FedExCup Playoffs – FedEx St. Jude Championship
Event No. 1
TPC Southwind
Memphis, Tennessee
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Mike Glasscott: FedExCup St. Jude Championship tips
Win: Sam Burns (40/1), Eric Cole (100/1)
Top 10: Hideki Matsuyama (9/4), Aaron Rai (16/5), Billy Horschel (16/5), Justin Thomas (16/5)
Top 20: Davis Thomspon (17/10), Adam Scott (3/2)
Bet365: Top of the Board
Scottie Scheffler (15/4): The only man in the field with a gold medal and six wins, he is still looking for his first top-10 payday in the land of Elvis. The Texan, ranked No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking, is also hunting for his first Playoff title.
Xander Schauffele (8/1): The winner at East Lake in his rookie season of 2017, the two-time major champion is flying along this summer. Making his seventh start at TPC Southwind, his T6 from 2020 is the only finish inside the top 10. Only Scheffler has more top-10 results this season than the Californian.
Rory McIlroy (10/1): The summer of going close extended with T5 at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Close calls at the U.S. Open and Genesis Scottish Open suggest he’s honing in on another title. A big Sunday in 2023, posting 65 in the final, saw him miss the playoff by a shot and claim his best finish near the Big River. The three-time winner of the Playoffs knows this is a marathon, not a sprint. He’s never won the first event or at TPC Southwind.
Collin Morikawa (12/1): A winless 2024 sounds disappointing, but T23 or better since the second week in April paints a different picture. Arriving for the 2020 edition, he’s posted T26 or better, including T13-T5 over the last two editions, suggesting he’s comfortable in the heat and humidity of summer in West Tennessee. With some of the friendliest Champion Bermudagrass surfaces, he should be on the radar.
Ludvig Aberg (20/1): There’s no questioning his talent, but relying on the consistency to perform on the big stage event in and out might be weighing on him. Summers in Europe are different from the heat and humidity of the States.
Tommy Fleetwood (22/1): Did the silver medal performance in Paris spend the final gas in the tank? After missing the cut at The Open, the Englishman rode the wave of patriotism to the medal stand. Sitting at No. 32 in the Playoffs, a big result is not required this week. In four previous visits, he cashed T4 on debut in 2019 and missed the playoffs by a shot last year. Torn.
Patrick Cantlay (22/1): The 2021 FedExCup Playoffs winner returns to the scene of his 2023 playoff defeat by Lucas Glover (not qualified). Without a win on his ledger in 2024, the Californian flashed at Harbour Town (T3), another track with small greens, plus big paydays at Pinehurst No. 2 (T3) and TPC River Highlands (T5).
Hideki Matsuyama (25/1): Yet to win a Playoff event in his previous 10 years, last year was the first time the Japanese start did not make the top 30 at East Lake. Sitting eighth in the standings entering the week buoyed by a win at The Genesis Invitational at Riviera last winter, he will return to Georgia for the final in 2024. The bronze medal winner in Paris shared second after falling in a playoff in 2021.
Tom Kim (28/1): Finishing second in a playoff to his best friend Scheffler in Connecticut, the young Korean star has split time missing the cut or cashing inside the top 15 in his last four starts. A superb driver of the golf ball, his results of T24 last year and T13 suggest he’s comfortable in Memphis.
Players to consider for Top 10 or Top 20 action:
Billy Horschel (40/1): Nothing better than a front-row seat last week at Wyndham to inspire a big result on another course he plays well.
Justin Thomas (40/1): The winner here by three shots in 2020 has been playing himself into contention recently. Never worse than T26, the two-time major champion on Bermudagrass should feature this week.
Aaron Rai (40/1): The only blemish in his last five outings was playing the weekend and fading at The Open Championship. The first-time winner on TOUR last week in North Carolina will look to make it back-to-back titles. Anyone who hits that many fairways and greens cannot be omitted this week.
Sam Burns (50/1): The angle of picking apart a tee-to-green challenge won’t bother the two-time winner at Innisbrook. Knocked out in a playoff in 2021, I return to a guy with results on Bermudagrass.
Adam Scott (60/1): Ranked No. 46 entering the week, the Australian knows it is time to continue the form he found in Great Britain. Back-to-back top-10 paydays and a nice break will have him ready for the challenge this week.
Davis Thompson (70/1): The JDC winner knocked off the rust last week with T12 at Wyndham to register his 12th top-25 payday of the season. Don’t tell anyone he is currently ninth in SG: Total!
Eric Cole (100/1): Sitting outside the top 50 (No. 54), the Florida man will look to add to his recent top-10 haul. Posting T7 or better in three of his last five events, including last weekend in Greensboro, he knows another big payday is required to continue in the Playoffs.
TPC Southwind
The 1998 design from Ron Prichard began a regular run on TOUR in 1989 and continues today. After graduating from a World Golf Championship event in the summer from 2019 through 2021, TPC Southwind will kick off the FedExCup Playoffs for the third consecutive year.
Like many courses in the hot and humid zone, TPC Southwind changed out Bentgrass greens to Champion Bermuda before the 2012 edition. The greens, on average spanning 4,200 square feet, are the third-smallest targets on TOUR annually and will run 12.5 and up on the Stimpmeter.
Tipping out at 7,243 yards and playing to Par-70, the test off the tee, into and around the greens is the challenge. Meyer Zoysiagrass fairways are framed by three inches of nest-y Bermuda rough and water penalty areas on 11 holes.
The Par-70 has one of the easiest pairs of Par-5 holes on TOUR. Last year, more than 53 percent of the field birdied the 579-yard challenge on the front and 530-yard shorty on the back. The four Par-3 holes didn’t provide much resistance either. With only one of the four playing over 200 yards, the quartet registered under par in 2023.
While most will score on the Par-3 and Par-5 holes, the dozen Par-4 chances will be the toughest test. Avoiding bogeys and keeping it between the lines on the four-shot chances provided parts of the winning formula in the last five seasons.
The average winning score over the last five editions, all limited field events, is 15.5 under par. The scoring average has been under par in all five tournaments.
Justin Rose signed for 61 in Round 3 last season, tying the course tournament record.
NOW PLAYING: FedEx St. Jude Championship
| Host Course | TPC Southwind |
| Yards (per official scorecard): | 7,243. |
| Par: | 70 (30-35). |
| Greens: | Champion Bermuda; 4,300 square feet on average. |
| Stimpmeter: | 12.5 feet and up. |
| Rough: | Bermuda at 2.5 inches and growing. |
| Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play | 75/11/11. |
| Architect(s): | Ron Prichard (1988). |
| Defending Champion: | Lucas Glover (did not qualify) |
| Multiple Champion(s) Entered: | Will Zalatoris (2022). |
| Multiple Champions (course): | None. |
| Course Record: | 61; Justin Rose (Round 3, 2023). |
| 72 Hole Tournament Record: | 264, (-16); last in 2021 (Abraham Ancer, not qualified). |
| Fact of the Week: | Only two of the five previous winners at TPC Southwind are in the field this week. |
FedExCup Playoffs Event No. 1 – FedEx St. Jude Championship
Hosting for the first time in 1958, Memphis continues to be the home to a PGA TOUR event in 2024.
The Playoffs began in 2007 with a four-event series to determine the champion. Formally the Westchester Classic, the opening event of the Playoffs was contested on historic East Coast tracks until migrating to Memphis for the 2022 edition.
The first two winners of the Playoffs in Memphis featured fantastic ball-strikers Lucas Glover (not qualified) last year after Will Zalatoris won the first edition in 2022. Both winners needed a playoff to lift the trophy.
Justin Thomas, the winner of the World Golf Championship in 2020, is the only champion of three from that event entered this week.
The Playoff format changed with the 2023 edition. Only 70 players are eligible and that continues for the 2024 tournament.
The no-cut event guarantees four rounds of stroke play to push into the top 50 for The BMW Championship next week outside Denver.
The winner will pocket $3.6 million of the $20 million prize pool plus 2,000 FedExCup points, quadruple the amount given to winners during the regular season. For the Playoffs, all point values are quadrupled.
Recent PGA TOUR Winners
2023 Season Winners
| Event | Winner |
| Sentry Tournament of Champions | Jon Rahm |
| Sony Open in Hawaii | Si Woo Kim |
| The AMERICAN EXPRESS | Jon Rahm (2) |
| Farmers Insurance Open | Max Homa (2) |
| AT&T Pebble Beach | Justin Rose |
| WM Phoenix Open | Scottie Scheffler |
| The Genesis Invitational | Jon Rahm (3) |
| The Honda Classic | Chris Kirk |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | Kurt Kitayama (first TOUR win) |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | Scottie Scheffler (2) |
| Valspar Championship | Taylor Moore (first TOUR win) |
| Corales Puntacana | Matt Wallace (first TOUR win) |
| WGC – Dell Technologies MP | Sam Burns |
| Valero Texas Open | Corey Conners |
| Masters | Jon Rahm (4) |
| RBC Heritage | Matt Fitzpatrick |
| Zurich Classic of New Orleans | Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (first TOUR win for each) |
| Mexico Open at Vidanta | Tony Finau (2) |
| Wells Fargo Championship | Wyndham Clark (first TOUR win) |
| AT&T Byron Nelson | Jason Day |
| PGA Championship | Brooks Koepka |
| Charles Schwab Challenge | Emiliano Grillo |
| Memorial | Viktor Hovland |
| RBC Canadian Open | Nick Taylor |
| U.S. Open | Wyndham Clark (2) |
| Travelers Championship | Keegan Bradley (2) |
| Rocket Mortgage Classic | Rickie Fowler |
| John Deere Classic | Sepp Straka |
| Genesis Scottish Open | Rory McIlroy (2) |
| The Open Championship | Brian Harman |
| 3M Open | Lee Hodges (first TOUR win) |
| Wyndham Championship | Lucas Glover |
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | Lucas Glover (2) |
| BMW Championship | Viktor Hovland (2) |
| TOUR Championship | Viktor Hovland (3) |
| Fortinet Championship | Sahith Theegala |
| Sanderson Farms Championship | Luke List |
| Shriners Children’s Open | Tom Kim |
| ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP | Collin Morikawa |
| World Wide Technology | Erik van Rooyen |
| Butterfield Bermuda | Camilo Villegas |
| The RSM Classic | Ludvig Aberg |
2024 Season Winners
| Event | Winner |
| The Sentry | Chris Kirk |
| Sony Open in Hawaii | Grayson Murray |
| The American Express | Nick Dunlap (a) |
| Farmers Insurance Open | Matthieu Pavon (rookie) |
| AT&T Pebble Beach | Wyndham Clark (54 holes) |
| WM Phoenix Open | Nick Taylor |
| The Genesis Invitational | Hideki Matsuyama |
| Mexico Open at Vidanta | Jake Knapp (rookie) |
| Cognizant Classic | Austin Eckroat (first time) |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | Scottie Scheffler |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | Scottie Scheffler (2) |
| Valspar Championship | Peter Malnati |
| Texas Children’s Houston Open | Stephan Jaeger (first time) |
| Valero Texas Open | Akshay Bhatia |
| 88th Masters Tournament | Scottie Scheffler (3) |
| RBC Heritage | Scottie Scheffler (4) |
| Zurich Classic | Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry |
| THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson | Taylor Pendrith (first time) |
| Wells Fargo Championship | Rory McIlroy (2) |
| 106th PGA Championship | Xander Schauffele |
| Charles Schwab Challenge | Davis Riley |
| RBC Canadian Open | Robert MacIntyre (first time) |
| The 49th Memorial Tournament | Scottie Scheffler (5) |
| 124th United States Open | Bryson DeChambeau |
| Travelers Championship | Scottie Scheffler (6) |
| Rocket Mortgage Classic | Cam Davis |
| John Deere Classic | Davis Thompson (first time) |
| Genesis Scottish Open | Robert MacIntyre (2) |
| 152nd Open Championship | Xander Schauffele (2) |
| 3M Open | Jhonattan Vegas |
| 2024 Paris Olympics | Scottie Scheffler |
| 3M Open | Jhonattan Vegas |
| Wyndham Championship | Aaron Rai (first time) |
Recent Winners – FedEx St. Jude Championship
Italics – not entered/qualified this week.
| Year | Winner | Notes |
| 2023 | Lucas Glover (-15) | Needed a playoff to defeat Patrick Cantlay and win for the second consecutive week on TOUR. Did not qualify for the 2024 Playoffs. |
| 2022 | Will Zalatoris (-15) | Defeated Sepp Straka in a playoff to become just the second player to win for the first time on TOUR in the FedExCup Playoffs (Villegas, 2008 BMW). |
| 2021 | Abraham Ancer (-16) | Used extra holes to defeat Sam Burns and Hideki Matsuyama in the last edition of the WGC-FESJI. |
| 2020 | Justin Thomas (-13) | Winning by three shots, he was one of five players to post double digits under par for the event. |
| 2019 | Brooks Koepka (-16) | Won the first edition of the WGC-FESJC by three shots. |
One and Done
I’ll be joining Spotter’s game again this season. Now, where did I put my checkbook…
35 events.
1 player per event (plus a backup pick if your guy gets kidnapped on Wednesday night and doesn’t make it to the first tee Thursday).
1 use per year.
Add up the total money and Spotter is yer uncle!
| Event | Selection | Earnings |
| The Sentry | Collin Morikawa | 690,500 |
| Sony Open in Hawaii | Corey Conners | 18,592 |
| The American Express | Adam Hadwin | 310,800 |
| Farmers Insurance Open | Jason Day | 0 |
| AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am | Jordan Spieth | 70,125 |
| WM Phoenix Open | Matt Fitzpatrick | 156,200 |
| The Genesis Invitational | Max Homa | 329,000 |
| Mexico Open at Vidanta | Tony Finau | 145,125 |
| Cognizant Classic | Russell Henley | 32,850 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | Scottie Scheffler | 4,000,000 |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | Will Zalatoris | 0 |
| Valspar Championship | Sam Burns | 0 |
| Texas Children’s Houston Open | Wyndham Clark | 54,418 |
| Valero Texas Open | C Bezuidenhout | 67,735 |
| 88th Masters Tournament | Rory McIlroy | 175,500 |
| RBC Heritage | Patrick Cantlay | 1,160,000 |
| Zurich Classic | Nick Taylor | 122,375 |
| THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson | Stephan Jaeger | 112,100 |
| Myrtle Beach Classic | Daniel Berger | 20,350 |
| Wells Fargo Championship | Sahith Theegala | 47,000 |
| 106th PGA Championship | Brooks Koepka | 113,962 |
| Charles Schwab Challenge | Taylor Moore | 0 |
| RBC Canadian Open | Mackenzie Hughes | 295,316 |
| 49th Memorial Tournament | Ben An | 200,200 |
| 124th United States Open | Xander Schauffele | 639,289 |
| Travelers Championship | Brian Harman | 520,000 |
| Rocket Mortgage Classic | Akshay Bhatia | 616,400 |
| John Deere Classic | Denny McCarthy | 252,400 |
| Genesis Scottish Open | Ludvig Aberg | 330,750 |
| 152nd Open Championship | Tommy Fleetwood | 0 |
| 3M Open | Emiliano Grillo | 61,695 |
| Wyndham Championship | Sungjae Im | 31,995 |
| Total Winnings: | 10,574,677 |
His game has more fun stuff to it. Reach out @A340Spotter on Twitter or A340Spotter@frontier.com for more details and to join.
Recapping Last Week – Wyndham Championship
With just three weeks remaining, this is my favorite part of the season when I realize who I have forgotten to play.
I know I will have Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland, and Hideki Matsuyama to choose from over the next two weeks. Oh, I didn’t use Shane Lowry, either. Banging.
Thankfully, Sungjae Im was not thrown to the wolves earlier in the season when he was floundering. It’s strange to have the betting favorite this late in the season, but I cannot complain.
You can’t win the last three events of the season if you don’t win the first one!
Sungjae Im (T41) – Big boy ran out of gas on the wonky schedule. Glad he waited for me to select him! Hope you used one of the selections below instead!
Others to consider
Billy Horschel – I’m not the biggest fan, and I have no idea how he will react after just missing out at Royal Troon, but he loves Sedgefield. Another top 10 finish (T7).
Shane Lowry – Fresh off his week in Paris, I’m glad I can wait. Posted 2-under and MC.
Si Woo Kim – One of the few, if any, former champions I would look at this week. Posted 2-OVER and MC.
May Greyserman – SOLO SECOND, Aaron Rai – WINNER, and Cam Davis – MC all deserve a look depending on your situation.
This Week – FedExCup Playoffs – FedEx St. Jude Championship
Two events left!
I’m playing Justin Thomas this week and Hideki Matsuyama next week.
No room for the Irishman Shane Lowry or 2023 FedExCup Playoff champion Viktor Hovland.
TPC Southwind has produced an interesting list of winners over the years both as a tune-up event before the U.S. Open (limited firepower fields) and in the five years as a WGC or FedExCup Playoff event.
Fortune favors the bold, and sadly those who have earned their places at the top of the heap. With no cut, all 70 players have a chance to pull an upset. I’d save the big hitters for ramping up next week into East Lake.
Good luck!
Glass Houses 