Racing Post Sport's FedEx St Jude Championship predictions and free golf betting tips

When to bet 

Tournament starts 1.50pm Thursday

Where to watch the FedEx St Jude Championship

Live on Sky Sports Golf from 6pm on Thursday

FedEx St Jude Championship predictions

Collin Morikawa
2pts each-way 25-1 general

Tom Kim
1.5pts each-way 40-1 Betfair, Hills, Paddy Power

Wyndham Clark
1pt each-way 35-1 bet365

Lucas Glover
1pt each-way 80-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

The race is on for the 70 players who have qualified for the FedEx Cup playoffs to claim the Tour Championship and the massive $18m first prize, but the field will be whittled down to 50 after this week's FedEx St Jude Championship in Tennessee.

The vast majority of the Tour's leading lights head to Memphis, including last year's champion Rory McIlroy, and it looks like being a tight affair on a course that rewards strong tee-to-green play.

Ian Wilkerson's top tip

Collin Morikawa 25-1

Will Zalatoris triumphed in a playoff at TPC Southwind last year and this year's tournament, which has a reduced field from 121 after a change to the playoffs format, looks set to be just as competitive.

Last year's winner is missing after sustaining a back injury, but Zalatoris finished ranked first in strokes-gained: approached and second in strokes-gained: tee-to-green, a pattern that many other winners on the Tennessee track have generated.

World number one Scottie Scheffler leads the PGA Tour in both statistics this season, but with a few single-figure prices around this week there could be more value to be had a little further down the list.

Step forward Collin Morikawa, who could just be in the right place to card his first victory since the DP World Tour Championship of November 2021.

Such an absence from the winner's circle is perhaps a surprise after he won the US PGA Championship the previous year and the Open the previous July, but this is a good track for a quality iron player.

The 26-year-old almost ended his drought when beaten in a playoff by Rickie Fowler at last month's Rocket Mortgage Classic, in which he was ranked second from tee to green.

He is fourth in the rankings in that particular metric - five of the last eight Southwind winners have also topped that list in the tournament - and the only players in front of him are Scheffler, McIlroy and Jon Rahm.

Morikawa is twice the price and remains an accurate performer, despite what he might consider a disappointing campaign, and he could still improve on last year's fifth spot. 

Next best bet

Tom Kim 40-1

Another player who looks to have the required Southwind skill-set is South Korea's Tom Kim, who was 13th last year, a week after he won the Wyndham Championship.

Kim missed the chance to defend that title last week with an ankle injury, but he has provided positive updates and should be ready to go at Southwind.

He carded two rounds of 66 last year on the par-70 layout and will no doubt be itching to have another go at a strong field after finishing sixth at the Scottish Open and second at the Open alongside Jason Day, Rahm and Sepp Straka.

That should be a massive confidence boost, particularly as he recovered well from an opening 74 at Royal Liverpool. His closing 67 wasn't bettered by anyone and he could again find this tee-to-green test right up his alley.

Other selections

Wyndham Clark 35-1

Lucas Glover 80-1

Wyndham Clark has moved up a level with his impressive US Open victory and he can prove this week that his Los Angeles Country Club triumph in June was no fluke.

Clark also won the Wells Fargo Championship a month before claiming his maiden Major and he definitely found Southwind to his liking last year. He will have been disappointed with a tie for 28th, but that finish was explained by a closing two-over-par 72 which followed three rounds of 67.

That sort of form would put him right in the picture this week and Clark is capable of producing just such a performance.

Lucas Glover, meanwhile, won by two shots at the Wyndham Championship on Sunday, having finished in the top six in three of his previous four tournaments.

The 2009 US Open winner faces tougher opposition this week but he could hardly be in a better mood and, having tied for third last year, he could ride the wave for another week. 

TPC Southwind course guide

Course TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee
Prize money $20m ($3.6m to the winner)
Length 7,243 yards
Par 70– two par-fives; 12 par-fours; four par-threes
Field 70
Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Scottie Scheffler (1), Rory McIlroy (2), Jon Rahm (3), Patrick Cantlay (4), Viktor Hovland (5)
Course records - 72 holes 258 John Cook (1996)  18 holes 61 Jay Delsing (1993), Bob Estes (2001), Tom Lewis (2020) 

Course winner taking part Harris English

When to bet By 1.50pm on Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 6pm on Thursday

Time difference Tennessee is six hours behind the UK & Ireland 

Last week – Wyndham Championship 1 L Glover (80-1), T2 R Henley (20-1), T2 B H An (40-1), 4 B Horschel (55-1), T5 W Simpson (80-1), T5 M Kim (200-1)

Course type Parkland

Course overview This is the first of three FedEx Cup playoff rounds with the top 50 in the rankings going on to play in next week's BMW Championship with 30 players qualifying for the Tour Championship. The series ahs been shortened since last year when 121 players lined up in this tournament. 

This is the second year that Southwind has been used in the FedEx playoffs but it held the St Jude Classic between 1989 and 2018. The Tennessee track also hosted the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational between 2019-2021.

Plenty of water has to be negotiated, while undulating zoysia fairways make accuracy important. The 485-yard par-four fifth is a devil of a hole, usually averaging well over par. 

The par-three 11th draws comparisons with the 17th at Sawgrass, requiring a short iron to a small island green. The two par-fives (third and 16th) are straightforward and provide relief during a challenging assignment. The second and 15th also represent birdie opportunities.

Story of last year Will Zalatoris, who is out of action with a back injury, beat Austria's Sepp Straka on the third playoff hole

Weather forecast There is potential for rain during the first three days of play, while the weather should be fine for the tournament's climax on Sunday. Temperatures should be in the low 30s.

Type of player suited to the challenge Strong tee-to-green play has been essential to success over the years at Southwind, so players who can find greens in regulation should flourish. 

Key attribute Accuracy

Spotlight insight 

Five of the last eight Southwind winners were ranked first in strokes-gained tee-to-green. Zalatoris was ranked second last year.

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