Bob Weeks Picks Six – FedEx St. Jude Championship

Last time: We’ve been off the grid for a few weeks, preparing for the PGA Tour’s playoff run and absorbing the Olympics. Our last post was the Open Championship and we managed a top-10 pick with Jon Rahm.

This week: It’s the playoffs! While there won’t be any beard growing as we are accustomed to with hockey, the playoffs are still vitally important to the golfers if for no other reason than the vast amounts of money being doled out. There’s $100 million to be shared and the overall winner earns a smooth $25 million. This week, the top 70 are in the field all pushing to remain inside the top 50. That gets you access to all signature events next year, a lucrative prize all on its own. The layout is TPC Southwind, a par-70, 7,100-yard layout that has plenty of water that has lots of teeth in it. The weather is also expected to be a factor, not due to any winds or rain, but due to the heat, which is expected to be in the mid-to-high 30s. Last year, in the steamy conditions several caddies dropped and many had intravenous liquids to restore them to working conditions.

To win

Scottie Scheffler +320

Kind of a layup and at +320, not really a great value pick for a win but it’s hard to avoid this guy with what he’s done this year. Six wins, a major, a Players Championship, and a gold medal. He has already amassed $28 million with the potential to add another $25 if he comes out on top as FedEx Cup champion.

Collin Morikawa +1200

Hard to believe he hasn’t won yet, but Morikawa has not finished out of the top 25 since April. That includes a tie for 24^th at the Olympic Games. He’s fourth in driving accuracy, which will be key this week, and he has the fifth best putting average, also a notable stat on pretty much any course.

Top 10

Tommy Fleetwood +180

Coming in with a silver medal in his bag (he was showing it to all who asked during a practice round), Fleetwood is one of the most accurate drivers on the PGA Tour. Keeping it in the fairway is always helpful, especially this week at Southwind. The Englishman tied for third here a here ago.

Hideki Matsuyama +200

The bronze medallist from Paris, Matsuyama tied for 16^th last year here. Starts in eighth place in the FedEx Cup standings and has a reputation for playing well on tough courses. This year, he’s been top 10 at the Players, Memorial and U.S. Open, as well as the Genesis, which he won.

Top 20

Ben An +150

Has had a solid season, including a tie for 13^th at the Open Championship and a tie for 24^th at the Olympics. One of the longer hitters on the PGA Tour – he’s fourth in driving distance – he also has the 32^nd-best putting average. While the FedEx Cup is in his focus, he also has an eye on solidifying a spot on the International Team for the Presidents Cup. He’s currently in sixth spot with Corey Conners closing fast.

Wyndham Clark +135

Pretty good value for a major champion who has been inside the top 14 in three of his last four starts. That includes a tie for 14^th at the Olympics. He’s sixth in driving distance and 15^th in Strokes Gained: Putting. While he doesn’t have any great finishes here, he’s made the cut here in four of his five visits.