Golf: Molinari among challengers at The Memorial

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 31 - Italy's Francesco Molinari, the country's only major winner with the 2018 Open in his trophy case, will be among the challengers at this weekend's The Memorial Tournament, among the most important tournaments on the PGA Tour.
    At Dublin, Ohio, the world's best will compete on the Jack Nicklaus-restyled Muirfield Village Golf Club.
    Turin-born 'Chicco' Molinari will be up against seven of the world' s top ten golfers: Jon Rahm (second, and winner in 2020), Cameron Smith (third), Collin Morikawa (fourth), Patrick Cantlay (sixth and reigning champ, having won in 2021 and 2019), Viktor Hovland (seventh), Rory McIlroy (eighth) and Jordan Spieth (10th).
    Of the top ten, the only ones missing will be Scottie Scheffler (leader of the world ranking), Justin Thomas (champion this year at the PGA Championship) and Sam Burns (recent winner of the Charles Schwab Challenge, where he won a play-off against Scheffler, his best friend).
    Many other champs are playing, including Xander Schauffele (gold medalist at the Olympics in Tokyo), Japan's Hideki Matsuyama (king of the The Masters in 2021) and Will Zalatoris.
    California's Bryson DeChambeau, who won The Memorial Tournament in 2018, will be back form an operation on his right wrist.
    There will be a bumper prize pot of 12 million dollars at an event that compares to a major. (ANSA).