TPC Southwind is slowly drying up as severe thunderstorms blow through the Memphis area on Tuesday. While the players were able to take advantage of the soft conditions in the first round, Friday was a different story as the often firm and quick pitch conditions began to deteriorate.
While the conditions of play may have changed, the man performing the task remains the same. Overnight leader JJ Spaun will lead again, as the Texas Open winner will advance into the weekend at 11 under and lead Sepp Straka and Troy Merritt by one stroke. Spaun spared his scorching 8 under 62 to start the St. Jude with 3 under 67 on Friday afternoon to maintain his advantage on the field.
Straka was the one who climbed to the top in the morning hours of the second round, as he went on to open 6 under 64 with a second round result of 66. Winner at the Honda Classic earlier this season , the old Georgia Bulldog has since struggled to find such quality and made it to the FedEx Cup Playoffs, he has missed opportunities in the last six tournaments.
Behind the three men with double digits below par are some of the hottest players in the world. Tony Finau comes in at bottom eight and looks set to become the first man since Dustin Johnson in 2017 to win three straight starts. Also sitting at bottom 8 is Champion Golfer of the Year Cameron Smith, who will seek revenge for his 72nd hole disappointment at TPC Southwind from a year ago.
Leader
1. JJ Spaun (-11)
Some might believe that the real lead of this tournament lies with the under-8s, but Spaun should have some staying power on this leaderboard. Collecting his first career win at TPC San Antonio in the spring, the Los Angeles-born player showed serious determination during and during his tenure on the PGA Tour.
He has also been circling TPC Southwind with relative ease up to this point. Carding 13 birdies with just two bogeys, he was able to limit damage and understand when he missed a fairway where par was a good point. Ranked fifth in strokes taken from tee to green and fourth in strokes taken on put, it’s no wonder he finds himself at the top of the standings and is vying for his second trophy of the season. .
Other candidates
T2. Sepp Straka, Troy Merritt (-10)
4. Denny McCarthy (-9)
T5. Brian Harman, Tony Finau, Cameron Smith, Ryan Palmer (-8)
Technically, Finau is the defending champion, as he broke a five-year hiatus from the winner’s circle with a win at The Northern Trust, but let’s change gears. Another player that has made headlines recently is Smith, who is rumored – to put it mildly – to attend the LIV Golf Series upon completion of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
The Australian excelled in 2022 against Jon Rahm at the Champions League, winning the biggest amount of the season at the Players Championship and capturing the Claret Jug at St. Andrews. Smith will enter the weekend as a betting fanatic as he catapulted himself to the first page of the leaderboards courtesy of an eagle on par-5 16. Just $10 million in over regular season, he has now positioned himself to potentially triple that total with a strong post-season run.
Scheffler, McIlroy highlight those who sent packages early
Starting the new week with more than 1,000 points in the FedEx Cup, Scottie Scheffler is in danger of having to give up the top position. Having been in the lead for more than 20 weeks, the world No. 1 could see another number next to his name at the BMW Championship after missing a chance at TPC Southwind.
Last season, Collin Morikawa entered the post-season as the leader, only to have him drop to 28th by the time the Tour championship was at its peak. In the worst case, Scheffler will only drop to 2nd place, and he can avoid such a move because his mistake is not unique.
Having just been off golf for two weeks, Rory McIlroy has shown significant fatigue around TPC Southwind. Enrolling in rounds 70-69, the man who finished sixth week in the FedEx Cup standings ended up missing a single shot and will have his job cut next week if he joins. Tour Championship within the reach of the leader.
The good news for McIlroy is the world No. 1 and regular-season FedEx Cup leader Scheffler can’t afford to extend his lead. With his potential as a new leader to the top of the charts, the world number 3 can take solace in his history at East Lake, where he has lifted the FedEx Cup twice before.
In total, six players in the top 20 of the FedEx Cup standings will not be participating in the weekend, namely Hideki Matsuyama (No. 11), Jordan Spieth (No. 15), Tom Hoge (No. 17) and Billy Horschel (No. 18) will arrive in Wilmington earlier than expected.
Biggest FedEx Cup Runners From Friday
|
Lucas Glover |
121 |
60 |
Right |
|
Ryan Palmer |
110 |
57 |
Right |
|
Troy Merritt |
sixty four |
17 |
Right |
|
Tyler Duncan |
118 |
75 |
No |
|
Sepp Straka |
35 |
ten |
Right |
|
James Hahn |
108 |
83 |
No |
|
Adam Scott |
77 |
53 |
Right |
|
Brian Harman |
55 |
32 |
Right |
|
JJ Spaun |
25 |
2 |
Right |
|
Lee Hodges |
99 |
77 |
No |
2022 St. Jude Championship updated odds and selections
- Cameron Smith: 4/23
- Tony Finau: 13/2
- JJ Spaun: 17/2
- Troy Merritt: 10-1
- Denny McCarthy: 14-1
- Justin Thomas: 14-1
- Matt Fitzpatrick: 14-1
- Sepp Straka: 16-1
- Will Zalatoris: 18-1
- Sam Burns: 20-1
- Brian Harman: 20-1
With 26 players within five strokes of the lead, it’s still a ball game for anyone with 36 holes played. Last year, we saw with Bryson DeChambeau and Harris English that TPC Southwind can be a difficult golf course to close, as water hazards tend to be slightly larger as pressure builds. Factor in the FedEx Cup Qualifiers and this is going to be a little more elevated. Because of this, it might be prudent to search among those names that are 5 below – or maybe even 4 below.
Jon Rahm is the obvious name, as he’s one of those 4 under 4s and is listed at 40-1. Ranked seventh in terms of strokes won from tee to green, the Spaniard couldn’t get things rolling on the green and already has a trio of putts to his name. The pitch has been an issue throughout the season, but it could be worth the investment. If not Rahm, Rickie Fowler is still a curious name with the score 300-1. He’s a long shot for a reason, but his teeing numbers are astounding and his approach stats are negatively skewed by two irons that find water on Friday. Everything else looks good in his game, and he has shown a fondness for TPC Southwind in the past.
