WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational Odds Preview

A week after roughing it in Britain, golf’s best are right back at it in the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational this week.

The Invitational gets a venue change this year after being played at Firestone in Akron, Ohio every year but one since 1999. This year it moves to TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. Southwind will be familiar to most of this week’s field as it had hosted the old St. Jude Classic from 1989 to 2018.

The co-favorites at Bovada Sportsbook this week are Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy, both at +900.

Johnson won the Invitational at Firestone in 2016 and he’s also had success at Southwind recently. Last year Johnson won the St. Jude Classic at Southwind for the second time. He also won the tournament in 2012.

McIlroy is coming off a British Open to forget after he missed the cut in his home country. McIlroy won the Invitational at Firestone in 2014. In WGC play this season, he finished second in the Mexico Championship behind Johnson back in February.

Defending champ Thomas +1400 to repeat

Following Johnson and McIlroy on the odds list at Bovada are Brooks Koepka (+1000), Jon Rahm (+1200) and Justin Thomas (+1400).

Koepka tied for fourth in the Open last week in what was astoundingly his worst showing in a major this season. Despite his major success, he’s still looking for his first WGC win. In 2016, Koepka did finish second at Southwind in the St. Jude Classic, three strokes behind winner Daniel Berger.

Prior to tying for 11th last week in the Open, Rahm had finished in the top three in three straight tournaments, including a win in Dubai.

Thomas is the defending champion of this tournament after winning at Firestone last year.

Tiger Woods passing on St. Jude Invitational

Other former winners of this event when it was held at Firestone who will be in this week’s field include 2017 winner Hideki Matsuyama (+3300), 2012 winner Keegan Bradley (+9000) and 2011 winner Adam Scott (+2800).

One former winner of the Invitational who won’t be in this week’s field is Tiger Woods. Woods took a pass on this week’s tournament despite the fact he’s won it eight times. Also not in the field is Open champion Shane Lowry, who also won the Invitational in 2015.