The Biggest Storylines Ahead of the 2015 Memorial Tournament

With just two weeks until the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay (two weeks!), the PGA Tour heads to Dublin, Ohio, for the 40th edition of the Memorial Tournament. 

Undoubtedly, tournament host Jack Nicklaus will command much attention this week, and the game's elder statesman will likely face numerous Tiger Woods-related questions, which he somehow still manages to answer with remarkable patience. 

So you can expect that. 

Inside the ropes: Tiger, Tiger, Tiger! With Mr. Woods returning to competition this week, expect to hear a lot about the world's most recognizable golfer and his prospects for the U.S. Open.  

Beyond the usual Tiger-and-Jack-ness, there'll be plenty of intrigue on the lush fairways of Muirfield Village Golf Club this week. 

Read on for a five-slide sampling of the narrative.

Tiger Woods Returns to Competition

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Because it's an international media event across the sports world any time he bends over to tee up his Nike RZN Black, we'll lead off with this: Tiger Woods is in the field this week for the first time since the Players Championship at the beginning of May. 

Woods' record at Muirfield Village is, well, better than any other current PGA Tour golfer anywhere else (although not his best at a particular course): He's won five times at Jack's place, although he didn't compete last year due to injury and tied for 65th in 2013. 

Woods tied for 17th at the Masters after a two-month layoff to work through short-game issues. He followed a good showing at Augusta with a poor performance at TPC Sawgrass, tying for 69th at the Players.

What's the state of his game? Who knows. He'll likely put a positive spin on things in his Wednesday press conference, but Thursday's first round will tell the real story of where things stand for the 79-time PGA Tour winner.

Sir Nick Faldo: Memorial Honoree

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A unique element of the Memorial Tournament: Each year, the tournament's Captains Club honors a golfer for his/her contributions to the game. 

Recent past honorees include Annika Sorenstam, Raymond Floyd, Tom Watson, Nancy Lopez and Seve Ballesteros. 

Sooner or later, if you're somebody in the game of golf, you're honored at the Memorial (although sometimes it doesn't happen until after you're dead). 

This year, six-time major champion and current CBS Sports and Golf Channel analyst Sir Nick Faldo is the tournament's honoree. 

So you're due to see more Faldo than usual, which is either OK or very, very bad, depending on your persuasion.

Chambers Bay Looms

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The U.S. Open at Chambers Bay is a mere two weeks away.

Depending on top-tier players' preferences, the best in the game will either tee it up at next week's FedEx St. Jude Classic or take the week off to prepare for the toughest test in golf. 

Regardless of players' preferences, whether they, like Woods, prefer to take a week off prior to a major championship, or, like Phil Mickelson, prefer to play the week prior, every player in the field who has punched a ticket to Chambers Bay will be looking to have his ducks in a row in Ohio this week. 

And while eventual major champions can and do enter majors amid a spell of poor play, more often is that they have played reasonably well in at least their start immediately prior to the major. 

In other words, don't place your U.S. Open bets until after the Memorial winner is crowned.

Rickie Fowler's First PGA Tour Start Since Players Win

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Rickie Fowler countered the (apparent) prevailing opinion on tour by proving that he was, in fact, not an overrated golfer with a nasty, dart-throwing, big-time performance to win the Players Championship. 

The 26-year-old hasn't competed on the PGA Tour since the in-your-face performance, although he did head to Ireland for the Irish Open, where he finished 30th. 

Fowler's history at Muirfield Village is a mixed bag. He missed the cut at the competition last year but finished second in 2010 with a range of results between the two finishes. 

What he does to follow up his win at the "fifth major" in his tuneup for the season's second major will be of keen interest to observers this week.

Host Jack Nicklaus' 40th Edition of the Memorial

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Last, and really most in the scope of this tournament: Jack Nicklaus, who won the Congressional Gold Medal in March. 

The 18-time major champion built Muirfield Village on land he originally acquired in 1966. He's been the tournament host since 1976, and he won the Memorial twice. 

Nicklaus casts a long shadow at the Memorial, and you can expect a few interesting takes from the Upper Arlington, Ohio, native. The focus will likely be even more on Mr. Nicklaus than usual given his recent honor and the fact that this is the tournament's 40th anniversary.