Scottie Scheffler did something remarkable at the Memorial Tournament last year which could spell danger this week

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World number one Scottie Scheffler is part of a stacked field at this week’s Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

The competition – hosted by Jack Nicklaus – is one of the PGA Tour’s signature events and the last ahead of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No.2.

Scheffler will be joined by Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy, Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland and a host of the best players on the planet in Dublin.

The two-time Masters champion finished third in 2023, one shot adrift of Hovland, who beat Denny McCarthy in a play-off.

Despite failing to win last year, one part of Scheffler’s performance at Muirfield was particularly eye-catching – and could be ominous ahead of the 2024 edition.

Scottie Scheffler’s remarkable tee-to-green performance at the 2023 Memorial Tournament

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Scheffler’s ball-striking is one of his well-known strengths. The American’s ability to consistently hit greens in regulation has made him arguably the most dominant player on the planet at the moment.

And, during last year’s event, Scheffler racked up a remarkable strokes-gained statistic.

As highlighted by The Athletic’s Justin Ray, Scheffler produced one of the more incredible statistics in modern golf history.

The American gained 20.69 strokes on the field tee-to-green, which is the 2nd-highest total over 72 holes since the PGA Tour started tracking the metric in 2003.

Scottie Scheffler the man to beat this week despite Xander Schauffele’s PGA Championship victory

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Scheffler will be making his second appearance since the PGA Championship after performing well at Colonial during the Charles Schwab Challenge.

And, despite the stacked field, it’s hard to look past the two-time Masters champion competing again.

Having enjoyed himself at Muirfield Village previously and considering his current vein of form, it will take something pretty special to topple the 27-year-old this week.

The Memorial kickstarts two weeks of frantic action. LIV Golf’s Houston event takes place this weekend alongside the PGA Tour signature event before the world’s best head to Pinehurst No.2 for the U.S. Open.

With several top players performing well, there’s lots to get excited about heading into the third major of 2024.