Xander Schauffele enters the FedEx St. Jude Championship with mounting momentum and a strong chance to claim victory at TPC Southwind in Memphis. The tournament kicks off this week as the first event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, bringing together 70 of the PGA Tour's top performers.
Schauffele, priced at +1600 in the betting markets, finished T2 at this course last year and comes into the event with consecutive Top 10 finishes at both The Open and Scottish Open. His impressive stats show gains across all key metrics, particularly averaging +2.60 strokes gained per round tee-to-green against the field.
Russell Henley also presents a compelling case at +3000, having secured four consecutive Top 10 finishes in competitive fields. Henley ranks second in tee-to-green play and third on approach, with previous success at TPC Southwind including multiple Top 10 finishes. This will be his eighth appearance at the course.
Among other contenders worth watching, Corey Conners looks poised for a Top 20 finish (+120) after resting since The Open, where he played the weekend 10-under at Royal Portrush to secure a T10 result. The Canadian led the field in true strokes gained tee-to-green at the major championship.
Wyndham Clark also makes an interesting case for a Top 20 finish (+160), coming off impressive performances including a T4 at The Open, T11 at the Scottish Open, and T12 at the 3M Open. Clark ranks ninth in this field in true strokes gained on approach and seventh in putting during this strong stretch.
For first-round performance, Daniel Berger looks set to shoot under 68.5 (-105). Though this marks his first return to TPC Southwind since a T5 finish in 2021, Berger has won twice at this track and placed T2 in 2020. His recent form shows him gaining strokes on approach in four consecutive events.
Despite these strong contenders, world number one Scottie Scheffler remains the heavy favorite at +280, significantly ahead of the competition. Other notable names with shorter odds include Tommy Fleetwood (+2200), Justin Thomas (+2500), and Matt Fitzpatrick (+2800).
Can anyone challenge Scheffler's dominance as the playoffs begin? The FedEx St. Jude Championship will give us our first indication of who might make a serious run for the FedEx Cup this year.
