What to Watch For at the FedEx St. Jude Championship

Currently sitting at 57th in the FedEx Cup standings, Hideki Matsuyama is my player to watch this week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. By all rights he shouldn’t be at risk of missing the second leg of the playoffs, which has a 50-player cutoff, yet here we are.

Hideki has quietly pieced together a solid season. He finished T-16 at the Masters, T-29 at the PGA Championship, T-32 at the U.S. Open, and T-13 at the Open Championship. He also finished solo fifth at the Players Championship.

I often point out the absurdity and stupidity of the FedEx Cup points structure, and Matsuyama’s situation this year is a good example. The system rewards frequent play and top finishes while failing to properly adjust for strength of field. For instance, Nick Taylor, currently ranked 12th in the FedEx Cup standings, received 162.5 points for finishing runner-up in the weak-fielded Zurich Classic, a partner event in New Orleans. Hideki received just 120 points for finishing fifth at the Players Championship. Incredible stuff from Ponte Vedra there.

Under a more sensible points system, Matsuyama would be well within the top 50 and would have a strong chance of qualifying for all of the signature events next season. Instead, he is on the outside looking in and must perform admirably to keep his season alive.

Fortunately for Hideki, TPC Southwind is a strong course fit for him. It will allow him to separate himself with his precise iron play and underrated short game. In three previous starts at TPC Southwind, he has improved each time: T-43 in 2019, T-20 in 2020, and a playoff loss to Abraham Ancer in 2021. Per usual, Matsuyama’s ceiling is limited by his putting woes, but this is a better golf course for those struggling with the flatstick than many other PGA Tour stops.

Players like Will Zalatoris, Adam Scott, and Matsuyama thrive at TPC Southwind, and I’d recommend trying to figure out why as you watch the action unfold this week. I’d also recommend tracking Hideki’s progress throughout the week to see if he winds up inside the top 50 of the FedEx Cup standings on Sunday night and advances to the BMW Championship.

Golf tournaments are better when Hideki Matsuyama is in the mix. I hope to see his name near the top of the leaderboard come Sunday.