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Aug. 10 (UPI) — The St. Jude Championship, the first tournament of the FedEx Cup playoffs, kicks off in Memphis with the top 70 players in the standings. This highly anticipated golf event features favorites like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Jon Rahm.
The tournament will take place at TPC Southwind and will run for four days until Sunday. Golf enthusiasts can catch the coverage on Golf Channel and CBS.
“I’m incredibly proud of my performance so far,” said Rahm in a press conference on Tuesday. “I’m excited to continue my success in the playoffs.”
This year, the major change in the tournament format is the inclusion of only 70 golfers, compared to the previous 125. The reduced field size will lead to more prize money for the top finishers and raise the level of competition in the playoffs. Notably, LIV Golf participants are not included in the tournament.
The winner of the St. Jude Championship will receive a prize of $3.6 million and 2,000 points in the FedEx Cup standings. The top 50 players from the field will then advance to the BMW Championship in Olympia Fields, Ill. from August 17 to 20.
The subsequent stage is the Tour Championship, set to take place from August 24 to 27 in East Lake, Mich. The player leading the FedEx Cup standings will start the tournament at 10-under par, while the other 29 players will start with progressively fewer starting strokes.
The champion of the Tour Championship will earn a staggering $18 million prize.
Scottie Scheffler, currently ranked as the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking, is the top favorite to win the 2023 Tour Championship. Despite entering the 2022 Tour Championship as the standings leader with a 6-stroke lead after 54 holes, Scheffler stumbled in the final round, allowing McIlroy to secure the victory.
Scheffler is currently in second place in the 2023 FedEx Cup standings, behind Rahm who is ranked third. Other notable contenders for the Tour Championship include Patrick Cantlay (No. 4), Xander Schauffele (No. 6), Victor Hovland (No. 5), Tyrell Hatton (No. 14), Tommy Fleetwood (No. 22), Jordan Spieth (No. 12), and Collin Morikawa (No. 23).
Rahm, Scheffler, and McIlroy will kick off the first round together at 10:26 a.m. EDT on Thursday, starting from hole No. 1 at TPC Southwind.
The first group to tee off at 8:50 a.m. on Thursday from No. 1 will consist of Thomas Detry (No. 77), Taylor Montgomery (No. 72), and Davis Riley (No. 87).
Notable golfers not participating in the St. Jude Championship include Justin Thomas (No. 25), who missed the cut for the FedEx Cup playoffs, Adam Scott (No. 39), and Tiger Woods (No. 1,154).
Throughout the tournament, Memphis is expected to experience temperatures in the 80s and 90s, with rain in the forecast. TPC Southwind, a 7,243-yard course, presents challenges with its numerous water obstacles on 10 holes. Golfers will also face tight, tree-lined fairways and nearly 100 bunkers as they compete against top-level opponents.
St. Jude Championship
All times are in EDT
Thursday
First round coverage from 2 to 6 p.m. on Golf Channel
Friday
Second round coverage from 2 to 6 p.m. on Golf Channel
Saturday
Third round coverage from 1 to 3 p.m. on Golf Channel, 3 to 6 p.m. on CBS
Sunday
Final round coverage from noon to 2 p.m. on Golf Channel, 2 to 6 p.m. on CBS
