FedEx St. Jude Championship 2023: First-Round Leader (FRL) Bets

The FedEx Cup Playoffs will kick off Thursday, Aug. 10, with the FedEx St. Jude Championship from TPC Southwind.

The top 70 players in the season-long FedEx Cup standings qualified, so virtually all of the best players are in the field.

TPC Southwind is a par-70 that plays just over 7,200 yards and has firm and fast Bermuda greens, which will test the players. With only two par-5s, there aren’t a ton of easy scoring holes, so it’s about making the most of opportunities.

The winning score is typically between 10 and 15-under, so players likely won’t be going super low like in the last few weeks.

So, who could post the best score in Thursday’s first round? Below are my first-round leader bets for the week.

FedEx St. Jude Championship 2023: First-Round Leader (FRL) Bets

Jon Rahm +1600 First-Round Leader

I like Rahm to win the tournament this week, so why not take a shot at him to be the first-round leader. He’s +900 to win outright, so the +1600 to lead after Round 1 gives good value.

Rahm is second on the PGA Tour this season in first-round scoring average (68.7).

Cameron Young +4000 First-Round Leader

I like Young for a few reasons this week. No. 1 he’s playing well of late, and No. 2, he’s looking to make a case he should be on the United States Ryder Cup team.

Young is exceptional off the tee, and if he hits his irons well and is able to make a few putts, don’t be surprised to see him go low in at least one round.

Sam Burns +4000 First-Round Leader

Burns is similar to Young in that he is also looking to secure his spot on the United States Ryder Cup team. He enters the week with top-20 finishes in two of his previous two starts.

The 27-year-old thrives on Bermuda greens, so do not be surprised to see Burns high on the leaderboard.