This week marks the start of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Series Playoffs with the St. Jude Championship being held at TPC Southwind in Memphis.
Seventy of the top golfers are set to compete in this first playoff event. Of these competitors, only the best 50 will secure their spots in the upcoming BMW Championship.
The defending champion of the St. Jude Championship is Justin Rose.
DraftKings has released the odds for the top players participating in this weekend's event:
– Scottie Scheffler +450
– Rory McIlroy +1000
– Xander Schauffele +1800
– Cameron Young +1850
– Tommy Fleetwood +2000
– Sam Burns +2150
– Matt Fitzpatrick +2200
– Ludvig Aberg +2400
– Collin Morikawa +2700
– Patrick Cantlay +2800
– Hideki Matsuyama +3000
– Si Woo Kim +3200
– Justin Thomas +3300
– Chris Gotterup +3400
– Wyndham Clark +3800
– Viktor Hovland +3900
– Robert MacIntyre +4000
– Russell Henley +4100
– Jackson Koivun +4200
– Min Woo Lee +4800
– Justin Rose +4900
– Michael Brennan +5200
– Ben Griffin +5400
– J.J. Spaun +5500
– Tom Kim +5500
– Michael Thorbjornsen +5700
– Kurt Kitayama +5700
– Maverick McNealy +6100
– Kristoffer Reitan +6700
– Ryan Gerard +6800
– Nicolai Hojgaard +6800
– Alex Noren +6800
– Jake Knapp +6900
– Rickie Fowler +7000
– Akshay Bhatia +7000
– Alex Smalley +7200
– Shane Lowry +7400
– Jacob Bridgeman +7400
– Aaron Rai +7600
For those looking for betting insights, Sam Burns presents a strong option at +2150. This season, Burns has continually showcased his talent without sealing a victory. His prior performances at TPC Southwind include a fifth-place finish in 2024 and a runner-up in 2021, suggesting his familiarity and comfort on this course.
Burns has had an impressive string of finishes leading up to the championship, including:
– T-4 at The Memorial
– T-20 at the RBC Canadian Open
– 2nd at the US Open
– T-12 at the Travelers Championship
– 3rd at the Open Championship
Burns ranks second on the tour for par-four scoring average with a mark of 3.95, just behind Scottie Scheffler. This will be particularly beneficial on the par-70 TPC Southwind layout.
Another promising pick emerges in Tom Kim at +5500. Following his recent victory at the Genesis Scottish Open, he proved his capability after a three-year winless period. Although he faced challenges at the Wyndham Championship, finishing T-5 after a double bogey, his recent play indicates peak form at a crucial time in the season.
For those considering longshot bets, Aaron Rai at +7600 stands out. Rai shocked many with his PGA Championship win at +29000 odds, a significant upset in golf's modern era. Not to be overlooked, he delivered an impressive 11th-place result at the US Open and previously registered finishes of 12th (2019) and 16th (2024) at this event. Rai’s game is strategically sound and he ranks inside the top 25 for SG: Approach and Greens in Regulation, as well as third in driving accuracy on tour, positioning him well for a strong performance at TPC Southwind.
