Two ‘defending champs’ in Memphis
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A glance at the PGA Tour’s official World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational website shows where the Tour stands on the matter.
Under the list of past champions, an image of Justin Thomas posing with the Gary Player Cup appears for the year 2018.
But after last year’s PGA Tour event at TPC Southwind, Dustin Johnson hoisted the trophy.
So who carries the title of reigning champion as Memphis prepares to host the most-important professional golf tournament in the city’s history?
“I would tell you Justin Thomas is the defending champion,” said Andy Pazder, chief tournaments and competitions officer for the Tour. “But Memphis has the best of both worlds with both champions back. That’s the way I would look at it. That’s win-win for sure.”
Thomas won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Ohio last year and is receiving the “defending champion” billing as the event moves to Memphis with a new title sponsor.
But the 26-year-old Louisville native will be new to TPC Southwind.
Thomas never played the FedEx St. Jude Classic, which should give Johnson – a two-time winner in Memphis – a
clear edge between the two this week.
Johnson capped his FedEx St. Jude Classic victory last year with a 169-yard hole out as he finished 19 under par for the lowest winning score at TPC Southwind since David Toms won with a 20under in 2003.
The emphatic victory followed his 2012 win in Memphis with final score of 9-under.
”It’s just a good all-around golf course,” Johnson said at the time.
”There’s a lot of good holes out there. I like the shape of all the holes. It sets up good to my eye.”
After winning last year’s FedEx St. Jude Classic, Johnson added a thirdplace finish in the U.S. Open, a win in the RBC Canadian Open, a third-place finish in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and a third-place finish in the Tour Championship.
But he comes to Memphis this year without a top-10 finish since he placed second in May’s PGA Championship.
Johnson finished tied for 51st at 3 over on Sunday in the British Open.
Returning to Memphis for an event with elevated stakes could be an opportunity for Johnson to hit his stride entering the FedExCup playoffs. He boasts a solid recent history in WGC events.
Johnson won the WGC-Mexico Championship in February and finished in the top 10 in three of the four WGC events last year. He won two of the four WGC events in 2017 and won the WGCBridgestone Invitational in 2016.
Thomas played better this past week, however.
Although new to TPC Southwind, he will arrive in Memphis after a 3-under finish and tie for 11th place in the British Open.
It represented his best finish since he notched three top-10s in February.
Since then, Thomas has been working through a wrist injury and adjusting to a revamped Tour schedule that has moved the location of the last event he won.
Johnson is the last player to win in Memphis. But Thomas is heading to an unfamiliar course as the event’s defending champion.
“Obviously, I would have liked to play a couple more events (this season),” Thomas told reporters at the British Open. “Everyone’s had to deal with the schedule change and trying to figure it out. But it’s like anything; you get used to it.”