WGC FedEx St Jude Invitational: TV Times, Betting Tips

This week the WGC FedEx St Jude Invitational makes its debut as a World Golf Championship event. Here’s how to watch and who to back

The PGA Tour heads to TPC Southwind this week for the third WGC event of 2019, with Tiger Woods the only player in the World’s top 10 not in the field. Last week’s Open Champion Shane Lowry also withdrew from this week’s event. 

FedEx overtook sponsorship of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational and relocated it to Memphis – the home of the previously named FedEx St Jude Classic. It provides a unique situation where Justin Thomas defends the WGC, but Dustin Johnson is defending the St Jude Classic.

DJ is a two-time winner here, while players like Thomas, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy make their first trips to TPC Southwind – a course that rewards accuracy due to the water on the course, which is present on 11 holes. 

It’s also getting to be crunch time for the FedEx Cup, with just four events left before the Tour Championship at East Lake at the end of August . As it stands, World No.1 Brooks Koepka tops the race with a seven point lead over Matt Kuchar.

So who should you back? Read on below

Course: TPC Southwind | Par 70
Defending Champion: Justin Thomas (WGC), Dustin Johnson (FedEx St Jude)
FedEx Cup points: 550
Race to Dubai points: 9,000
Prize Fund: $10,250,000

WGC FEDEX ST JUDE: TV TIMES

Thursday
Featured Groups: Live World Golf Championships, Sky Sports Golf – Red Button (16:00)
Main Coverage: Sky Sports Golf (19:00), Sky Sports Main Event (22:00)

Friday
Featured Groups: Live World Golf Championships, Sky Sports Golf – Red Button (16:00)
Main Coverage: Sky Sports Golf (19:00), Sky Sports Main Event (22:00)

Saturday
Sky Sports Golf (19:00), Sky Sports Main Event (22:00)

Sunday
Sky Sports Golf (19:00), Sky Sports Main Event (21:00) 

WGC FEDEX ST JUDE: BETTING TIPS

Dustin Johnson: 9/1
Two time winner in Memphis (’18, ’12), and excluding Tiger Woods, noone has more WGC wins than DJ (6), which includes a win at the WGC Mexico Championship this year. Two wins and five other top 10s in 2019, but has had a recent lull, going T20-T35-MC-T52 in his last four, the latter at the Open Championship. Ranks 3rd for scoring average and SG: Off the tee, 5th SG: Tee to green, 12th birdie average and 16th for SG: Approach. 

Rory McIlroy: 10/1
Agonising MC last week at the Open but still enjoying one of his most consistent seasons yet which includes two victories and eight other top 10s (including a T9 at the U.S. Open) in 2019. Ranks 1st for both SG: Off the tee and SG: Tee to green, in addition to 2nd for scoring average, 3rd for both birdie average and 6th for SG: Approach on the PGA Tour. Two top 10s in this WGC last two years, but debut at TPC Southwind.

Stat attack: Three of the last four times he’s come off a missed cut, McIlroy has finished first or second.

Brooks Koepka: 11/1
Completed one of the most successful major seasons in history with a victory, two runner-up finishes and a T4 last week at The Open. In five starts at TPC Southwind has two top 5s and no worse a finish than T37, and was 5th last year in this WGC. Ranks 4th Scoring average, 8th GIR, 12th for birdie average, 11th SG: Tee to green and 13th SG: Approach the green. 

Jon Rahm: 12/1
Posted back-to-back top 5s before victory at the Irish Open and a T11 at last week’s major, proving himself one of the most consistent players in a year where he has 10 top 10s. Debut in Memphis. Ranks 4th SG: Off the tee, 7th birdie average, 11th scoring average and 15th SG: Tee to green on the PGA Tour this season.  

Justin Thomas: 14/1
Initially struggled after returning from a wrist injury, but was T9 at the Scottish Open and finished up with a T11 at Royal Portrush last week. Defending WGC Champion, but hasn’t teed up in Memphis before. Ranks 2nd GIR, birdie average and SG: Tee to green, 3rd SG: Approach, 8th scoring average and 11th SG: Around the green.

Justin Rose: 18/1
T3-T20 in his last two starts at the U.S. Open and Open Championship, and has a victory and four other top 10s this year. Debut here, but a win (HSBC Champions) and two other top 10s in his last four starts in WGC’s. Ranks 5th SG: Putting, 7th Scoring average and inside the top 25 for both SG: Approach and SG: Tee to green.

Patrick Cantlay: 20/1
Hasn’t teed up at TPC Southwind before but has three top 10s in his last four WGC Starts. Also has a win at Memorial and five other top 10s this year alone, and comes in after a T41 at the Open- though was T15 at the Travelers before that. Ranks 1st scoring average, 4th SG: Tee to green, 9th for birdie average, 10th SG: Off the tee and 12th for SG: Approach and SG: Around the green. 

Tommy Fleetwood: 20/1
Was incredibly disappointed with runner-up finish at the Open, his fourth top 10 of year. Was T13 at the Travelers before T23 at Irish Open before that, and hasn’t finished worse than T24 in his last seven WGC appearances – including two top 10s. Ranks 9th scoring average, 16th SG: Tee to green and 18th for SG: Off the tee.

Xander Schauffele: 22/1
Equipment problems and a bad final round saw Schauffele slip to T41 at the Open but was T3 at the US Open – one of three top 10s this year that includes a win at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Has a win (2018 HSBC) among four other top-20s in eight starts in the WGCs. Ranks inside the top 20 on Tour for scoring average, birdie average, SG: Off the tee and SG: Tee to green.

Henrik Stenson: 25/1
Followed up three top 10s in a row with a T20 at last week’s Open – which included an uncharacteristic shank and club snap in the final round. T13 last time he played here in 2013, has five top 10s in his last 11 WGC starts, and his accuracy off the tee is a big advantage this week. Ranks 1st SG: Approach, 5th Driving Accuracy, 20th SG: Tee to green and 22nd scoring average. 

Adam Scott: 33/1
Having gone in to the Open as one of the betting favourites thanks to three consecutive top 10s heading in, a MC from Scott was a shock, but expecting him to bounce back this week. T10 in Memphis the last time he teed up in 2017. Ranks inside the top 10 on the PGA Tour for scoring average, SG: Approach, SG: Tee to green and SG: Around the green, as well as 18th for birdie average and 22nd for SG: Putting.

Webb Simpson: 33/1
T30 at last week’s Open, which was his worst finish in his last six starts – which includes a T5 at the Masters and runner-up finish in Canada. MC here in ‘14 but T3 in ‘14. Ranks 5th scoring average, 14th SG: Around the green, 18th SG: Tee to green, 20th SG: Approach and 21st for SG: Putting.

Matt Kuchar: 35/1
A win and six other top 10s in 2019, the last coming at the RBC Canadian Open before going T16-T20-T41 in his last three starts. Hasn’t been at TPC Southwind since 2007. Ranks 5th GIR, 6th Scoring average, 10th SG: Approach, 13th SG: Tee to green and 18th driving accuracy.

Patrick Reed: 40/1
T10 at the Open was his second top 10 in his last three starts on Tour. Hasn’t played here since a MC in 2014 but was 5th in ’13. Ranks 9th SG: Around the green and 33rd for scoring average.

Chez Reavie: 60/1
In the horses for courses bet this week, Reavie is one not to overlook. He was T3 at the US Open and won the Travelers Championship, and will now be hoping to bounce back from the two MC’s that followed. In his last three starts in Memphis has gone T12-T4-T6. Ranks 2nd driving accuracy, 21st SG: Approach the green, 24th Scoring average.  

Brandt Snedeker: 66/1
Two top 10s in his last five starts, including at the Rocket Mortgage Classic before a MC last week. Was T6 at TPC Southwind last year, and holds the course record here (62). Ranks 3rd SG: Around the green and 8th SG: Putting.