2023 FedEx St. Jude Championship: PGA Tour Golf Betting Odds
Scottie Scheffler is favoured on the golf odds in Memphis.
Just a reminder that in past years, the Top 125 in FedExCup points qualified for the playoffs but that number has been trimmed to Top 70 this year and there will be no cuts going forward – American Ben Griffin was the last to make it in at No. 70 in points following Sunday’s Wyndham Championship won by Lucas Glover, while superstar Justin Thomas was the first one out at No. 71.
Thomas’ birdie putt at No. 18 on Sunday just missed or JT would have advanced. It’s the first time he has missed the postseason in his eight-year Tour career. Aussie Adam Scott also has missed the playoffs for the first time, leaving Matt Kuchar (at No. 60) as the only player to reach golf’s postseason every year since its 2007 inception. Glover, incidentally, had to finish no worse than solo second Sunday in North Carolina to advance. He’s +3300 this week and up to 49th in points.
There may be some guys near the top of the points list who skip this week because they have no concerns about being among the Top 50 to advance to next week’s BMW Championship outside Chicago. In the event an eligible player is unable or chooses not to play, the field is shortened and no alternates will be added. Nick Hardy currently sits at No. 50 and Alex Smalley at No. 51.
(Note: Each tournament in next year’s playoffs will be pushed back one week later to accommodate the men’s golf competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.)
This once was a regular PGA Tour event called the FedEx St. Jude Classic and was traditionally played in June, although there were years in which it happened in May, July and August. It eventually transitioned to a World Golf Championships event (those are gone now) and finally a FedEx Cup playoff event with an elevated purse of $20 million this year.
TPC Southwind in Memphis is the host course and a par 70 at approximately 7,240 yards. There will be no repeat champion in 2023 because American Will Zalatoris is out this year following back surgery – we hit on him at +2600 to win last year. Zalatoris won his first Tour event here in 2022 by beating Sepp Straka in a playoff, the second straight year this tournament went to a playoff.
They each finished 72 holes at 15-under 265 and Zalatoris won the three-hole playoff despite not making a birdie in it – he hold a 7-foot bogey putt to beat Straka on that third hole. Less than a week later, Zalatoris suffered two herniated disks during a tee shot at the BMW Championship. He didn’t play again in 2022 and did try early this year but withdrew from the Masters in April and had surgery soon after.
FedEx St. Jude Championship Golf Odds
Scottie Scheffler, No. 1 in the world rankings and No. 2 in FedExCup points, is the +638 favourite. The American has had a remarkably consistent year with 15 Top 10s in 20 tournaments and two wins. There was a cut here last year and Scheffler had a rare missed cut.
Rory McIlroy is +800. Has to be considered a disappointing year for Rory as despite two wins, he again came up short in the majors. Winning the FedExCup for a second straight year (no one has) and record fourth time overall would definitely salvage Rory’s season. He also missed the cut here last year.
FedExCup points leader Jon Rahm (+900), Patrick Cantlay (+1700), Viktor Hovland (+1700) and Xander Schauffele (+1900) round out the favorites. Rahm was T5 here last year and has four wins on Tour this season.
The six Canadians who played last year were Corey Conners (T28), Mackenzie Hughes (T46), Adam Svensson (T51), Taylor Pendrith (68), Adam Hadwin (69) and Nick Taylor (missed cut). Five qualified this year: Taylor is 12th in points and +15800 this week; Conners is 30th and +6300; Svensson is 38th and +12600; Hadwin is 44th and +12500; and Hughes is 47th and +26800.
FedEx St. Jude Championship Golf Predictions
We like an American winning nationality at -133 and specifically Collin Morikawa (+2500), who has come close a few times but yet to win in 2023. His average score at this course in the past 12 rounds is 68.2. He was fifth last year.
