FedEx Cup Playoffs opener picks, predictions, odds: Who wins St. Jude Championship?

It's playoff time on the PGA Tour. After 34 weeks of majors, signature events, your garden-variety PGA Tour events and opposite-week events, the FedEx Cup Playoffs begin on Aug. 13 with the FedEx St. Jude Classic at the TPC Southwind in Memphis. Some are fans of the playoffs, some aren't. But there'

What is the story about?

It's playoff time on the PGA Tour.

After 34 weeks of majors, signature events, your garden-variety PGA Tour events and opposite-week events, the FedEx Cup Playoffs begin on Aug. 13 with the FedEx St. Jude Classic at the TPC Southwind in Memphis.

Some are fans of the playoffs, some aren't. But there's no denying the star power as golf's biggest names are in the same field for the first time since the Open Championship in July, and will be for the next three weeks.

Scottie Scheffler of the United States reacts following his round on the 18th green on day three of the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on July 18, 2026 in Southport, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

World No. 1, regular-season points leader and money leader Scottie Scheffler, three-time FedEx Cup champion Rory McIlroy, all four major champions and 52 of the top 60 on this week's World Golf Rankings are in Memphis, gunning to be among the top 50 on the FedEx Cup points list by the end

of the week to make it to the next leg, the BMW Championship Aug. 20-23 at the Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis.

The last stop will be the top 30 from Bellerive going to East Lake in Atlanta on Aug. 27-30 for the Tour Championship and the final big prize of $10 million for the FedEx Cup champion.

St. Jude Championship favorites, odds

It's easy for BetMGM: If Scheffler is in the field, he's the favorite. Scheffler has a moneyline of +450, with McIlroy far behind at +1400 and Xander Schauffele at +1800.

There's a solid group worth considering at +2000: Cameron Young, Sam Burns and Tommy Fleetwood, while Collin Morikawa and Ludvig Åberg are +2500. PGA Tour rookie Jackson Koivun is +4000 and defending champion Justin Rose is +500.

Aside from McIlroy, BetMGM isn't high on major champions of 2026. Wyndham Clark (U.S. Open) is +4500, Aaron Rai (PGA) is +8000 and Ryan Fox (Open) is +9000.

St. Jude Championship picks

Hideki Matsuyama: No one's played better this summer without actually having won a tournament. Matsuyama has finished tied for 14th or higher in his last five starts, with three top-10s in a row. He's posted 11 consecutive rounds in the 60s. Matsuyama wrapped a tie for 16th and a tie for 17th around his victory at TPC Southwind in 2024.

Tommy Fleetwood: Not many European players like the quirky Southwind track but he's one of them. Fleetwood tied for third last year and in 2023 and he's coming into the tournament in good form, with six consecutive finishes of a tie for 14th or better since missing the cut at the PGA. He tied for fourth in his last start at the Open.

Scottie Scheffler: Hard to imagine him winning only once so far this season but he's stacked 11 top 10 finishes among his 17 starts this season, with five seconds or ties for second. He's got a tie for third and a solo fourth in the last two St. Jude Classics.