Preview
2023 FedEx St Jude Championship Tips
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FedEx St Jude Championship Event Info
Starts: 10th August 2023
Course: TPC Southwind
Par: 70 (35-35)
Length: 7,233 yards
Grass Type: Bermuda
2022 Champion: Will Zalatoris
FedEx St Jude Championship Course Info
Designer: Ron Prichard
Used Since: New venue (Course used prior for WGC FedEx St Jude Invitational and FedEx St Jude Classic)
Fairways: Zoysia, Narrower than average
Rough: 2.5 inches - Not severe
Greens: Bermuda grass - Smaller than average
Water Hazards: In-play on 8 holes
Par 5's: 3rd and 16th
Premium on: Solid tee to green and approach play
Significant Info To Be Aware Of
This event is the first of the Fed-Ex playoff series where the top 70 on the PGA Tour money list compete. The Top 50 will advance to the BMW Championship next week.
This course hosted WGC events in 2021 and 2020, it was previously the host of the FedEx St Jude Classic. We therefore have 30+ years of course form.
The course underwent an upgrade in 2004, with Loren Roberts overseeing a host of changes including new trees, additional bunkers, narrowing of the fairways and a change to Bermuda grass on the greens. Place less emphasis on any form pre-2004.
Since 2003, TPC Southwind’s 5,989 balls in the water are the most at any PGA TOUR course during that stretch. TPC Sawgrass (4,809), Muirfield Village (4,753) and PGA National (4,730) are the next three. (Source - PGA Tour)
FedEx St Jude Championship Weather Forecast
Thursday: Possible thunderstorms with max wind 12mph
Friday: Partly cloudy with max wind 10mph
Saturday: Possible thunderstorms with max wind 10mph
Sunday: Possible thunderstorms with max wind 7mph
2023 FedEx St Jude Championship Trends
With this switching to a FedEx event with only 70 participants, trends hold less significance.
Past champions have also found success here with Berger, Johnson and Justin Leonard having twice triumphed in the past 12 years.
2023 FedEx St Jude Championship Stats Analysis
Eight of the last eleven winners at TPC Southwind have led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green so there is an emphasis on players who are striking the ball well. With smaller than average greens, and water a persistent threat, it's no surprise a sound long game is required.
A look at the stats of last year's winner and the top four in 2021 are below. It's clear there is less emphasis on driving and more on approach, whilst a tidy short game on and around the greens looks a key for success too.
SG: Off The Tee
23-16-60-32-20
Driving Accuracy
45-10-47-10-8
Driving Distance
18-57-38-23-25
SG: Approach
1-5-6-7-2
Greens In Regulation
9-5-23-9-5
SG: Around The Green
44-6-3-21-5
SG: Putting
27-10-2-4-38
2023 FedEx St Jude Championship In Play Tips
Tough Holes
The 457-yard ninth is a hard dogleg to the right that requires a precise, long tee shot before an approach shot over water. Players out of position off the tee will likely need to hit a conservative second shot up the right side. The 18th hole has water running along its entire left side, but unlike No. 9, this 453-yard par-4 is a dogleg to the left.
The 239-yard, par-3 14th hole can also sneak up on players with water down the right side. Any pin positions on the right side of the green will require players to make a full carry over the water. (Source - PGA Tour)
Birdie Holes
The par 5 16th plays the easiest.
Fast or Slow Start
2022 winner Zalatoris was NINE shots behind after round one. None of the three men in the playoff in 2021 were within four of the lead after day one. The previous two WGC winners at Southwind were in the top 18 after round 1.
Three of the last four winners have been inside the top 12 at halfway, with Zalatoris the exception.
In the past, winners tended to be within striking distance going into the final day but not necessarily leading. Koepka was a stroke back in 2019 and overcame Rory McIlroy to win. Both DJ and Daniel Berger won in 2018 and 2016 respectively when leading after the third round. Berger's second win in 2017 came from three shots off the pace with a round to go.
However, in 2021, Sam Burns and Hideki Matsuyama came from 8 and 9 shots back of leader Harris English to reach a playoff which they lost to Abraham Ancer. Zalatoris came from two back in 2022. Comebacks are possible here with lots of water in play.
2023 FedEx St Jude Championship Tips
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In-play
2023FedEx St Jude Championship In-Play Blog
13 August 2023, 8.30am (UK time)
| Player | Total |
|---|
| Glover |
-14 |
| Moore |
-13 |
| Fleetwood |
-12 |
| Homa |
-11 |
| Spieth |
-11 |
| Six players tied |
-9 |
2023 FedEx St Jude Championship Round 3 Summary
Lucas Glover maintained his one stroke advantage going into the final round.
Notable Round 3 FedEx St Jude Championship Quotes
"I was a couple shots back on Sunday at Valspar and won there, and I think anytime you're within a couple shots going into the back nine on Sunday, you've got a legit shot. Definitely in a good position, and just going to go try to do it again." Taylor Moore
"It was scrappy would be how I would describe that day. Parts of it you could remove the "S". I got a lot out of what I had. Short game bailed me out a lot early, and missed a couple putts I thought I should have made coming in. But three months ago if I'd have been mad at 66 or if you told me I'd be mad at 66, I'd say you were crazy. Splitting hairs, but it was a little bit of smoke and mirrors today, just to be honest. But I'm still in a good spot, and I can work on many in a minute and wake up tomorrow in a better frame of mind." Lucas Glover
"I'm playing very well, and I've got a better chance than if I was level par or something. There's a lot of great golfers, but clearly this is another good chance, and looking forward to tomorrow really and seeing how it goes." Tommy Fleetwood
2023 FedEx St Jude Championship Round 4 Weather
Partly cloudy. Wind 4-8mph.
Back or Fade The Favourite?
Lucas Glover is the 23/10 favourite.
Glover is aiming to go back to back, having won the Wyndham Championship last week when jointly leading going into the final round.
However, only one of the last five third round leaders have been able to convert. Glover's approach play has got worse on each day and he may just be running out of steam after last week's exertions. Conditions have been extremely hot this week and it remains to be seen whether he can win back to back. We're looking to take him on with one of the chasers.
In-Play FedEx St Jude Championship Bets We Considered
Rickie Fowler looks like a solid option to beat Mackenzie Hughes in the final round two balls. Fowler can be forgiven for an off day in round two but has been solid otherwise and put in a good third round performance.
Taylor Moore was very close to selection given the way he closed out to win at Valspar. However, one player was narrowly preferred.
FedEx St. Jude Championship Round 4 Bets
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12 August 2023, 9.30am (UK time)
| Player | Total |
|---|
| Glover |
-10 |
| Spieth |
-9 |
| T Kim |
-8 |
| Grillo |
-8 |
| Moore |
-8 |
| Im |
-8 |
| Fleetwood |
-8 |
| Six players tied |
-7 |
2023 FedEx St Jude Championship Round 2 Summary
Lucas Glover has taken over at the top on the leaderboard after a bogey free round of 64. Conditions were very hot, with the wind picking up later in the day.
Notable Round 2 FedEx St Jude Championship Quotes
"I've been telling Michael, this is nothing, this is nothing this week, and then today I'm like, man, I was wrong. I'm humbled. It's just a different kind of heat. But it felt like it was just coming off the ground. Like you could just feel the water coming off the ground. I'll bring two shirts from now on and change at the turn because that was -- I was struggling a bit early in the round. I had some goose bumps -- it was something that shouldn't happen. I just was taken aback a little bit. I probably overdid the warmup and stuff and may shorten it a bit tomorrow. But that was hot. It was a tough day. But I think staying home and playing in the heat probably helped, but more just playing golf." Jordan Spieth
"I hit it nice. I hit it in the fairway a bunch and hit a lot of greens, and the ones I missed were a couple on the fringe and then a couple easy up-and-downs. The golf course is drying out a little bit, and yeah, played nicely, and would have liked to have made that last one, but I didn't, so here we are." Lucas Glover
2023 FedEx St Jude Championship Round 3 Weather
Possible thunderstorm in the morning. Wind 4-8mph.
Back or Fade The Favourite?
Scottie Scheffler has taken over as the 6/1 favourite after moving within three strokes of Lucas Glover. It is certainly ominous for the field that the world number 1 is gaining strokes with his putter and losing strokes so far this week with his approach shots. Scheffler's iron play has been fantastic this year and he has so often been let down by the flat stick. He is the man to beat if his putter remains hot.
In-Play FedEx St Jude Championship Bets We Considered
Two of the last five winners at TPC Southwind have been 12th or worse at the halfway stage so we're certainly considering players at five and six under par.
FedEx St. Jude Championship Round 3 Bets
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11 August 2023, 11.30am (UK time)
| Player | Total |
|---|
| Spieth |
-7 |
| T Kim |
-6 |
| Grillo |
-5 |
| Morikawa |
-5 |
| Ten players tied |
-4 |
2023 FedEx St Jude Championship Round 1 Summary
Heavy rain before the start of the tournament meant the course was soft underfoot. Jordan Spieth was the player able to make the most of conditions, posting a round of 63.
Notable Round 1 FedEx St Jude Championship Quotes
"I played really well at the British. Tee to green, I played well enough to win. I didn't feel like I missed many of my lines. I just couldn't quite get the matching of the line and speed on the greens. Now we come to slopey Bermuda and very fast slopey Bermuda where I feel a little more comfortable picking lines and kind of feeding the ball in using gravity. I think that helped, along with quite a bit of work as best I could in Texas right now, which is really from the hours of 7:00 a.m. to noon before it's almost unbearable." Jordan Spieth
"I was in control of my golf ball, and that's what I've been asking for for the past month and a half. That's what I've been able to see, especially since Detroit. Even though the Open didn't go my way and I missed the cut, I still felt like I had control of the golf ball. So it is what it is." Collin Morikawa
"It was wet, man, gosh. It's one of the wettest rounds I've played in long time. Obviously that doesn't help (his ankle) because there's a lot of -- you have to use a lot of your muscles around your legs to be able to push through, and it's just kind of not what I need, to be honest. I would like to be able to walk on kind of flat areas and dry, just take the stress off my ankle. It's going to be a few -- I'm going to need to be able to watch it for the next few days, making sure I don't do anything bad because it's going to take a few weeks to fully heal. Just got to make sure I watch it." Tom Kim
2023 FedEx St Jude Championship Round 2 Weather
Rainy likely. Wind 4-9mph.
Back or Fade The Favourite?
Jordan Spieth is the 13/2 favourite, narrowly edging ahead of Scottie Scheffler at 15/2. Spieth was certainly talking a good game in his post round press conference and that was certainly backed up with his stats. Spieth ranked 2nd for SG: Tee to Green and gained strokes with every area of his game.
First round leaders haven't had the best of records in this event though (three of the last five round one leaders have finished outside the top six) and we'd prefer to focus on those players further down the leaderboard.
In-Play FedEx St Jude Championship Bets We Considered
Only one winner in the last five years at TPC Southwind has been inside the top 12 after the opening round. With that in mind, we considered the players at three and four under par. Mackenzie Hughes and Hayden Buckley were considered given bookmakers are offering five each way places and both players are priced at 200/1.
FedEx St. Jude Championship Round 2 Bets
Want to know which bets we went with? You can sign up for all our PGA Tour tips for 2023 by clicking the button below.
