2026 PGA Picks: FedEx St. Jude Championship and Expert Betting Predictions

The PGA Tour regular season concluded last week with the Wyndham Championship, a tournament that ultimately was decided on the final day. It was Michael Brennan who came away with an impressive win, marking his second-ever win on the PGA Tour and first since the Bank of Utah Championship in 2025.

This week marks the start of the FedEx Playoffs, and as such, the PGA Tour heads to Tennessee for the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Most notably, only the Top 70 players have qualified for the first playoff event. To this point, there is far less room for error, as the field is loaded with the majority of the top players in the world.

The FedEx St. Jude Championship is set to begin on Thursday, August 13th and will conclude on Sunday, August 16th. As per usual, my article will preview this event by giving you a brief course overview, the outright betting odds, my best bet to win the tournament, and my two favorite ‘Top X Finish’ props. 

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The Course

The FedEx St. Jude Championship will be played at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. TPC Southwind is a Par 70 and measures 7288 yards. The course consists of 12 Par 4s, four Par 3s, and two Par 5s. 

Outright Betting Odds

Below are the Top 10 outright betting odds to win the FedEx St. Jude Championship per DraftKings Sportsbook:

*Scottie Scheffler: +455

*Rory McIlroy: +1075

*Cameron Young: +1850

*Xander Schauffele: +1850

*Tommy Fleetwood: +2000

*Sam Burns: +2200

*Matt Fitzpatrick: +2250

*Ludvig Aberg: +2450

*Collin Morikawa: +2700

*Hideki Matsuyama: +2900

Best Bets

Sam Burns to Win the FedEx St. Jude Championship (+2200)

My top pick to win the FedEx St. Jude Championship will target Sam Burns. Burns has had an excellent 2026 season, as he ranks 8th in the FedEx Cup standings and has made 14 of 17 cuts. Burns has not won this season, but has come painfully close on multiple occasions, which includes a T6 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a T7 at The Masters, a T4 at the Memorial Tournament, a solo-2nd at the US Open, and a solo-3rd at the Rocket Classic.

This season, Burns ranks 12th in Strokes Gained: Total, 3rd in Strokes Gained: Putting, 14th in Scoring Average, 2nd in Par 4 Scoring, and 10th in Birdie Average.

Because he has been one of the more consistent players on the PGA Tour this season, backing Sam Burns to win the FedEx St. Jude Championship is my best bet.

Patrick Cantlay to Finish Top 20 (Including Ties) (-115)

My favorite ‘Top X Finish’ this week is for Patrick Cantlay to finish inside the Top 20. Cantlay has had an up-and-down season, as he ranks 42nd in the FedEx Cup standings. That said, he has made 13 of 17 cuts and has finished inside the Top 20 nine times.

It is also worth noting that Cantlay has had a ton of success at the FedEx St. Jude Championship throughout his career. In nine starts at this event, he has finished inside the Top 20 seven times.

On the season, Cantlay ranks 14th in Strokes Gained: Total, 30th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 21st in Strokes Gained: Approach to Green, 25th in Scoring Average, and 6th in Par 4 Scoring Average.

Because Cantlay needs a good finish to improve his FedEx Cup standing, and because he has success at this event, backing Patrick Cantlay to Finish Inside the Top 20 will be my play.

Akshay Bhatia to Finish Top 20 (Including Ties) (+174)

My second favorite ‘Top X Finish’ prop will look for Akshay Bhatia to finish inside the Top 20. Bhatia has had a mostly solid season and ranks 14th in the FedEx Cup standings. That said, he has made 11 of 18 cuts this season. However, of the 11 cuts he has made, Bhatia has finished inside the Top 20 in eight of them, which includes a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

More importantly, Bhatia has had previous success at this specific event. In two starts at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, Bhatia has finished inside the Top 20 both times. This includes a T12 in 2024 and a T6 in 2025.

On the season, Bhatia ranks 15th in Strokes Gained: Total, 2nd in Strokes Gained: Putting, 7th in Putting Average, 5th in Putts Per Round, 4th in One-Putt %, 16th in Par 4 Scoring Average, and 13th in Birdie Average. 

Because Bhatia has consistently had good finishes this season and because of his previous success at this event, backing Akshay Bhatia to Finish Inside the Top 20 will be my play.

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