2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational: Odds to Win and Expert Picks

A stacked field is set to descend on the 2020 edition of the World Golf Championship-FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.
The top nine players in the FedExCup standings are set to tee it up in the Volunteer State, along with the entire top eight in the Official World Golf Ranking. In all, 45 of the top 50 golfers in the rankings will participate in the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational – the most of any event this season.
When it comes to betting odds on which man is the likeliest to emerge triumphant at the third WGC event of the campaign, Rory McIlroy is the +1000 favorite at Bovada.
Here’s a look at the golfers with the top odds to win the tournament:
Golfer | Odds |
---|---|
Rory McIlroy | +1000 |
Jon Rahm | +1100 |
Bryson DeChambeau | +1200 |
Justin Thomas | +1200 |
Xander Schauffele | +1600 |
Patrick Cantlay | +2000 |
Webb Simpson | +2000 |
Brooks Koepka | +2500 |
Collin Morikawa | +2500 |
Tyrrell Hatton | +2500 |
Viktor Hovland | +2500 |
Daniel Berger | +2800 |
Dustin Johnson | +2800 |
Hideki Matsuyama | +2800 |
Tommy Fleetwood | +3000 |
Matthew Fitzpatrick | +3300 |
Patrick Reed | +3300 |
Tony Finau | +3300 |
Gary Woodland | +4000 |
Jason Day | +4000 |
Billy Horschel | +4500 |
Jordan Spieth | +4500 |
Rickie Fowler | +4500 |
Abraham Ancer | +5000 |
Marc Leishman | +5500 |
Sergio Garcia | +5500 |
Joaquin Niemann | +6600 |
Odds as of July 30 at Bovada
To learn more about wagering on the links, check out our How to Bet on Golf page.
Course and Tournament Information
- Course: TPC Southwind
- Location: Memphis, Tennessee
- Dates: July 30-August 2, 2020 (no spectators in attendance)
- Par: 70
- Yardage: 7,238
- Purse: $10.5 million, $1.7 million to the winner
Can Koepka Get Back on Track at the St. Jude?
Brooks Koepka won his third WGC title here last year by three shots over Webb Simpson to give the American his third victory of the season. Koepka became the sixth player to win a major championship and a WGC in the same year in the process.
The seven-time PGA Tour winner is no stranger to collecting hardware, but he’s had a hard time living up to his lofty standards of late. Koepka’s best finish in 2020 was a seventh-place showing at the RBC Heritage, followed by a T-32 at the Charles Schwab Challenge and a T-43 at the Genesis Invitational.
Koepka is coming off a missed cut at the 3M Open and a T-62 at the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago. Even at +2500, he’s a risky wager to defend his St. Jude title given the stiff competition surrounding him.
Young Guns Could Dazzle at TPC Southwind
Daniel Berger is a name to watch out for at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Berger won back-to-back titles at this tournament in 2016 and 2017 and returned to the winner’s circle last month at the Charles Schwab Challenge in the first event of the PGA Tour’s Return to Golf.
Collin Morikawa, who won last year’s Barracuda Championship played opposite the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, will be looking to build off the momentum he gathered in his win at the Workday Charity Open.
Morikawa is playing such solid golf right now that I’ve made a habit of betting him both at his pre-tournament price and to finish in the top 10 nearly every week, and I’m going to do the same thing this time around.
Dustin Johnson is returning to action after withdrawing at the 3M Open. Johnson is a two-time champion at TPC Southwind and a six-time WGC winner, so look for the 36-year-old to pick up where he left off at the venue.
Past Five WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational Winners
Year | Golfer |
---|---|
2019 | Brooks Koepka |
2018 | Dustin Johnson |
2017 | Daniel Berger |
2016 | Daniel Berger |
2015 | Fabian Gomez |
WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational Picks
Webb Simpson +2000
Aside from a pair of missed cuts, Simpson has been lights-out in the tour’s Return to Golf, posting two wins and six top-10s in nine events. You won’t find a more consistent golfer on the planet right now, and he’s certainly worth a look at his +2000 price.
Simpson sits second in birdie average and fourth in scoring on the tour. He’s clearly comfortable at TPC Southwind, finishing solo second here last year, including a final-round 64. I’m all over Simpson to collect his second victory since golf’s return from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Viktor Hovland +2500
Hovland has yet to win in the Return to Golf, but he’s been one of the most consistent players in that span. Hovland is first in the field in ball striking, approach and opportunities gained. He also sits fourth in strokes gained: off-the-tee, third in GIRs gained and 12th in par-4 scoring.
If you’re looking for a down side with the Norwegian, it’s undoubtedly his putting. If he can do just enough to get by on the greens, I think his ball striking will be enough to put him in contention on Sunday. At +2500, he’s offering excellent value.
Here’s a helpful outline of some of the different betting options for the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational to help you decide which wager(s) would be best for you.
Pre-Tournament Bets
This is the most common and simplest type of golf wager. Since the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational starts on Thursday, getting your bets in before action tees off is the best way to find value.
Given the size of the fields in golf, it can be tricky to pick a winner, so don’t get frustrated if the player you choose fails to make the cut. All you have to do is pick one or more golfers, and you’re locked in for the duration of the event.
Considering Rahm is one of the favorites at +1100, a $100 bet on him will win you a profit of $1,100 plus your initial $100 back if he emerges triumphant. If you wanted to make a long-shot bet – say Cameron Champ at +15000 – you’d garner a $15,100 payout.
Obviously Champ’s chances of winning outright are slim, but bettors would be wise to mix in one or two long shots. Golfers come out of nowhere to win all the time, and it could easily happen this week at TPC Southwind.
Live Betting
Live betting is a fascinating way to watch golf. If the player you placed a pre-tournament bet on is out of the running at any point during the event, you can easily get back in the game by wagering on another golfer as the days go by.
If there are only a few golfers in the hunt on the final day, the odds likely won’t be significantly high, but your chances of winning are due to the limited number of players in contention.
Most sportsbooks have live betting options during PGA Tour tournaments.
These pages will help you handicap your golf bets:
- Betting News: All the golf betting news necessary to give you an edge when placing your wagers on the PGA Tour.
- Odds/Futures: A comprehensive list of every golfer and their odds for upcoming tournaments.
- Best Golf Sites: A breakdown of the top sportsbooks on the internet to wager on golf.