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2D AGO

Time for Tommy Fleetwood to get his long-awaited PGA TOUR trophy at FedEx St. Jude Championship

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Draws and Fades

Tommy Fleetwood goes flag-hunting to set up birdie at FedEx St. Jude

Tommy Fleetwood goes flag-hunting to set up birdie at FedEx St. Jude

    Written by Joe Idone

    Tommy Fleetwood weathered the storms, both the overnight delay that reshuffled Saturday’s tee times and a cloudy third hole that led to an early double bogey, to maintain a one-stroke lead at 14-under heading into Sunday’s final round at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

    Still searching for his elusive first PGA TOUR victory, Fleetwood faces a tough test in Memphis, battling the heat and the relentless charge of the world’s top-ranked player in his rearview mirror in Scottie Scheffler. It won’t be easy, but if he can ultimately lift the trophy, it will be both well-earned and long overdue.

    Scheffler tied for the low round of the day, carding six birdies en route to a 5-under 65, highlighted by a blistering +3.25 Strokes Gained: Putting performance on Saturday. Also lurking just behind Fleetwood is 11-time TOUR winner Justin Rose, who will tee off in the final pairing Sunday at TPC Southwind alongside Fleetwood after a birdie on the final hole.

    Updated Odds to Win the FedEx St. Jude Championship (via FanDuel Sportsbook)

    • +160: Tommy Fleetwood
    • +175: Scottie Scheffler
    • +450: Justin Rose
    • +1200: J.J. Spaun
    • +1800: Andrew Novak
    • +5500: Ben Griffin

    It would be fitting for Fleetwood and Cameron Young to finally win in back-to-back weeks on the PGA TOUR, two often-backed betting options who have been battling to get across the finish line for some time.

    With nine players within five strokes of the lead, the final round promises plenty of excitement and compelling options on the live betting board. Here are some plays I’m keeping an eye on as the first leg of the postseason wraps up:

    Favorites: Tommy Fleetwood (+160)

    It’s his time. Despite a costly mistake on the third hole and a sloppy bogey on the 18th, Fleetwood still managed to shoot under par on Saturday and maintain his lead.

    Fleetwood embodies all the qualities you expect from a winner at TPC Southwind, most notably his exceptional accuracy off the tee. He’s found the fairway on 88% of holes this week, good enough for best in the field. He also leads in Greens in Regulation, another critical factor that builds confidence on such a demanding course from tee to green.

    Can he close it out? There’s only one way to find out, but I believe his past setbacks are already factored into his live betting price of +160, which feels favorable given his strong performance so far. On Sunday he’ll face a defining moment that demands aggressive, bold play. If he passes the test, “Mr. 1,001” will be Fleetwood.

    Mid-Range: J.J. Spaun (+1200)

    The reigning U.S. Open champion has been putting on a clinic from tee to green in Memphis. Spaun was one of four players to post a 5-under 65, tying for the round of the day on Saturday. He accomplished this by capitalizing on surgical iron play, posting an impressive +3.81 Strokes Gained: Approach, more than a full stroke better than the next best player.

    Currently, Spaun is the only player among the top six on the leaderboard who is losing strokes putting for the week. That said, I’m optimistic this will swing positive on Sunday. Since switching to the L.A.B. Golf DF3 putter before Oakmont, Spaun has gained strokes on the greens with the new zero-torque mallet in three of his last four tournaments.

    He’ll tee off Sunday four strokes behind the leader and well within striking distance if he can maintain a high GIR rate. The expectation is that some regression to the mean in his putting will propel him to turn his exceptional ball-striking into a flurry of birdies on Sunday.

    Live Top 5: Collin Morikawa (+800)

    It’s been a challenging summer for Morikawa, who has struggled to produce his usual results amid a series of caddie changes that seem to have left him searching for answers. This week, Mark Urbanek stepped in to carry his bag, and after closely watching their interactions over three days, this partnership has real potential.

    Urbanek has offered quick, clear advice that’s helped Morikawa strike familiar shot shapes and attack pins with confidence. That’s a welcome change after Morikawa lost strokes on Approach in three of his last four starts. In fact, he led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach on Friday and has posted positive gains in all three rounds so far.

    Morikawa was 3 over across his final seven holes on Saturday, likely dismissing him from a real opportunity to win. I like the prospects of a bounce-back on Sunday to finish in the top 5, specifically hoping his putting heats up tomorrow to kickstart a solid round. I’m optimistic that, given his strong Strokes Gained: Putting record over the last three years at this event, Morikawa could be poised for a serious charge up the leaderboard on Sunday.

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