About this Video

• Video Title: FedEx St. Jude Championship Mega Preview | Picks, Storylines, Best Bets
• Channel: The Second Cut Golf Podcast
• Speakers: Rick Gaiman, Mark Ilman, Greg Ducharme
• Duration: 01:15:06

Introduction

This podcast episode is a comprehensive preview of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The hosts discuss storylines, betting strategies, and offer their picks for the tournament. They also debate the FedEx Cup playoff format and its impact on player participation.

Key Takeaways

• Playoff Dynamics: The FedEx Cup Playoffs create a unique dynamic, with some players aiming for top-50 finishes to secure future events, while others focus on winning or improving their FedEx Cup ranking.
• Ryder Cup Implications: The St. Jude Championship has significant Ryder Cup implications, with multiple players vying for limited spots on the US and European teams. This adds another layer of intrigue to the tournament.
• Course Renovations: TPC Southwind underwent green renovations, impacting the course's firmness and potentially its playability. The hosts analyze how this might affect player strategies and scores.
• FedEx Cup Format Debate: The hostsdiscuss

The podcast hosts offered various picks, categorized as matchups, finishing positions, and outright winners. Here's a summary:

Greg Ducharme:

• Matchup: Daniel Berger over Keegan Bradley.
• Finishing Position: Chris Kirk - Top 20.
• Outright Winner: Scotty Scheffler

Mark Ilman:

• Matchup: Matt Fitzpatrick over Collin Morikawa.
• Group Wager: Harris English (Group D on DraftKings).
• Finishing Position: Ricky Fowler - Top 20.
• Outright Winners: Harris English and Xander Schauffele.

Rick Gaiman:

• Finishing Position: Chris Kirk - Top 30 (implied by his comment about needing a good week to advance).
• Outright Winners: Scotty Scheffler and Russell Henley.

Note: The hosts also discussed other players favorably as potential DFS picks (Daily Fantasy Sports) but these weren't presented as formal "picks" in the same way the above were.

The hosts do not discuss Fleetwood in this transcript. They extensively discuss Scotty Scheffler, primarily focusing on his:

• Dominant Performance: His exceptional performance and potential to become the all-time PGA Tour money leader.
• Ryder Cup Implications: His position as a near-lock for the Ryder Cup team.
• Betting Odds: He's frequently mentioned as a strong betting favorite.
• Course History: His improvement at TPC Southwind, including a top-10 finish in the previous year's tournament.
• Iron Play: His prowess with irons is highlighted as particularly relevant to TPC Southwind.

The overall sentiment is overwhelmingly positive towards Scheffler's chances of success at the St. Jude Championship.

While they don't explicitly state "Scotty Scheffler will win," the hosts strongly imply they believe he's a likely winner. Their comments highlight his exceptional form, course history improvement, and suitability for the course conditions. Both Rick Gaiman and Greg Ducharme included Scheffler as one of their outright winner picks. This indicates a high degree of confidence in his chances of victory.