Tommy Fleetwood finished his opening round with an impressive 5-under 67 at the $20 million Memorial Tournament 2026. But that round came with a reminder of just how demanding Muirfield Village can be. After tackling Jack Nicklaus’ famed layout on Thursday, the Englishman revealed exactly what made him not like the course.

“I didn’t say I liked it. (Laughing.) Well, it demands everything. I think it demands you to hit multiple different tee shots, different shapes, and different shots. And then the same with approach play. I think the margins are so small and the misses are so small, it just puts such a premium on your ball control, and then you don’t have to hit a terribly poor shot to be in a really tough spot. So I think it just demands from the start to the finish on every hole, which then is demanding mentally as well. So it’s just like one of those ultimate tests, I guess,” Tommy Fleetwood said when asked what makes the course hard and why he likes it.

The penalty for missing out on such big swings is very high. RickRunGood has noted that Muirfield Village ranks at the top among 38 PGA Tour courses when it comes to fairway and rough penalty. McIlroy also said that the “rough here is so penal.” The 4¼ inch roughs with Kentucky Bluegrass, Ryegrass, and Fescue blend justify the same.

Another challenge is the small, fast, and multi-tiered greens. Giving the example of 3, 6, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, and 18, Nicklaus said, “If you spin the ball off of those greens, what happens? Not a good result.”

This is Tommy Fleetwood’s third appearance at the Memorial Tournament. In the first two starts, his best finish was T16 in 2025. Maybe it could change this time, but he would not take the course lightly. He feels the course is demanding because that’s how Jack Nicklaus designed it. When the media asked Nicklaus why Rory McIlroy has never won at Muirfield Village, he had a very thoughtful answer.

He said he didn’t design the course for long hitters, and it wasn’t for short or middle hitters either. He designed the course in a way that gives every type of golfer a fair chance. The Northern Irishman also admitted the same. When asked why he never won, the 30x PGA Tour winner said that it does not give him any advantage on big hits. That has left him feeling frustrated, too.

The 2020-2021 renovations, including the fairways pinched in, rebuilt greens, and deepened bunkers, make the course even more challenging. The Englishman and Rory McIlroy aren’t the only two who feel it is difficult to navigate Muirfield Village.

Speaking to the media ahead of the Memorial Tournament 2026, Scottie Scheffler said, “If you hit great shots, you get rewarded for it, and if you start hitting poor shots, you’re going to be punished pretty severely, especially when you look at some of the shorter holes out here like 3 and 14.”

After the third round of the Memorial Tournament 2025, he also said that the course is hard and “no lead’s safe around this place.” Viktor Hovland, on the other hand, said that “it’s one of the hardest courses we play all year.” Many other professionals have shared the same view of the course’s difficulty.

Tommy Fleetwood’s assessment of Muirfield Village is hardly surprising given the course’s reputation among PGA Tour stars. However, Jack Nicklaus’ layout is not the only venue that has tested his patience over the years.

Other golf courses that Tommy Fleetwood called difficult

Fleetwood also believes that Augusta National is one of the most demanding golf courses. He and McIlroy were seen discussing whether the 12th at Augusta National is more difficult than the 12th at Muirfield Village. The Northern Irishman said that it is a little easier at Augusta National. However, his Ryder Cup teammate believed otherwise.

When speaking about the course condition and setup, Fleetwood said that the Masters course is “an amazing test.” He agreed with Shane Lowry, who said that the 2026 conditions were as hard as he had seen in years.

Aronimink is another course that Fleetwood calls challenging. While he didn’t specifically speak about its difficulty, he uploaded a video on social media showing the slope and undulation on the greens at the PGA Championship 2026.

Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, and many others complained about the pin setups at Aronimink. The World No. 1 said that they were the “hardest set of pin locations” he has played, while JT said, “the greens have a lot of slope.”

Tommy Fleetwood’s comments on Augusta National show that Muirfield Village is far from the only course he considers a stern test. Yet his description of Nicklaus’ layout as a place that “demands everything” explains why the Memorial Tournament remains one of golf’s toughest and most respected challenges.