Welcome to the FedEx Cup Playoffs, folks.
This week, the top 70 in the standings are in Memphis, Tennessee, for the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind.
Will Zalatoris, who captured this title last year for his first win on the PGA Tour, is not in the field as he continues to work back from an injury that forced him to withdraw from the Masters earlier this season.
Scottie Scheffler is the betting favorite at +650, followed by Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm at +900. While Rahm tied for fifth at TPC Southwind last season, both Scheffler and McIlroy missed the cut.
Come Sunday afternoon, the top 50 players in the standings will move on to next week’s BMW Championship at Olympia Fields outside Chicago.
The winner in Memphis will receive 2,000 FedEx Cup points.
Golf course
TPC Southwind | Par 70 | 7,243 yards
Course history
Course history at TPC Southwind for the #FedExStJude going back to 2015.
-Includes average finish position and Strokes Gained per round in each category. Players are sorted by SG: Total.
-Last year the first FedExCup Playoff event was held here with a 125-player field.… pic.twitter.com/FLROGcttew
— Ron Klos (@PGASplits101) August 7, 2023
Betting preview
2022 leaderboard (top 10)
| Position | Player | Score |
| 1 | Will Zalatoris | 15 under |
| 2 | Sepp Straka | 15 under |
| T-3 | Lucas Glover | 12 under |
| T-3 | Brian Harman | 12 under |
| T-5 | Tony Finau | 11 under |
| T-5 | Matt Fitzpatrick | 11 under |
| T-5 | Collin Morikawa | 11 under |
| T-5 | Trey Mullinax | 11 under |
| T-5 | Andrew Putnam | 11 under |
| T-5 | Jon Rahm | 11 under |
| T-5 | Adam Scott | 11 under |
Odds
| Player | Odds | Player | Odds |
| Scottie Scheffler | (+650) | Rickie Fowler | (+3000) |
| Rory McIlroy | (+900) | Jason Day | (+3000) |
| Jon Rahm | (+900) | Tony Finau | (+3500) |
| Patrick Cantlay | (+1400) | Tom Kim | (+3500) |
| Xander Schauffele | (+1800) | Sam Burns | (+3500) |
| Viktor Hovland | (+2000) | Max Homa | (+3500) |
| Tyrrell Hatton | (+2200) | Matt Fitzpatrick | (+3500) |
| Collin Morikawa | (+2200) | Jordan Spieth | (+3500) |
| Tommy Fleetwood | (+2500) | Cameron Young | (+3500) |
| Wyndham Clark | (+3000) | Hideki Matsuyama | (+4000) |
Tommy Fleetwood (25/1)
He’ll be a popular pick this week, but it’s for good reason.
Fleetwood has finished T-18 or better in seven of his last nine starts, and T-10 or better in four of his last five.
The Englishman didn’t tee it up at TPC Southwind in 2022 for the playoff event, but he did finish fourth at the 2019 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational played in Memphis.
It was Willy Z last year, maybe it’s time for Fleetwood to break through on this golf course.
Tom Kim (35/1)
Tom Kim missed the Wyndham Championship last week due to a right ankle injury he sustained at the Open. He returns to Memphis looking to build off his T-13 performance from last season.
Since missing the cut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Kim has tied for sixth at the Scottish Open and for second at Royal Liverpool.
Yes, this may be a risky play due to his health, but the golf course sets up perfectly for his game and 35 is a great number.
Viktor Hovland (20/1)
Hovland beat Denny McCarthy in a playoff at the Memorial earlier this season and has continued to play well.
The Norwegian has four straight top-30 finishes since conquering Jack’s place, highlighted by a T-13 at the year’s final major championship.
He’s improved his finish at TPC Southwind the last three years: 59th (2020), 36th (2021) and 20th (2022).
Rory McIlroy (9/1)
Since tying for 47th at the Wells Fargo Championship in May, here are McIlroy’s finishes on Tour: T-7, T-7, T-9, 2nd, T-7, 1st and T-6.
Decent.
Before missing the cut here last year, McIlroy finished 12th in 2021 and 4th in 2019.
McIlroy will look to win his fourth FedEx Cup in a few weeks down in the ATL.
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