FedEx St. Jude Championship: Golf One and Done Picks Strategy (2025)

The FedEx St. Jude Championship starts off the One and Done playoff closing stretch, and making the right pick will be huge.

by Jason Lisk - Aug 5, 2025

Viktor Hovland came close to winning the St. Jude last year. Can he do it in 2025? (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire)

The FedEx playoffs are here for One and Done pools, starting with the FedEx St. Jude Championship this week. We are in the final stretch, with two or three tournaments left, depending on your pool. Most of the top golfers are in the field, except one top option (noted below).

The Top 70 golfers in PGA Tour points this season qualified for the event. After this week, only the Top 50 in points will advance, so golfers near the cutline have plenty to play for.

Let’s break down our FedEx St. Jude Championship One and Done picks, strategy, and analysis below.

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FedEx St. Jude Championship: Overview for One and Done Pools

This week’s tournament features a $20 million purse, with $3.6 million awarded to the winner. That’s the same overall purse size and first-place payout as next week’s event, while the minimum payout this week is $40,000.

If you’re playing in a single-pick pool, hopefully you still have some decent options left. You’ll want to use one this week and then choose from the rest next week.

For a full pick recommendation based on your pool size, remaining golfers, and past selections, take a look at our Golf One and Done Picks Tool.

Field Notes for the 2025 FedEx St. Jude Championship

This analysis complements the weekly data available in the Picks product and highlights key angles for choosing your FedEx St. Jude Championship One and Done Picks:

• The field is at 69 players, as the top 70 in FedEx Points qualified. There is no cut, so everyone will play all four rounds.

• Rory McIlroy is sitting out. As of Monday, McIlroy is the only golfer who qualified but is choosing not to play this week. He is currently second in FedEx points, behind only Scottie Scheffler, and could remain there depending on who wins this week. Fourteen golfers have a chance to leap him with a win.

• Scottie Scheffler is the heavy favorite. With McIlroy sitting out, Scheffler steps in as even more of a favorite with a bunch of other contenders behind him.

• Recent form spotlights: Players showing strong recent strokes gained metrics or high finishes in recent events include:

  • Scottie Scheffler: He won The Open nearly three weeks ago, which was his last appearance.

  • Matt Fitzpatrick: Has claimed three straight top 10 finishes over the last month.

  • Chris Gotterup: He was the Scottish Open winner and had two other top 10 finishes in the last month.

  • Xander Schauffele: Claimed top 8 finishes at both The Open and Scottish Open.

  • Cameron Young: Won convincingly at last week’s Wyndham Championship.

• Course specialists. These players have played well in multiple recent appearances at TPC Southwind in Memphis:

  • Sam Burns: +2.4 in the last four years, six straight rounds with positive Strokes Gained, and 12 of the last 16.

  • Hideki Matsuyama: +2.4 in last three appearances, average score of 66.5 from 2021-2024, won last year.

  • Collin Morikawa: +1.9 Strokes Gained over last four appearances, positive SG in 13 of last 16 rounds.

• Notable Names on the Cut to Advance. Not only do the Top 50 advance, but they also earn exemptions into all Signature Events next season. Last year, Viktor Hovland secured a spot with a 2nd-place finish despite a tough year. This time around, here are some players who may need a strong finish to keep their season alive:

• • Xander Schauffele: He’s probably okay at No. 42, but needs to avoid poor performance.
  • Jordan Spieth: Checks in at No. 48, just above the cutline right now.
  • Wyndham Clark: Currently at No. 49, just above the cutline.
  • Min Woo Lee: Ranked No. 50 at the moment, the young Australian will try to qualify for the Top 50 and Signature Event exemption for the first time.
  • Aaron Rai: He’s ranked No. 55 and needs a solid above-average finish to move up.
  • Tony Finau: Currently in danger at No. 60. Needs at minimum a Top 20 finish to have a chance at Top 50.
  • Rickie Fowler: Sitting at No. 64, he needs better than a Top 20 to have a chance to advance.

FedEx St. Jude Championship: Golf One and Done Picks Strategy