Golf

Who Needs Tiger? The Top 8 Players in the World Are at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational

Luke Norris Sports Editor

Published28 Jul 2020

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There’s just a little over a week before the first major championship on the 2020 golf calendar but before the world’s best players head to the PGA Championship at Harding Park, many of them will first make a pit stop in Memphis for the FedEx St. Jude Invitational, the latest World Golf Championships event.

The top eight players in the world will be at TPC Southwind this week as part of a star-studded field that will compete for a total of $10.5 million. 550 FedEx Cup points will be awarded to the winner as the PGA Tour inches ever closer to the playoffs with just this tournament and two others to go.

No, Tiger Woods is not playing this week

Disappointed to miss @WGCFedEx, but doing what I think is best to prepare me for the @PGAChampionship and upcoming FedExCup Playoffs.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) July 24, 2020

If you haven’t heard by now, the answer is no. Tiger Woods will not be playing at TPC Southwind this week as he’s chosen to make his next start at next week’s PGA Championship in San Francisco. Following an up-and-down performance at the Memorial two weeks ago, where he finished tied for 40th, many thought that the 15-time major champion would want to get more competitive reps in before the PGA but Tiger seems to be wanting to get his body ready for the season’s first major and the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

The top eight players in the world are at TPC Southwind for the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational

World Golf Championships often bring some of the best fields of the year and the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational is no different. Despite the absence of Tiger Woods, the player most casual golf fans tune in to see, there is plenty of star power at TPC Southwind this week as the top eight players in the Official World Golf Ranking will tee it up.

Jon Rahm will play his first tournament as the top-ranked player in the world and enters as the favorite. He finished seventh at this tournament in 2019. Just behind Rahm in the betting odds is world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, who also played well here last year, finishing tied for fourth.

World No. 3 Justin Thomas comes to TPC Southwind having played some fantastic golf since the restart of the season, carding three top-10 finishes in five starts. It’s hard to know which Webb Simpson will show up this week. In four starts since the season resumed, the world’s fourth-ranked player has two missed cuts, a tie for eighth, and a victory.

No. 5 Dustin Johnson is dealing with back issues but says he’s ready to go and No. 6 Brooks Koepka is still dealing with a knee injury that’s clearly hindered him lately. No. 7 Bryson DeChambeau, for better or worse, is always entertaining to watch, as is No. 8 Patrick Reed.