The PGA Tour playoffs are nearly upon the golfing world as the FedEx Cup top 70 arrive at TPC Southwind ahead of the St Jude Championship.
Scottie Scheffler, of course, is the man to catch as the world number eyes his first FedEx Cup triumph. However, this week’s St Jude Championship is vitally important, with the top 50 advancing through to the BMW and, in turn, earning their place at 2025’s eight Signature Events.
Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, and Min Woo Lee are among those currently on the wrong side of the dotted line. Players moving in the right direction include Billy Horschel and Aaron Rai. Horschel could even be an outside threat to Scheffler’s FedEx Cup ambitions.
Patrick Cantlay is also in close pursuit of the world number one in the FedEx Cup standings and looking to make up ground at TPC Southwind. And the 32-year-old has now shared his thoughts on this week’s venue.
Patrick Cantlay names ‘key’ holes at TPC Southwind
Speaking during his pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday, Cantlay claimed that driving the ball well will be vital this week.
“The golf course is good; it demands really good driving of the golf ball this week. You have to play from the fairway this week,” said the world number eight.
Cantlay went on to highlight two, nine and 15 as dangerous holes during the first playoff event.
The American added: “The rough, with it being Bermuda, it’s really hard to control your golf ball out of the rough, and there’s quite a lot of hazards around this golf course, and there are quite a few key shots, like two and nine and the par four on the back, 15, where you have to play out of the fairway or you’re really at a disadvantage. I feel like I have a good game plan for this golf course, and it should be a good week.”
TPC Southwind is typically a low-scoring affair
The 2024 edition is the third consecutive year the St Jude Championship has been held at TPC Southwind, and it’s typically a low-scoring affair in Memphis.
Cantlay suffered playoff heartache last year, allowing Lucas Glover to snatch the first playoff event after finishing 15 under. The year prior, Will Zalatoris also won courtesy of a playoff after finishing on the same number.
Clearly, there’s scope to score this week, and considering the calibre of the players present, another score between 15 and 20 under feels very much on the cards.
And given Cantlay’s recent history in Memphis, he could stand a good chance of boosting his already lofty FedEx Cup ranking.
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