The PGA TOUR travels to TPC Southwind (par 70, 7,288 yards, Bermuda greens) in Memphis, Tennessee, for the FedEx St. Jude Championship. This is the first of three legs of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and only the top-70 players in the FedEx Cup standings have qualified for the FedEx St. Jude Championship. There will be no cut this week and after this event, the top-50 in the standings will advance to next week’s BMW Championship. Then, the top-30 in the standings after that tournament will advance to the TOUR Championship to conclude the playoffs.
Below, I have featured some finishing position bets to consider for the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Sam Burns for a top-20 finish including ties (+110)
After finishing T-61 at the 3M Open in his last start, Burns should rebound with at least a top-20 finish at TPC Southwind. The LSU product has thrived at this track in the past, finishing runner-up, T-20, T-52 and T-5 in his past four starts at TPC Southwind, in that order. That T-5 came just last year and during the second round, Burns carded a tournament-low 7-under 63.
Burns has had an excellent season, providing 10 top-25 finishes in 21 starts and ranking 19th in total strokes gained. While his T-61 finish at the 3M Open in his last start was a letdown, it was all a product of poor putting, as Burns lost 4.2 strokes on the bentgrass greens of TPC Twin Cities. This was a very rare performance for him, as Burns has been brilliant with his flat stick this season, ranking third in SGP and he should regain his putting form at TPC Southwind.
This par 70 is home to Bermuda greens, which is without a doubt Burns’ favorite type of grass to compete on. Four of his five wins on the PGA TOUR have come at courses that feature Bermuda greens and Burns has finished T-13 or better in five of his last six starts at tracks that present this type of putting surface.
Chris Kirk for a top-30 finish (+110)
Sitting 61st in the FedEx Cup standings, Kirk must have a quality showing at the FedEx St. Jude Championship if he wants to advance to next week’s BMW Championship. The veteran is playing outstanding golf right now and should rise to the occasion. Kirk has finished inside the top-15 in four of his last six starts, including a runner-up finish at the Rocket Classic in June and a T-5 finish at the Wyndham Championship last week.
Kirk gained strokes in every major category at Sedgefield CC, which is the fourth time he has accomplished this feat in his last six starts. Kirk has shot under par in eight consecutive rounds and the six-time PGA TOUR winner should have no issues finishing inside the top-30 at TPC Southwind. Kirk has flashed great upside at this venue before, finishing T-6 in 2018 and T-16 in 2023.
