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2021 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational: Top 10 power rankings at TPC Southwind

By Mike Randleman

Jul 27, 2019; Memphis, TN, USA; General view of a tee box marker FedEx Express van on the fourth hole during the third round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic golf tournament at TPC Southwind. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 27, 2019; Memphis, TN, USA; General view of a tee box marker FedEx Express van on the fourth hole during the third round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic golf tournament at TPC Southwind. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jul 17, 2021; Sandwich, England, GBR; Collin Morikawa follows his shot from the first tee during the third round of the Open Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 17, 2021; Sandwich, England, GBR; Collin Morikawa follows his shot from the first tee during the third round of the Open Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports /

Colin Morikawa is thankful the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational is a no-cut event. Opening rounds of 70-71 as he plotted his way around TPC Southwind may not have been enough to make the weekend if this was still a full-field event.

Instead, the young phenom made the most of two more cracks at it. Weekend rounds of 67-66 vaulted him to T-20th out of 78. Morikawa was a respectable seven shots off Justin Thomas’ winning pace and only four away from four players tied in second.

Morikawa has only gotten better at his craft since 2020. The former Cal-Berkely star jumped to the occasion to fend off a crowded leaderboard last fall at the PGA Championship.

The precise ball striker picked up his second major championship by age 24 with his masterclass at The Open. Morikawa is up to five PGA Tour wins against just four missed cuts as a pro.

Like Rory, Spieth and Koepka and others before him, his flurry of majors is due to run out at some point. Either way, he’s projected to be a force week in and week out on tour.

His young energy can propel him for a while. He does have some scars from close losses at Colonial and Muirfield Village. They don’t outweigh the confidence brimming from winning a major on two completely different golf courses on two different continents.

Morikawa, who’s of Japanese heritage, nearly won for the first time in Asia while representing the U.S.A. in last week’s Tokyo Olympics. He was in red figures all four days and saved his best for last with a closing 63.

A birdie on his 72nd hole got Morikawa into a seven-way playoff for the bronze medal. He outlasted five of hiscompetitors before CT Pan brought home the hardware for Chinese Taipei. A plugged lie in a bunker on the fourthand final sudden death playoff hole spelled doom for Morikawa.

TPC Southwind isn’t much like Royal St. George’s, TPC Harding Park or Kasumigaseki Country Club. With that said, the venue isn’t all that important for the far and away leader on the PGA Tour in strokes gained approach.

His consistent, tight cut shot helps Morikawa gain 1.502 strokes per round on approach.

Morikawa is going for his second career WGC title after winning early in the year at the WGC-Workday Championship at Concession.

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