The PGA TOUR regular season is officially in the books and attention now turns to the FedExCup Playoffs, beginning this week with the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind. Sixty-nine of the top 70 players in the standings head to Memphis, where the battle for the season-long crown begins in earnest.
There is plenty at stake beyond simply lifting the trophy. Only the top 50 in the FedExCup standings will advance to next week's BMW Championship, placing enormous pressure on those around the bubble. With Scottie Scheffler beginning the Playoffs at No. 1 and the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and a host of multiple winners lurking behind, we should be in for a fascinating four days.
Check out our preview and betting tips for the event below and if you're keen to tail our tips, consider joining Betfair - a betting exchange that offers the best odds in the country!
FedEx St. Jude Championship Betting Preview
TPC Southwind, Thursday 13 - Sunday 16 August
The Field
Scottie Scheffler leads the way after finishing the regular season atop the FedExCup standings despite winning just once in 2026. The world No. 1 has still produced five runner-up finishes and enters fresh from another second at the 3M Open. Rory McIlroy also returns after sitting out this event last season, with the Masters champion chasing a fourth career FedExCup title.
Defending FedExCup champion Tommy Fleetwood begins his title defence from ninth in the standings after another remarkably consistent campaign. Matt Fitzpatrick and Chris Gotterup have each collected three victories this season, while Wyndham Clark and Cameron Young have won twice. Open champion Ryan Fox also returns to the PGA TOUR after celebrating his maiden major victory back home in New Zealand.
While the biggest names chase the trophy, plenty of others will simply be fighting to survive. Only the top 50 advance to the BMW Championship, with Maverick McNealy currently occupying the final spot ahead of Harris English. Max Homa, Sungjae Im and Jordan Spieth are among those beginning the week outside the cut-off, meaning there should be drama across the entire leaderboard on Sunday.
The Course
TPC Southwind once again hosts the opening event of the FedExCup Playoffs, playing as a par 70 across 7,288 yards. The Ron Prichard design has been a regular PGA TOUR stop since the late 1980s and provides a very different examination to many of the low-scoring layouts seen throughout the regular season.
Water is the course's defining defence, with lakes, streams and ponds bringing trouble into play throughout the property. Finding fairways and controlling approaches into the greens is essential, while mistakes can quickly turn into big numbers. The move to Zeon zoysiagrass and recontoured fairways has only added another layer to a course that consistently rewards complete tee-to-green performances.
Hideki Matsuyama owns the current TPC Southwind tournament record after his victory here in 2024, while Justin Rose arrives as defending champion after defeating J.J. Spaun in a playoff last season. Rose's winning total came after a dramatic Sunday in which he made four consecutive birdies from the 14th before eventually getting the better of Spaun on the third playoff hole.
FedEx St. Jude Championship Best Bets
Tommy Fleetwood
The reigning FedExCup champion begins his title defence ninth in the standings despite somehow going the entire regular season without a podium finish. Fleetwood has consistently produced at TPC Southwind, recording T3 finishes in both 2023 and 2025, and arrives fresh after a T4 at The Open Championship. His precision from tee to green is an excellent match for this demanding layout.
Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama simply refuses to slow down. Since finishing T14 at The Open, he has rattled off finishes of T3, T5 and T7 in consecutive weeks, giving him four straight strong performances heading into Memphis. He won at TPC Southwind in 2024, lost in a playoff here in 2021 and owns five career top-20 finishes at the venue, making him one of the strongest course-and-form combinations in the field.
FedEx St. Jude Championship Value Bets
Rickie Fowler
Fowler was one of the stories of last year's Playoffs, beginning the week 64th in the FedExCup before a T6 at TPC Southwind helped propel him inside the top 50. He arrives in a much stronger position this time around at 28th and has rediscovered some consistency with finishes of T15, T18 and T8 during his summer run. Another strong week in Memphis looks well within reach.
Russell Henley
Henley continues to be one of the safest propositions on the PGA TOUR thanks to a game with very few weaknesses. He begins the Playoffs 15th in the standings and is positioned to reach the TOUR Championship for a fourth consecutive season. Three straight top-20 finishes provide plenty of confidence, while two top 20s at TPC Southwind since 2023 underline his suitability to this demanding layout.
