After Cameron Young dominated proceedings at the Wyndham Championship, claiming a six shot victory, the PGA Tour moves into the FedEx Cup Playoffs season.
Taking place over three weeks, there are plenty of points and prize money available, with 70 players making their way into the opening event, the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Hideki Matsuyama returns to defend his FedEx Cup St. Jude Championship title
(Image credit: Getty Images)
A number of big names missed out on qualifying for the tournament but, at TPC Southwind, several stars will be present, including World No.1 Scottie Scheffler, who makes his first start since claiming The Open Championship in July.
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Rory McIlroy won’t be present, though, opting to skip the event, but the likes of Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas and Ludvig Aberg are just some of the names featuring in Memphis.
Offering 2,000 FedEx Cup points and $20 million in prize money, there’s a lot at stake at the FedEx Cup St. Jude Championship, where the top 50 in the overall standings at the end of play will move on to the BMW Championship.
FedEx St. Jude Championship Course Guide: TPC Southwind
Located in Memphis, Tennessee, TPC Southwind is one of the many TPC courses around the US, with its par 70 layout measuring 7,288-yards.
Opened in 1988, it’s been a regular feature on the PGA Tour’s calendar since 1989, with a mixture of scores winning in that time.
In terms of the course record, three players have shot 61 around its layout – Jay Delsing (1993), Bob Estes (2001) and Tom Lewis (2020).
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Although it’s not the longest course, TPC Southwind’s par 70 layout features four par 3s, 12 par 4s and two par 5s, the longest of which is 579-yards.
It’s the par 3s where this course’s difficulty comes into play. The 11th, for example, is similar to that of the par 3 17th at TPC Sawgrass. What’s more, the 14th is ranked as one of the hardest par 3s on the PGA Tour, playing +0.196 last year.
Providing players with 94 bunkers and 10 water hazards, last year’s winner, Matsuyama, ranked T4 in Greens in Regulation and second in Putts per GIR. He also led the field in terms of birdies made with 23.
To add further, the top six players in the FedEx St. Jude Championship last year occupied the top eight spots of the Greens in Regulation stats, putting the imperative on approach play.
FedEx St. Jude Championship Previous WinnersSwipe to scroll horizontally
Year
Champion
Score
Course
2024
Hideki Matsuyama
-17 (Two Strokes)
TPC Southwind
2023
Lucas Glover
-15 (Playoff – Patrick Cantlay)
TPC Southwind
2022
Will Zalatoris
-15 (Playoff – Sepp Straka)
TPC Southwind
2021
Tony Finau
-20 (Playoff – Cameron Smith)
Liberty National
2020
Dustin Johnson
-30 (11 Strokes)
TPC Boston
2019
Patrick Reed
-16 (One Stroke)
Liberty National
2018
Bryson DeChambeau
-18 (Four Strokes)
Ridgewood Country Club
2017
Dustin Johnson
-13 (Playoff – Jordan Spieth)
Glen Oaks Club
2016
Patrick Reed
-9 (One Stroke)
Bethpage Black
2015
Jason Day
-19 (Six Strokes)
Plainfield Country Club
FedEx St. Jude Championship Tournament Betting Odds
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Outright winner odds from BetMGM (odds correct at time of publishing)
Scottie Scheffler (+275)Xander Schauffele (+1400)Tommy Fleetwood (+2200)Hideki Matsuyama (+2500)Justin Thomas (+2500)Ludvig Aberg (+2500)Russell Henley (+2500)Matt Fitzpatrick (+2800)Patrick Cantlay (+2800)Viktor Hovland (+3000)Collin Morikawa (+3300)Sam Burns (+3300)Ben Griffin (+4000)Cameron Young (+4000)Chris Gotterup (+4000)Corey Conners (+4000)Harris English (+4000)Keegan Bradley (+4000)Wyndham Clark (+4000)All other players priced at +4500 or higherFedEx St. Jude Championship Betting Picks
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Pick 1: Tommy Fleetwood +2200 @ BetMGM
Fleetwood boasts an impressive recent record at TPC Southwind, with a T3 finish in 2023 before a T22 last year.
Form-wise, Fleetwood so nearly won the Travelers Championship at the end of June and, after a week off following his T16 finish at The Open, I am confident he can put in a strong display again in Memphis… He could even finally win his first PGA Tour event now he is firmly the best player yet to hoist a PGA Tour trophy following Young’s win at the Wyndham Championship.
Pick 2: Matt Fitzpatrick +2800 @ BetMGM
My second pick is another Englishman, with Fitzpatrick on a very impressive run of form after re-finding his game mid-season.
Certainly, it’s coming at the perfect time with the Ryder Cup now well on the horizon, as Fitzpatrick’s last four results read T8-T4-T4-T8 so he is primed to go well again this week, especially as he has good history at TPC Southwind. The 2022 US Open champion was T5 here in 2022 and T18 last year, so it’s clearly a layout that fits his eye.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Pick 1: Hideki Matsuyama +2500 @ BetMGM
It’s very rare that I will back a defending champion, but my brain is telling me that there’s too many positives to not go with Matsuyama this week, who is very much coming in under the radar.
Looking at his last four results, he hasn’t had his best stuff, yet has four top 30s, including top 20s in his last three tournaments. Returning to a venue that the Japanese star loves, his game is still strong in the relevant departments, 16th in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green, so if Matsuyama can get the putter working, I can see him challenging again.
Pick 2: Sepp Straka +4500 @ BetMGM
There’s a number of players I could have gone for here, but I’ve opted for Straka, who is playing some great golf in 2025 and has a great record in this event.
Claiming two victories this season, the Austrian has taken some time off since The Open, meaning he’ll hopefully come back refreshed. A runner-up finish at TPC Southwind in 2022 shows course-form, while Straka ranks eighth in SG: Approach the Green and fourth in Greens in Regulation. To increase the argument further, he’s inside the top 25 for SG: Putting, Total Putting and Putting Average. He’s very good value at these odds.
Jonny Leighfield
Staff Writer
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Pick 1: Russell Henley +2500 @ BetMGM
Henley comes into the FedEx Cup Playoffs strangely under the radar despite sitting in fourth place. He is certainly capable of upsetting the odds-on favorite, Scottie Scheffler, with an all-round game that has seen him finish inside the top 10 during each of his past four starts.
The American’s record at this event is encouraging, too, with a couple of top 10s to boot. However, he has never previously been in this sort of form, or possessed this kind of reliable quality, so this could be the week to remind everyone of his caliber.
Pick 2: Harris English +4000 @ BetMGM
English is another likely lock for Team USA’s Ryder Cup dozen and someone who has a real chance to win the opening Playoff event. He has proved himself to be a man for the big occasion this term, securing runner-up finishes at The Open and the PGA Championship, as well as a win at the Farmers Insurance Open.
More recently, English has utilized his putting prowess to secure a T4 at the Travelers Championship – a key area of expertise at TPC Southwind. A runner-up finish in this event is a good indicator, so all of the above suggests one of the most in-form players on the PGA Tour could be in the mix come Sunday.
How To Watch The FedEx St. Jude Championship
US/ET
Thursday 7th August: 8.00am – 2.00pm (ESPN+), 2.00 – 6.00pm (NBC Sports App)Friday 8th August: 8.00am – 2.00pm (ESPN+), 2.00 – 6.00pm (NBC Sports App)Saturday 9th August: 8.00am – 1.00pm (ESPN+), 1.00 – 3.00pm (NBC Sports App), 3.00 – 6.00pm (Peacock/NBC Sports App)Sunday 10th August: 8.00am – 12.00pm (ESPN+), 12.00 – 2.00pm (NBC Sports App), 2.00 – 6.00pm (Peacock/NBC Sports App)
UK/BST
Thursday 7th August: 5.30 – 11.00pm (Sky Sports Golf)Friday 8th August: 6.30 – 11.00pm (Sky Sports Golf)Saturday 9th August: 6.00 – 11.00pm (Sky Sports Golf)Sunday 10th August: 6.00 – 11.00pm (Sky Sports Golf)Golf Monthly Betting Picks: Wins In 2025Swipe to scroll horizontally
Player
Event
Price
GM Staff Member
Richard Mansell
Porsche Singapore Classic
+6000
Matt Cradock
Eugenio Chacarra
Hero Indian Open
+3500
Elliott Heath
Sergio Garcia
LIV Golf Hong Kong
+2200
Jonny Leighfield
Ludvig Aberg
Genesis Invitational
+2200
Matt Cradock
Laurie Canter
Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship
+2200
Jonny Leighfield/Matt Cradock
Joaquin Niemann
LIV Golf UK
+900
Matt Cradock
Tyrrell Hatton
Hero Dubai Desert Classic
+900
Jonny Leighfield
Joaquin Niemann
LIV Golf Virginia
+750
Jonny Leighfield
Rory McIlroy
The Masters
+650
Barry Plummer
Scottie Scheffler
PGA Championship
+400
Matt Cradock/Elliott Heath