The 2023 FedEx Cup Playoffs get underway this week with the FedEx St. Jude Championship batting leadoff. Becoming the first event of the postseason just a year ago, St. Jude immediately delivered with theatrics as Will Zalatoris claimed his first PGA Tour crown over Sepp Straka in a playoff.
Zalatoris will be unable to defend this week due to injury. In his place, the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings will take to TPC Southwind. They are led by world No. 3 Jon Rahm, the top man in th estandings. The Spaniard has claimed four victories this season with 10 top-10 finishes as he looks to add what has already been a banner campaign highlighted by his second major championship at the Masters in April.
Hot on his heels are the two men who battled down the stretch of the 2022 playoffs. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler checks in at No. 2 in the standings after a regular season that included two victories and 15 top 10s -- five more than anyone else. The Texan has experienced a historic year from tee-to-green, but the putter has lagged behind and will need to turn into a friendly should he capture his first FedEx Cup crown.
Rory McIlroy needs no advice on how to win the FedEx Cup. The only player in history to win the FedEx Cup on three separate occasions, the recent Scottish Open winner will look to add another chapter to the history books by becoming the first to win the cup in back-to-back years.
Max Homa and Wyndham Clark round out the top five, while notables like Hideki Matsuyama and Cameron Young find themselves on the bubble to qualify for the BMW Championship where the field will be trimmed to 50. Wyndham Championship winner Lucas Glover is narrowly inside the top 50 and will need another strong week in order to extend his season while players such as Jordan Spieth, Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood look to solidify their positioning for the Tour Championship.
2023 St. Jude Championship schedule
Dates: Aug. 10-13 | Location: TPC Southwind — Memphis, Tennessee
Par: 70 | Yardage: 7,243 | Purse: $20 million
2023 St. Jude Championship field, odds
- Scottie Scheffler (6-1): He has been the best player this season, but the wins have not stacked up for the world No. 1 like they did in 2022. It was at St. Jude last year where his putting woes began to materialize as he lost nearly four strokes on the greens en route to a missed cut. He hasn't missed a weekend since, and Scheffler now has 22 top 25s in his 23 starts since. During this stretch, Scheffler ranks first in strokes gained tee to green, second in strokes gained off the tee, second in strokes gained approach and 112th in strokes gained putting.
- Jon Rahm (17/2): The early season surge coupled with a few quality outings have Rahm in pole position with just three events left in the year. A triumph in the FedEx Cup would put a bow on a sensational season that already includes a Genesis Invitational title, his Masters victory and most recently a runner-up at The Open. He has finished inside the top 10 twice in three showings at TPC Southwind with a T5 last year.
- Rory McIlroy (17/2)
- Patrick Cantlay (14-1): The 2021 FedEx Cup winner finds himself firmly inside the top 30 despite not entering the winner's circle this season. He has made his hay in the postseason in recent years as he has claimed three of the last six postseason titles including last year's BMW Championship. Cantlay is enjoying the strongest statistical season of his career and ranks fourth in total strokes gained and strokes gained tee to green over the last six months. TPC Southwind has not been particularly kind to him, but he will look to get something rolling in the direction direction before going for the three-peat next week.
- Xander Schauffele (18-1)
- Viktor Hovland (20-1)
- Tyrrell Hatton (22-1)
- Collin Morikawa (22-1)
- Tommy Fleetwood (28-1)
- Rickie Fowler (30-1): St. Jude marked one of the lowest lows for Fowler in 2022 as he carded a quintuple bogey on the par-4 18th in the final round to end his season. Outside the top 150 in the world at the onset of the season, Fowler has rebounded in the grandest of fashions. Once again a winner, a likely pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup team and among the most consistent players on tour, he finds himself 26th in the OWGR and inside the top 10 in the FedEx Cup. A win in Memphis could see jump to No. 1 depending on what Rahm and Co. do.
2023 St. Jude Championship expert picks
| Winner (22-1): More than two years removed from claiming a trophy on the PGA Tour, Morikawa is overdue to step into the winner's circle. Proven on the biggest stages, the two-time major champion should be licking his chops at TPC Southwind as accurate driving and pinpoint mid iron play will be required for success. Morikawa ranks 10th in strokes gained tee to green, seventh in strokes gained approach and 12th in driving accuracy over the last six months. A top-five finisher a season ago, Morikawa arrives in Memphis with his last start in the states resulting in a playoff loss at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. | |
| Contender (35-1): Any time the PGA Tour travels to SEC country, Burns should be considered. The Bermuda grass maestro found a little something with a T14 at the Wyndham Championship and returns to a historically comfortable spot on the calendar. A playoff loser in 2021, Burns backed up his efforts with a top 20 in last year's St. Jude. Among the best putters in the game, he is flashing upside from tee to green and has plenty to play for as both FedEx Cup and Ryder Cup considerations are on the line. | |
| Sleeper (55-1): TPC Southwind should be a perfect fit for Conners' game on paper, but it has yet to produce a quality outing. In six prior attempts, the Canadian has failed to crack the top 25, but this year could prove different as he comes in with five top 20s in his last eight tournaments. His short game has improved in recent starts, and the iron play is due for a bounce back after experiencing some trouble in the United Kingdom. | |
