Golf betting tips: Preview and tips for the 2023 FedEx St Jude Championship
Last year, the rebranded FedEx St Jude Championship replaced the Northern Trust to lead off the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
The Top 70 players qualify for The FedEx St St Jude Championship based on FedEx Cup points amassed during the regular PGA Tour season.
In 2019, the FedEx Cup Playoffs were reduced from four events to three. This year’s Playoffs feature a progressive cut, with fields of 70 for this week’s FedEx St Jude Championship, 50 for the BMW Championship and 30 for the Tour Championship.
The FedEx St Jude Championship will be a no cut event after 36-holes similar to the BMW Championship and Tour Championship.
The first two Playoff events award 2,000 points to the winner (quadruple points of regular season events), while the Tour Championship, features a strokes-based system called the FedEx Cup Starting Strokes.
FedEx Cup Starting Strokes
- The leader leader after the first two Playoff events will begin the Tour Championship at -10.
- The No. 2 player will start at -8.
- The No. 3 player at -7.
- The No. 4 player at -6.
- the No. 5 player at -5.
- Players 6-10 start at -4.
- Players 11-15 start at -3.
- Players 16-20 start at -2.
- Players 21-25 start at -1.
- Players 26-30 start at even par.
The player with the lowest aggregate score over 72 holes when combined with his FedEx Cup Starting Strokes will win the Tour Championship and also be crowned FedEx Cup Champion.
The total bonus pool for the FedExCup Playoffs is $75 million, with the FedExCup Champion earning $18 million.
The FedEx St Jude Championship debuted in May 1958 as the Memphis Open and is played annually in Memphis, Tennessee. TPC Southwind has served as tournament host since 1989.
Course Overview
TPC Southwind stands out as one of the more grueling tee-to-green tests on the PGA Tour schedule. It is a 7,200+ yard Par 70 that was designed by Ron Prichard with Hubert Green and Fuzzy Zoeller as player consultants. Each of the holes was meticulously crafted to balance ‘play-ability‘ with strategy.
The course was remodeled in 2004 with new bunkering, additional trees planted, fairways re-contoured and narrowed and over 200 yards added in length. The Par 5 fifth was converted to a Par 4 reducing the overall par to 70. Water is in play on 10 holes and half the holes are dog-legs.
TPC Southwind continually ranks as one of the most challenging tracks for both Driving Accuracy and Greens in Regulation. Greens are smaller than the Tour standard and are undulating which translates into smaller target areas and tricky pin positions.
Players will miss greens and an important statistic to look at this week is Scrambling and Bogey Avoidance. It stands out as a track than should suit the experienced and patient professional.
TPC Southwind Scorecard
| Hole | Par | Yards | Hole | Par | Yards |
| 1 | 4 | 434 | 10 | 4 | 465 |
| 2 | 4 | 401 | 11 | 3 | 162 |
| 3 | 5 | 579 | 12 | 4 | 406 |
| 4 | 3 | 196 | 13 | 4 | 472 |
| 5 | 4 | 485 | 14 | 3 | 205 |
| 6 | 4 | 445 | 15 | 4 | 395 |
| 7 | 4 | 482 | 16 | 5 | 530 |
| 8 | 3 | 171 | 17 | 4 | 505 |
| 9 | 4 | 457 | 18 | 4 | 453 |
| Out | 35 | 3650 | In | 35 | 3593 |
| Par | 70 | ||||
| Total | 7243 |
| Par | # | Shortest | Longest | Average |
| 3’s | 4 | 162 | 205 | 184 |
| 4’4 | 12 | 395 | 505 | 450 |
| 5’s | 2 | 530 | 579 | 555 |
Last 6 Champions of the FedEx St Jude Championship
| Year | Player | Score | To par |
| FedEx St Jude Championship | |||
| 2022 | Will Zalatoris | 265 | -15 |
| WGC FedEx St Jude Invitational | |||
| 2021 | Abraham Ancer | 264 | -16 |
| 2020 | Justin Thomas | 267 | -13 |
| 2019 | Brooks Koepka | 264 | -16 |
| Fedex St Jude Classic | |||
| 2018 | Dustin Johnson | 261 | -19 |
| 2017 | Daniel Berger | 270 | -10 |
FedEx St Jude Championship Winning Formula
The following table details the Average Strokes Gained in each of the key strokes gained categories for the past six champions of the FedEx St Jude Championship.
| Last 6 Champions Strokes Gained Category | Average Strokes Gained | Average Finishing Position SG Category |
|---|---|---|
| SGOTT | 2.917 | 10th |
| SGAPR | 5.326 | 6th |
| SGARG | 1.402 | 22nd |
| SGP | 2.649 | 25th |
| SGT2G | 9.644 | 2nd |
Graphing the above Average Strokes Gained gives a visual check on the likely key areas required for success at this week’s FedEx St Jude Championship.
Scoring this week is as much about avoiding bogeys as it is finding birdies.
FedEx St Jude Championship Tips 2023
Max Homa 33/1 (E/W) – this will be his fifth look at TPC Southwind, however, he has no form of note from his previous visits. Already a multiple winner on Tour this season with victories at the Fortinet Championship and Farmers Insurance Open. He also finished T10 on his last outing at the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. No surprise that his stellar play translates to his stats placing 6th in this week’s Stats Analysis, no mean feat considering field strength. The 32-year-old is also 11th on Tour for Strokes Gained Putting and 7th for Birdie Average. Among the elite in the field, his form this season is too hard to ignore. Lack of course form is mitigated by other very compelling arguments. Good each way value.
Hideki Matsuyama 40/1 (E/W) – finished T2 on his last visit to TPC Southwind back in 2021. Has 10 x Top 25’s from twenty-three starts this season, a mediocre return by his lofty standards. Statistically balanced throughout the bag, the 31-year-old Japanese maestro places just outside the Top 20 in this week’s Stats Analysis. Currently 11th on Tour for Strokes Gained Approach and 14th for Proximity To Hole. He is the stand-out name currently outside the Top 50 in FedEx Cup Points, so mindset is simplified to perform over 72 holes. If he is fit and injury free then there is no denying he has the potential to boss this week. Good each way value.
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