PGA golf tips at $34 and $41: FedEx St. Jude Championship preview

The FEDEX ST. JUDE CHAMPIONSHIP (you might also see it as INVITATIONAL) is a very familiar name on the schedule, but the format / timing of this year’s event represents a slight change to the annual schedule. Normally, this week it would be the Northern Trust Open that kicks-off the play-offs but has been removed.

But aside from this alteration, the action is still the same as usual with the Top 125 on the Money / Points List starting out on a three tournament race to, you guessed it, another bucket-load of cash. Oh to be a golfer! Well… a good one.

FedEx St. Jude Championship

As mentioned above, the FedEx Cup play-offs are now underway. Previously a four-tournament “mini-season”, this has been reduced to just three events – the St. Jude Championship, BMW Championship, and the Tour Championship. And while last year the series kicked off with the Northern Trust at Liberty National in New Jersey, this year it’s replaced by a visit to Tennessee. That aside the format is exactly the same, meaning this week we have the Top 125 on the FedEx Points List playing at TPC Southwind. Then, after this week, this number is whittled down to 70 golfers at the BMW Championship, before, finally, we’re left with just 30 players to compete for the overall FedEx Cup at East Lake in Georgia.

Prizemoney $15m ($1.71m to the winner)

Field 125

Highest ranked players: Scheffler (1), Smith (2), McIlroy (3), Cantlay (4), Schauffele (5), Rahm (6), Thomas (7), Fitzpatrick (10).

2021 result:

-16 Abraham Ancer ($46, won playoff)
-16 Sam Burns ($81)
-16 Hideki Matsuyama ($31)
-15 Harris English ($41)
-14 Daniel Berger ($23)
-14 Paul Casey ($34)
-14 Cameron Smith ($41)

Other recent winners Justin Thomas (2020), Brooks Koepka (2019), Justin Thomas (2018), Hideki Matsuyama (2017), Dustin Johnson (2016).

FedEx St. Jude Championship: The Course

A familiar destination for the PGA Tour, it’s TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. This is a par 70 laid out over 7,244 yards, designed by Ron Prichard. Originally opened in 1988 it should prove a good test for the players (a few years ago it was ranked the 9th toughest track on the PGA Tour) and has been further upgraded in recent years with the addition of more trees, a host of extra bunkers and even less shots on the scorecard (the par five 5th hole being reduced to a par 4 – making Southwind a par 70 from a 71). So don’t expect too many fireworks in terms of scoring!

72-Hole Record 263: Adam Scott (2011)

18-Hole Record 61: Bob Estes (2001)

FedEx St. Jude Championship: The Weather

It looks like being a mostly dry week with a daily precipitation forecast of 40%-10%-0%-0% over the course of the tournament. Temperatures will also hit the mid 80s, with only partial cloud cover. Wind speeds will be light, no worse than 10-12mph for the four days.

FedEx St. Jude Championship: Value tips

These are two each-way outright bets from the Golf Insider. Members receive all of his best bets for all markets. They get win and each-way, Top 10, Top 20, Round 1 Leader and 3-Ball groups. He covers every tournament on the PGA and European Tours.

Jordan Spieth $34 with TopSport

This week there are a lot of big names playing for the first time since the Open Championship. Most have disappointments, and maybe a poor finishing position, to get over, but Spieth doesn’t fit into this group. His non-threatening 8th place finish at St. Andrews was a continuation of his 10th place the week before (Scottish Open), undermined principally by a misfiring putter. But the Texan’s form throughout 2022 has been more like the Spieth of old, adding another win to his name – RBC Heritage. Solid course form at TPC Southwind (12-30-12 last three starts) shows his liking for the set-up, and 28/1 looks a very fair price to me for this proven winner.

$34

Joohyung Kim $41 with TopSport

Joohyung (also known as “Tom”) was a breakthrough winner on the PGA Tour last week. Despite a quadruple bogey on his first hole(!) the 20-year-old South Korean closed with a flawless 61 to land the first, of many, titles. What Kim brings this week besides his abundant talent, is hunger and no fear for the players he’s up against. We’ve seen players win back-to-back recently (Scheffler, Schauffele, Finau) and while doing the same in this company would be some feat, Kim’s numbers must give him half a chance. He’s a definite wildcard in what could be a week where the big names don’t necessarily dominate.

$41