The PGA TOUR heads to Memphis, Tennessee, this week for the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs — the FedEx St. Jude Championship. TPC Southwind will be the host, and measures as a 7,288-yard par 70 with Bermuda greens.
There will be no cut this week, and the field will consist of the top 69 players in the FedEx Cup standings. Scottie Scheffler is the betting favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook at +280, while Xander Schauffele (+1800), Tommy Fleetwood (+2200) and Justin Thomas (+2500) round out the top of the odds board.
Below I have outlined my two favorite bets for the week.
Cameron Young to win (+4000)
Sometimes, all it takes is seeing the ball go through the hoop to remind yourself you’ve got what it takes. That was exactly the case for Young, who finally broke through for his first career PGA TOUR victory last week at the Wyndham Championship. After so many close calls over the years, Young emphatically got the monkey off his back, dominating the field with a six-shot win.
This victory had been brewing for a while. Young had already notched four top-10s this season, including back-to-back top-four finishes at the RBC Canadian Open and the U.S. Open just two months ago. The biggest difference between this version of Young and the one we’ve seen in previous years? His dramatic improvement on the greens. He currently ranks sixth on the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Putting this season—and third when filtering for just this week’s field. With the putter finally catching up to his elite off-the-tee play, it’s no surprise he’s now breaking through.
Young gained a whopping 10.3 strokes on the greens last week in Greensboro. The big question now is whether he can keep that momentum going at TPC Southwind, a course where he hasn’t had much success with the putter in the past. In three career starts at this event, he’s yet to finish better than T31. That said, it’s fair to argue he’s a different player now— clearly more confident and way more well rounded. If the flatstick stays hot, he has the tools to go back-to-back this week in Memphis.
It’s a limited-field, no-cut event this week with just 69 golfers teeing it up, meaning everyone is guaranteed four rounds—and going low will be essential. That plays right into Young’s wheelhouse, as we’ve seen him go nuclear multiple times when he gets it rolling, most notably at last year’s Travelers Championship where he shot a third-round 59.
At 40/1, I’m more than willing to take the chance that last week’s breakthrough win opened the proverbial floodgates for the 28-year-old.
Sam Burns to win (+4000)
While Burns has hit a bit of a rough patch recently with finishes of T45 or worse in each of his last three starts, it comes on the heels of an impressive run of form. Prior to the slump, he was consistently in contention, racking up seven top-17 finishes over eight events. That stretch included standout performances such as a T7 at the U.S. Open, T5 at the CJ CUP Byron Nelson, and a runner-up finish at the RBC Canadian Open.
You can attribute Burns’ recent mini slump largely to a cold putter—he’s lost a combined 5.5 strokes on the greens over his past two starts. That’s uncharacteristic for one of the game’s best with the flatstick, as Burns currently ranks third on the PGA TOUR this season in Strokes Gained: Putting. This poor stretch will not continue much longer.
What’s far more encouraging is his iron play: he’s gained strokes on approach in four of his last five starts, signaling that the rest of his game is trending in the right direction. Once the putter heats back up, Burns is poised to contend again.
Historically, TPC Southwind has been one of Burns’ favorite stops on the PGA TOUR. He’s recorded finishes of T20, T5 (last year), and T2 in three of his past four starts in Memphis, proving he’s more than comfortable on this track. Given how he’s been striking the ball lately, all it takes is a return to form on the greens for Burns to be right back in the mix this week.