2026 St. Jude Championship Odds, Predictions: Scheffler and McIlroy Begin Playoffs

Did somebody say playoffs?! Yes, indeed, we are talking about the postseason because it has officially arrived, and it promises to be spectacular. Serving as the introductory course of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the 2026 St. Jude Championship features the leading 70 players from the regular-season points list, who have booked their tickets to the annual showcase at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.

The only eligible player missing from the lineup is Daniel Berger, as the right-handed golfer chose not to formally enter the event, reducing the starting list to 69 competitors. Naturally, this group features Scottie Scheffler, who begins the playoffs sitting atop the season standings for the fourth time over the past five years, despite not racking up a massive collection of trophies this term.

Having not visited the winner’s circle since his initial tournament of 2026, the global top-ranked player hopes to break his dry spell and silence critics questioning his capacity to seal the deal on Sundays. Scheffler has recorded five second-place finishes this season, a rare feat matched only by Cameron Young and Ernie Els since the turn of the millennium.

The Texas native heads back to Memphis alongside world No. 2 Rory McIlroy. After bypassing this event last year and contemplating another absence, the reigning Masters champion ultimately opted to compete this week, marking his initial appearance in a non-major American tournament since June’s Memorial.

Playing a more condensed schedule in 2026, McIlroy is aiming to build momentum and challenge for an unprecedented fourth FedEx Cup title when the tour moves to East Lake Golf Club in a few weeks. Despite teeing it up in a mere 10 PGA Tour tournaments throughout 2026, he remains safely positioned within the top-30 threshold for the tour championship, occupying the 12th spot in the rankings.

Regarding critical cutoff marks, the primary objective at TPC Southwind is securing a position in the top 50, which guarantees entry into the BMW Championship. Given the impending updates for the 2028 PGA Tour campaign, competitors will breathe a massive sigh of relief by securing their spots for next week as well as gaining access to next season’s signature events—a lucrative perk tied to a BMW Championship invitation.

Prominent golfers currently sitting on the wrong side of that bubble include Max Homa, Sungjae Im, and Jordan Spieth, the latter of whom maintains a viable path to the BMW Championship despite failing to record a single top-10 finish this season. Meanwhile, PGA Tour newcomer Jackson Koivun earned his postseason ticket largely due to his triumph at the 3M Open. To keep his campaign alive, the tour projects he must secure at worst a tie for seventh with one other player.

2026 FedEx Cup Playoffs Bubble Watch

2026 St. Jude Championship Tournament Details

Event Dates: August 13-16
Venue: TPC Southwind — Memphis, Tennessee
Par: 70 | Yardage: 7,288 | Course Designer: Ron Prichard
Total Purse: $20 million

2026 St. Jude Championship Competitors and Betting Odds

Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook

• Scottie Scheffler (9/2)
• Rory McIlroy (10-1): As noted earlier, McIlroy has played a highly restricted schedule so far this season. He now faces three consecutive playoff tournaments, which will be followed by a DP World Tour stretch extending near the end of the year. The reigning Masters victor ended up near the bottom of the pack during his last visit to TPC Southwind in 2024, so sitting out last year was hardly a shock. He enters this week with a pair of top-10s in his past six outings, though occasional inconsistent rounds (often on Saturdays) have forced him to play catch-up.
• Cameron Young (18-1)
• Xander Schauffele (18-1)
• Tommy Fleetwood (20-1): At this juncture last year, Fleetwood endured consecutive near-misses. The English pro fell just short at the Travelers Championship and duplicated that disappointment here, ultimately watching Justin Rose and J.J. Spaun battle in a playoff. However, he redeemed himself shortly after at the Tour Championship. Fleetwood arrives in superb, balanced form, highlighted by impressive performances at both The Open and the Memorial lately. Considering his elite caliber, another trophy feels imminent.
• Sam Burns (21-1): In a similar vein, a breakthrough seems right around the corner for Burns. He matched Scheffler for the best cumulative score relative to par across this year’s majors at 20 under, having held the outright lead going into the final round at Royal Troon. While he couldn’t close it out, he is primed to secure his first title since the 2023 WGC-Dell Match Play. All the signs are pointing in his direction, combining stellar track history in Memphis (two top-fives in his past five visits) with superb recent play (three top-five finishes in his last five starts).
• Matt Fitzpatrick (22-1)
• Ludvig Åberg (24-1): On the whole, the Swedish star has had a relatively quiet summer, particularly when measured against his blistering start to the year. Åberg climbed back onto the leaderboard’s front page at The Open with a T9, marking his first top-10 result since the PGA Championship. His ball-striking showed significant improvement at Royal Birkdale, and he will need that weapon to remain sharp if he hopes to capture his maiden postseason trophy this week.
• Collin Morikawa (27-1)
• Patrick Cantlay (28-1)
• Hideki Matsuyama (30-1): In contrast to many peers who took a break following the season’s final major, Matsuyama has stayed exceptionally active. The 2024 champion of this event enters the playoffs having competed in four consecutive tournaments, a busy stretch justified by his superb play over the past month. He arrives in Memphis carrying five consecutive top-15 finishes, powered by improved driving accuracy and a hotter putter.

2026 St. Jude Championship Predictions

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