His best result came when he finished 5th in the Genesis Invitational back in February, and he collected a second top-10 finish of the season on his previous start at Quail Hollow, finishing 8th. 

He ranks 15th in SG: Total over the last three months and, as usual, he's excelled with the putter, ranking 2nd. In addition, he ranks 3rd in first-round performance during that span, opening with an under-par round in each of his last six starts—including firing a 62 at the Truist Championship two starts ago to sit 2nd on day one. He also has two first-round leads in 2025, which came at the Sony Open and the Genesis Invitational. 

McCarthy has finished inside the top five in this event twice in the last three years, finishing 5th in 2022 and 2nd in 2023. He opened with a 68 in 2022—just one-shot outside the tie for 1st—and has recorded several other under-par rounds here. 

Corey Conners 

Start time: 12:05 

Corey Conners has been extremely consistent this season and has a solid record at Muirfield Village. Ranking high in first-round performance in recent months, this looks a great way to play the Canadian in Ohio.  

Connors finished 5th in The Sentry on his first start of the year but then underwhelmed on his next three, finishing outside the top 60 in each. However, he has responded brilliantly, picking up eight top-25s in his last nine starts, including top-10 finishes in the Arnold Palmer Invitational (3rd), THE PLAYERS Championship (6th), Valspar Championship (8th) and The Masters (8th). 

He ranks 3rd from tee-to-green in the last three months, and he is shining with the long game, ranking 2nd off-the-tee and 5th in approach. Further to that, he also ranks 11th in first-round performance, opening with a four-under 68 at Augusta four starts ago to sit T2 after round one. 

Conners has only missed one cut in seven Memorial Tournament starts and has hit the top 25 on three occasions. He made a great start last year, finishing day one in 3rd after an opening 68, and he also started quickly in 2022, sitting 11th after a first-round 69. 

Keegan Bradley 

Start time: 13:40 

Keegan Bradley ranks 2nd to only Scottie Scheffler (in this field) in first-round and tee-to-green performance over the previous three months. Although he hasn't really fired at Muirfield Village for the best part of a decade, low rounds haven't been in short supply, and he can find another in tomorrow's opening round. 

Bradley has seven top-25s to his name over his 12 starts in 2025 and has missed just one cut. He was at his best at Bay Hill, finishing 3rd in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and he descends on Ohio following an 8th-place finish in the PGA Championship two weeks ago. 

As mentioned, he's been excellent from tee-to-green since the end of February, looking incredibly sharp with the short game, ranking 1st around-the-greens. His first-round displays have also been superb in recent weeks, opening with a 67, 64 and 68 on his last three starts to sit inside the top 10 thru 18 holes in each event. 

Keegan recorded two consecutive top-10s at Muirfield Village in 2015 and 2016 but hasn't had another since. That being said, with a third-round 65 in 2023—the lowest round of that week—and several other rounds in the 60s in the following years, there is no doubt he can score well at this venue on a going day. 

*You can get all the latest Betting Prices and the Memorial Tournament Odds over at betfred.com

You can find all Jamie's latest Golf Betting Tips over on our dedicated golf Insights hub.