Golf
WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational preview: Scheffler and McIlroy fancied to go well in Memphis
The PGA Tour takes centre stage again this week and what a way to with the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in Memphis.
Gold medallist Xander Schauffele is in the field, as are the majority of the world’s best – 48 out of the top 50 to be exact, so we’re in store for a cracking four days.
Here’s our look ahead to the action.
McIlroy could roar back to form
Plenty of the market leaders have to deal with the rigours of travelling back from Japan, however that isn’t the case with Brooks Koepka and he looks a more than worthy favourite at 12/1. The American is in superb form, finishing inside the top six in four of his last five events, three of which have been Majors. He also has a great record at this week’s course, TPC Southwind, having won here last year and finishing runner-up the year before that. He looks sure to go well and is the one to beat, but Rory McIlroy looks a player at a bigger 20/1.
Make no mistake, Rory’s game still isn’t where he wants it to be, but there have been definite signs that his recent coach change to Phil Kenyon might slowly be working. He finished seventh at the U.S. Open and was fourth last week in Tokyo, while he has, of course, won the Wells Fargo Championship. It wasn’t that long ago when the 32-year-old looked all at sea with his game, so to see a sequence of positive results must give him plenty of confidence. Four rounds in the 60s in Tokyo brings him nicely into this and providing he’s over the long journey, he has the tools to go well here, especially as it’s a course he has form at.
He was seventh in 2012 and then finished fourth to Koepka in 2019, where he shot a 62 on Saturday to storm into contention. He was only 47th last year, but he did shoot a 66 and 67 in rounds two and four, so it wasn’t a result that was quite as bad as it appeared.
Scheffler might be about to break through
The in-form Louis Oosthuizen has to be respected at 22/1, while Jason Kokrak (45/1) is another who has been playing really well, but it’s Scottie Scheffler who gets the final vote at 28/1. The 25-year-old is a still a maiden on the PGA Tour, but he seems to be getting closer and closer to that elusive win, particularly in the bigger events.
Since 2020, Scheffler has played in four WGC events and his worst finish is a tie for 26th. He finished fifth at Concession this year and was the runner-up in the Match-Play, while he was eighth at the PGA, seventh at the U.S. Open and eighth at The Open, so these big events hold no fears.
Those three Major performances as well as a solo third at the Memorial Tournament mean he’s finished inside the top eight in four of his last tournaments played, meaning he heads to TPC Southwind in great form. He was a real eye-catcher when finishing 15th here last year, where he shot all four rounds in the 60s, and he looks a live contender.
