St Jude Championship

The Tour Championship, the grand finale of the PGA Tour season, brings together the top 30 players in the FedExCup standings to compete for the coveted FedExCup title. Held at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, this event features a unique format where starting strokes are applied based on each player’s position in the standings.

The leader in the FedExCup begins the tournament at 10-under par, followed by the second-place player at 8-under, and so on, down to the players ranked 26th-30th, who start at even par. This staggered start rewards season-long performance while keeping the competition tight.

To add to the pressure, East Lake has undergone a full renovation over the last 12 months with significant changes to the golf course. Players will need to navigate the challenging layout of East Lake while managing the pressure of the starting strokes, making every shot count in their quest for the season-long crown.

Here are Win Daily Sports Experts’ picks for this week’s tourney:

	David Bieleski @DeepDiveGolf	Sia Nejad @SiaNejad	Spencer Aguiar @TeeOffSports	Joel Schreck @DraftMasterFlex	Steven Polardi @spolardi
Outright Winner	All E/W, w/o startking strokes. Check Golf Bets channel in WinDaily Premium Discord for staking plan and odds Hovland Fleetwood Sungjae Horschel Straka Hoge	Without Starting Strokes Cantlay Fleetwood Horschel	Xander Schauffele	Hideki Matsuyama	Xander Hovland
Top Finishes Markets	All w/o startking strokes, check Golf Bets channel in WinDaily Premium Discord for staking plan and odds Top 10 Horschel Straka Hoge	Top 10 Cantlay Fleetwood Horschel		Top 10 Hovland	Xander Deki Finau
Match-Ups	R1 Match-up Treble Straka over Pavon Im over Theegala Fleetwood over Horschel 1.5u +533 Bet365
First-Round Leader	Scheffler			Hideki Matsuyama	Burns Finau Pendrith
DFS Plays I ❤️	Sungjae Im Horschel Straka		Viktor Hovland Tony Finau	Hideki Matsuyama Adam Scott Wyndham Clark Shane Lowry	Xander Hovland Deki Morikawa
DFS Chalk I'm playing	Scheffler Schauffele Hovland Fleetwood		Xander Schauffele		Scottie Hovland Finau
DFS Chalk I'm fading	McIlroy Thomas Rai		Adam Scott Keegan Bradley		Theegala Scott

The BMW Championship is set to make its much-anticipated return, this time hosted at the prestigious Castle Pines Golf Club in Colorado. This venue, known for its breathtaking views and challenging layout, promises to provide a thrilling backdrop for one of the PGA Tour’s marquee events.

Course Overview

Castle Pines Golf Club is a Jack Nicklaus-designed masterpiece nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The course is renowned for its dramatic elevation changes, undulating fairways, and pristine greens. The altitude will play a significant role, as the thin air at nearly 6,400 feet above sea level will allow the ball to travel further, adding an extra layer of strategy for the players.

The layout at Castle Pines is as picturesque as it is demanding, with a combination of tight fairways lined with Ponderosa pines and expansive vistas that can distract even the most focused golfers. The course features several risk-reward holes, including the par-5 17th, which could prove decisive in the final round.

The Field

The BMW Championship traditionally attracts the top players from around the world, and this year will be no exception. As the second event in the FedExCup Playoffs, the tournament will feature the top 50 players in the standings, all vying for a spot in the season-ending TOUR Championship.

Defending champion Patrick Cantlay will be one to watch, as he has a knack for performing well in high-stakes situations. However, he’ll face stiff competition from the likes of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who has been in scintillating form this season.

Another notable contender is Viktor Hovland, whose recent rise in form makes him a dark horse. With so much on the line, expect to see a tightly contested battle as the world’s best vie for playoff positioning.

Key Storylines

Course Familiarity: Castle Pines hasn’t hosted a PGA Tour event since The International in 2006. As a result, many of the younger players in the field will be seeing the course for the first time in competition.

Altitude Adjustment: The impact of playing at high altitude cannot be overstated. Players will need to adjust their yardages, particularly on approach shots, and will need to manage their energy levels carefully in the thin air. Those who can quickly adapt to these conditions may find themselves with an advantage.

FedExCup Implications: With only the top 30 players advancing to the TOUR Championship, the BMW Championship is crucial for those on the bubble. Expect to see plenty of aggressive play from those looking to secure their spot in the final event of the season.

Here are Win Daily Sports Experts’ picks for this week’s tourney:

	David Bieleski @DeepDiveGolf	Sia Nejad @SiaNejad	Spencer Aguiar @TeeOffSports	Joel Schreck @DraftMasterFlex	Steven Polardi @spolardi
Outright Winner	All E/W, check Golf Bets channel in WinDaily Premium Discord for staking plan and odds Aberg Finau Clark Horschel Scott MacIntyre	Cantlay Scott	Ludvig Aberg Collin Morikawa Eric Cole	Collin Morikawa Viktor Hovland Billy Horschel	Wyndham Clark Tony Finau
Top Finishes Markets	Top 10 Finau Clark Horschel Scott MacIntyre Top 20 Horschel Scott MacIntyre	Top 20 Rai Scott		Top 20 Sungjae Im Aaron Rai Adam Scott	Aaron Rai Billy Horschell Aberg
Match-Ups	Si Woo Kim over Max Homa (+100) Morikawa over McIlroy (-110)
First-Round Leader	All E/W, check Golf Bets channel in WinDaily Premium Discord for staking plan and odds Aberg 28/1 Bezuidenhout 40/1 Straka 50/1	Patrick Cantlay +2500 Adam Scott +3500 Taylor Pendrith +5000		Sungjae Im Aaron Rai Billy Horschel	Horschel Macintyre
DFS Plays I ❤️	Aberg Horschel Scott MacIntyre	Adam Scott	Ludvig Aberg Collin Morikawa Sungjae Im	Eric Cole Brian Harman Ludvig Aberg	Finau Clark Aberg Horschel
DFS Chalk I'm playing	Schefler Schauffele Cantlay Finau Clark Dunlap		Morikawa Cantlay	Scheffler Schauffele Morikawa Cole	Finau Clark Scheffler Xander
DFS Chalk I'm fading	McIlroy Rai Pendrith Zalatoris	Viktor Hovland	Nick Dunlap	Akshay Bhatia Nick Dunlap	Burns

The FedEx St. Jude Championship marks the beginning of the FedExCup Playoffs, bringing together the top 70 players from the PGA Tour’s season-long points race. Set at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, this event promises intense competition on a course known for its strategic demands and challenging water hazards. Players like Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Rory McIlroy will be looking to solidify their standing as they chase the ultimate prize of the FedExCup, with crucial points on the line in this no-cut event. As the first playoff event, the St. Jude Championship sets the tone, with every stroke potentially making or breaking a player’s season. The top 50 after this week’s tournament qualify for the BMW Championship, as well as guaranteeing entry to all the big money Signature Events in 2025.

This year’s field is stacked with elite talent, all vying for a chance to advance to the BMW Championship and ultimately to the TOUR Championship in Atlanta. TPC Southwind’s tight fairways and small greens demand precision, making it a course where both ball-striking and short game skills are critical. The course has historically favored accurate players, but with so much on the line, expect the competition to be fierce from the first tee. Fans will be eagerly watching to see if a top contender can continue their dominant season or if an underdog can rise to the occasion and make a deep playoff run.

Here are Win Daily Sports Experts’ picks for this week’s tourney:

	David Bieleski @DeepDiveGolf	Sia Nejad @SiaNejad	Spencer Aguiar @TeeOffSports	Steven Polardi @spolardi	StixPicks @stixpicks
Outright Winner	All E/W, check Golf Bets channel in WinDaily Premium Discord for staking plan and odds Morikawa Matsuyama Conners Sungjae Im Lowry Eckroat		Ludvig Aberg Hideki Viktor Hovland Wyndham Clark Sahith Theegala	McNealy Henley Aberg	Collin Morikawa Cam Young
Top Finishes Markets	Top 20 Conners Sungjae Im Lowry Eckroat Top 30 Eckroat	Top 20 Conners Rai		Top 20 Morikawa Griffen Pendrith	Top 20 Cam Young
Match-Ups		Conners over Hovland (-125)	Conners -110 over Finau Griffin -115 over Rose
First-Round Leader	All E/W, check Golf Bets channel in WinDaily Premium Discord for staking plan and odds Matsuyama 33/1 Tom Kim 40/1 Hughes 80/1	Morikawa Fleetwood Tom Kim Pendrith	Clark Hovland Hideki Hughes	Pendrith EVR Grillo
DFS Plays I ❤️	Tom Kim Sungjae Im Lowry Bezuidenhout Noren Eckroat Hughes Power		Ludvig Aberg	McNealy Morikawa Aberg Griffin	Morikawa Young Finau
DFS Chalk I'm playing	Scheffler Morikawa Matsuyama Conners	Scheffler	Hideki Matsuyama Corey Conners	Scheffler Morikawa Aberg
DFS Chalk I'm fading	Henley Clark Cole	Morikawa	Tony Finau	Lowry