DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) — It’s a new era on the PGA Tour and the Memorial Tournament reflects those changes. 

The tournament begins Thursday at Muirfield Village Golf Club, one week later than its traditional spot on the Tour schedule. It’s also a reduced field of 73 players, instead of the usual 120 the event has hosted in recent years. The PGA Tour labels the Memorial and other high-profile events as “Signature Events.”

But tournament founder Jack Nicklaus said he does not expect much to change for fans this week. 

“We want to cooperate the best we can with the PGA Tour,” Nicklaus said in an interview Monday. “I think we look forward to just having a great week and having great fun and being part of what’s going on.”

While those changes are significant, the field remains traditionally strong. Nine of the world’s top 10 ranked players are in the field.  Only 7th ranked and former Memorial winner Jon Rahm is not playing this week because Rahm is a LIV Tour member. 

World #1 Scottie Scheffler, #2 Xander Schauffele and #3 Rory McIlroy draw top billing for the tournament, which will pay out a $20 million purse this week. Defending champion and the world’s 5th ranked player Viktor Hovland, returns after a strong run at the PGA Championship last month. 

“It’ll be a great tournament,” Nicklaus said. “I think we’ve got all the top players on the PGA Tour here, and that’s what we’re doing.”

It will be another busy week for Nicklaus and his wife, Barbara, who first met while students at Ohio State in 1957. Nicklaus, now 84 years old, remains active in all facets of the tournament — especially the charitable fundraising. The Nicklaus’ “Play Yellow” Foundation has raised more than $130 million for children’s hospitals nationwide, including Nationwide Children’s Hospital. 

Nicklaus still occasionally plays a round of golf, but it’s rare; during tournament week, he misses the competition. 

“I miss going out and being out there and playing,” he said. “That’s what I enjoy doing, but I can’t do that anymore.”