Golf
FedEx St. Jude Championship preview: Take a chance on Åberg
The FedExCup Playoffs are finally upon us with the top 70 locked in and ready to go at TPC Southwind.
We’ve had a turbulent few weeks on the PGA Tour, with Major titles, gold medals and FedExCup points all being dished out. Now we have this year’s top 70 players all battling it out in Tennessee.
Unlike in previous weeks, this field is pure class and it may be hard to look past the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and the man with 50% of this year’s Majors, Xander Schauffele.
However, we have selected two of the world’s elite players at more enticing prices whom we think could perform this week.
Ludvig Åberg 16/1
It is easy to forget that this time last year Ludvig Åberg wasn’t even in the FedExCup Playoffs and was merely seen as a newcomer with potential.
Fast forward 12 months and he is a Ryder Cup champion, a PGA Tour winner and an eleven-time top 10 finisher. He ranks sixth in this year’s FedExCup standings and currently sits fourth in the Official World Golf Rankings.
He heads to TPC Southwind for the first time this week and certainly goes there with a chance of a debut victory, with his 16/1 odds placing him fourth in the market. He would still provide a decent return if finishing in the 7 places available with William Hill, something which he’s managed on four occasions this season.
The Swede’s elite ball-striking ability is quantified by his ranking of ninth on the tour for strokes gained approaching the green. That will certainly come in handy here as fairway and green hitting is at a premium, with irons likely to be the most important clubs in the bag. The 150-175 yard mark will be a frequent position this week and Åberg will be more than comfortable with that, ranking eighth in the world for strokes gained within that range.
Since missing the cut at the PGA Championship he has managed a T5 and a T4 finish, as well as a T18 in Paris earlier this month. His form is nothing exceptional but is also no cause for concern and, if he is at his best here, few will be a match for him.
Hideki Matsuyama 25/1
On the other side of the coin, Hideki Matsuyama knows the FedExCup Playoffs – although it is ever-changing – like the back of his hand, having featured in it on nine occasions.
Despite never having won the first stage of the Playoffs he has enjoyed some solid performances, including a T16 here last year. He has played TPC Southwind itself on four occasions, with a second-place finish his best effort back in 2021.
He has enjoyed a very good year on the PGA Tour so far, setting himself up nicely for a big showing here. Despite a slow start, he nailed down a ninth career victory at the Genesis Invitational back in February and hasn’t looked back since, recording six T12 or better finishes.
His last outing came in Paris where he picked up the bronze medal, and with 7 places available with William Hill here, he’ll be confident of placing himself in that section of the leaderboard for a sixth time in 2024.
The 25/1 about Matsuyama appears somewhat generous for a man who is so used to these competitive environments and has shown that he is playing as well as ever this year. Matsuyama’s A-game is better than most and if he can bring it here, he could make his fifth TPC Southwind appearance one to remember.
