Updated Aug. 11, 2026, 1:10 p.m. ET
The 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship will be held at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.Golfweek’s experts have provided their top picks for the outright winner of the tournament.Sam Burns was selected by two different experts as a potential winner.Other notable picks include Tommy Fleetwood, Hideki Matsuyama, and Xander Schauffele.
The 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship tees off on Thursday, Aug. 13, from TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. Golfweek’s experts have locked in our best picks to win this weekend. Here’s who we expect to sit atop the leaderboard when play ends on Sunday.
Follow along with all the action this week with Golfweek and USA TODAY Sports for a live leaderboard, golfer rankings and money list.
FedEx St. Jude Championship Outright Winner
Burns won’t be the betting favorite when Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are in the field, but he does have the fourth-best odds to win in Memphis. He’s had some close calls this season, so here’s a vote that he breaks through for his sixth PGA Tour win and first in three years.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!Cameron Jourdan: Tommy Fleetwood (+2000)
I can’t believe I’m actually picking Tommy Fleetwood to win a PGA Tour event. Yes, he did win the Tour Championship last year, but he also had this tournament in his fingers when it slipped through at the last minute. Feels like he’s due for another breakthrough.
Nick Stavas: Hideki Matsuyama (+2500)
Matsuyama might just be the hottest player in the world without a win in 2026. He’s made 20 cuts in a row, he’s placed no worse than T-14 since the U.S. Open in June, and he enters this week off three straight top-10 finishes. Plus, he won this event two years ago, so he’s proven he can go deep at TPC Southwind. For the second straight week, I’m riding with the golfing pride of Japan to finally get back into the winner’s circle.
Adam Schupak: J.J. Spaun (+5500)
J.J. is dynamite at TPC Southwind. Lost in a playoff last year and held the 54-hole lead previously. He’s due. Tom Kim (+4000) and past champion Hideki Matsuyama (+2500) are also good course fits and playing top-notch golf of late.
Tim Schmitt: Sam Burns (+2000)
Burns has played well here, including a T-5 finish in 2024. And he’s got three top-5 finishes in his last five starts this year. This seems like the right time.
Blake Schuster: Xander Schauffele (+1800)
Xander has a sneakily strong track record at this event with six Top 25 finishes in nine starts, including a tie for second place in 2025. After a solid showing in Detroit, he’s firmly in the hunt for a win here.
David Dusek: Sam Burns (+2000)
It’s funny how seemingly every time Sam Burns appears on the Golf Channel, CBS or NBC broadcast, the analyst invariably says something like, “Here’s Sam Burns putting for birdie. You know, he’s one of the best putters on the PGA Tour … ” and then the 15-foot putt burns the lip. That said, Burns does rank third on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting, but he hasn’t won this season. Runner-up at the U.S. Open, third at the Open Championship, but no hardware in 2026. Well, that ends now as the LSU standout begins his march toward winning his first Tour Championship.
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
Information in this article was imported automatically into a template written and reviewed by a USA TODAY Sports editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling. We do our best to make sure all the information that we provide on this site is correct. However, from time to time mistakes will be made and we will not be held liable. Please check any stats or information if you are unsure how accurate they are. No guarantees are made with regards to results or financial gain. All forms of betting carry financial risk and it is up to the individual to make bets with or without the assistance of information provided on this site and we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of following the betting tips provided on this site. Past performances do not guarantee success in the future and betting odds fluctuate from one minute to the next. The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. It is your sole responsibility to act in accordance with your local laws.
Prediction Markets: Certain prediction markets are event contracts regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) or other applicable regulatory authorities and are legally distinct from traditional gambling and sports betting. Eligibility requirements to participate in prediction markets differ from those for sports betting and gambling — you may be required to be 18 or older (or such other age as the applicable platform requires) and to satisfy other eligibility criteria established by the relevant platform and governing law. Prediction market trading involves financial risk and may not be available in all jurisdictions. The legal and regulatory status of prediction markets varies by jurisdiction and by platform. It is your sole responsibility to confirm that participation is lawful where you reside and to comply with all applicable laws and platform terms.