Aug. 10, 2026, 4:14 p.m. ET

The FedExCup Playoffs kick off this week with the first of 3 events, the 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship. TPC Southwind is once again playing host to this event, welcoming the top 70 players in the season-long FedExCup standings to Memphis. The top 50 will then advance to next week’s BMW Championship, followed by the top 30 at the Tour Championship in 2 weeks.

Below, we look at FedEx St. Jude Championship odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions before the first round tees off Thursday.

Scottie Scheffler (+450) is in the field this week, as are Rory McIlroy (+1200), Sam Burns (+2000) and Tommy Fleetwood (+2000). Justin Rose (+4500) is the defending champion here, so he’ll try to make it wins in back-to-back years in Memphis. It’s a limited field with only 70 players and no cut, with the winner taking him $3.6 million of the $20 million purse.

TPC Southwind is 7,288 yards and a par 70. The winning scores have been between 13-under and 17-under each year since 2019, dating back to when it was called the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. It features water hazards throughout the venue, particularly around the greens, forcing players to hit accurate approach shots. The greens will be fast and firm, as usual, with limited scoring opportunities thanks to there being just 2 par-5s on the course.

Watch the PGA Tour on Fubo!FedEx St. Jude Championship – Expert picks

Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 4:05 p.m. ET.

Sam Burns (+2000)

Burns is from the South, so he knows all about playing on Bermuda greens. And it has shown in his record at this course, finishing fifth in 2024 and second in 2021, with a T-20 in 2022. He hasn’t played since the Open Championship, where he finished third, but he had been red hot before taking a little bit of time off; he’s finished between second and 20th in 5 straight starts.

Hideki Matsuyama (+2500)

Matsuyama is a perfect combination of recent form and course history, which is why his odds have shortened considerably compared to the last month or so. He’s finished between third and 14th in his last 5 starts coming in, and he also has 5 straight top-20s at this event, including a win in 2024. His combination of ball striking and short game makes him a great fit.

Viktor Hovland (+3000)

Like many others, Hovland hasn’t played since the Open, where he missed the cut. However, in his last start in the U.S., he won the Travelers Championship. He seemed to find something at the RBC Canadian Open, finishing third that week, and his course history is good; he has 3 top-20s in his last 4 starts here, including a runner-up in 2024.

FedEx St. Jude Championship picks – ContendersAkshay Bhatia (+6600)

Bhatia missed the cut at the Open Championship and then again at the Rocket Classic, but in his 2 starts before that, he finished T-17 and T-5. Though he’s only played TPC Southwind twice, both in the last 2 years, he’s finished 12th and sixth. His slumping ball-striking is a slight concern, but his putting is still strong.

Justin Rose (+4500)

Rose outdueled J.J. Spaun here last year, winning in a playoff with 2 birdies in the 3 holes they played. He seems to be striking the ball better now that he’s further removed from the switch to McLaren irons, ranking 17th among players in the field in SG: approach in the last 3 months. There’s no real weakness in his game right now.

Robert MacIntyre (+4000)

After losing strokes on approach for most of the year, MacIntyre got back on track at the RBC Canadian Open and has gained strokes in 3 of his last 5 starts, including a season-best 2.49 SG: approach at the Scottish Open. In 4 career starts here, he’s finished in the top 15 twice and come in T-38 and T-59 in the other 2 years.

FedEx St. Jude Championship picks – Long shotsCorey Conners (+9000)

Conners has been struggling on the greens, but his approach game is still strong, ranking 20th in strokes gained among players in this field over the last 3 months. Though he only has 1 finish better than 27th in 9 career starts at TPC Southwind (T-6 in 2023), he knows the course well from his extensive history here.

Alex Smalley (+8000)

Smalley’s weakest part of his game is off the tee, but he’s 24th in SG: approach in the last 3 months and 10th in putting. He’s played his best golf this season, including a stretch this spring of 7 straight top-21 finishes. Most recently, he tied for seventh at the Wyndham Championship this past week.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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