The FedEx St. Jude Classic was a professional golf tournament held in Memphis, Tennessee, as a regular event on the PGA Tour. The tournament was held annually from 1958 through 2018, and was played in June at TPC Southwind (since 1989).

In 2019, FedEx took over sponsorship of the WGC Invitational and relocated it to Memphis in late July. The WGC event continued the charitable relationship with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and was renamed WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational For the 2022 season, the WGC Invitational was discontinued, and the first FedEx Cup playoff event was relocated to TPC Southwind with FedEx as the new title sponsor and became the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

History The tournament debuted in May 1958 as the Memphis Open and was played annually at Colonial Country Club in Memphis through 1971, then at the club's new home in Cordova through 1988. The late Vernon Bell, a Memphis restaurateur, co-founded the tournament and served as its general chairman for 22 years. He is also the father of the late Chris Bell.

St. Jude In 1969, entertainer Danny Thomas (1912–1991) agreed to lend his name to the tournament in exchange for his St. Jude Children's Research Hospital becoming the tournament's charity. Accordingly, the tournament changed its name the following year to the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic.

In 1977, President Gerald Ford, who had left office in January, made a hole-in-one during the tournament's celebrity pro-am while playing with Thomas and Ben Crenshaw. Two days later, Al Geiberger shot a PGA Tour record 59 (−13) in the second round with eleven birdies and an eagle. He needed a rally on Sunday to win by three strokes at 273 (–15).

Since partnering with the tournament, more than $66 million has been raised for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Federal Express In 1986, Memphis-based courier Federal Express became the title sponsor. For the first three years of their sponsorship, FedEx increased the purse one dollar for each package they shipped on the Friday of the tournament. The purses went from $500,000 to $605,912 in 1986, from $600,000 to $724,043 in 1987, and from $750,000 to $953,842 in 1988.

The Stanford Financial Group took over as the tournament's title sponsor in 2007, and it was renamed Stanford St. Jude Championship. In 2009, the tournament changed its name to St. Jude Classic, following accusations that the Stanford Financial Group was a Ponzi scheme. FedEx returned as title sponsor in 2011, and has remained though the standard tournament era, the WGC version (2019–2021), and Playoffs era (since 2022).

TPC Southwind The event's final edition at Colonial Country Club in Cordova was in 1988. It moved to its present location at TPC Southwind in Memphis in 1989.

The purse in 2018 was $6.6 million, with a winner's share of $1.188 million.

Tournament highlights 1958: Billy Maxwell wins the first Memphis Open. He beats Cary Middlecoff by one shot.Memphis Tourney Won by Maxwell win 1961: Local favorite Cary Middlecoff beats Gardner Dickinson and Mike Souchak by five shots.Middlecoff Finds Form 1965: Jack Nicklaus, who played in Memphis very infrequently, beats Johnny Pott on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.Nicklaus Wins 'Jackpot' in Memphis 1966: Bert Yancey wins by five shots over Gene Littler but only after nearly missing his Sunday tee time. A last moment phone call from his caddy kept Yancey from being disqualified.Yancey Captures Memphis Open Golf 1967: Dave Hill goes wire-to-wire for his first Memphis win. He defeats Johnny Pott by two shots.Dave Hill Wins Memphis Open 1970: Dave Hill becomes the first Memphis winner to successfully defend his title. He defeats Homero Blancas, Frank Beard, and Bob Charles by one shot.Dave Hill Memphis Winner 1971: Lee Trevino wins in Memphis for the first time. He defeats Jerry Heard, Hale Irwin, Lee Elder and Randy Wolff by four shots.Lee Trevino coasts to Memphis victory 1973: Dave Hill earns his 4th and final Memphis win. He beats Allen Miller and Lee Trevino by one shot.Dave Hill wins Memphis Classic 1977: Al Geiberger shoots a second round 59 (the first 59 in a PGA Tour event), then holds on to win the tournament by three shots over Gary Player and Jerry McGee.Happy ending for Geiberger 1980: Lee Trevino triumphs in Memphis for the third and final time. He beats Tom Purtzer by one shot.Trevino outlasts storms for triumph in Memphis 1981: After making a birdie on the 72nd hole to win by two shots over Tom Kite and Bruce Lietzke, Jerry Pate leaps into the lake adjoining the 18th green.Pate takes million-dollar dive 1986: Mike Hulbert birdies the 72nd hole for his first ever PGA Tour win. He wins by one shot over his roommate for the week, Joey Sindelar.Hulbert scores one-shot Memphis win 1987: Mike McGee becomes one of just eight PGA Tour players with an 18-putt round. Despite the feat, McGee missed the cut. 1992: Jay Haas shoots 64–64 over the last 36 holes to win by three shots over Dan Forsman and Robert Gamez.Haas finally ends tourney drought 1994: PGA Tour rookie Dicky Pride beats Gene Sauers and Hal Sutton in a playoff with a birdie on the first hole. 1996: John Cook shoots a PGA Tour record 189 for 54 holes on his way to a seven shot win over John Adams.Cook breezes at St. Jude 1997: Greg Norman birdies the final three holes to beat Dudley Hart by one shot.Norman nabs first tour win of season 2000: Notah Begay III beats Bob May and Chris DiMarco by one shot. It is his first win after being convicted of drunken driving in March of the same year and having to spend seven days in jail. 2003: David Toms shoots a final round 64 to get his first of back-to-back Memphis titles. He beats Nick Price by three shots.Toms pulls away from crowded leaderboard at St. Jude 2005: Justin Leonard ties the record for the highest final round score by a Memphis winner, a 73, on his way to a one-shot victory over David Toms.Leonard hangs on to win St. Jude Classic 2010: Lee Westwood defeats Robert Karlsson and Robert Garrigus in a sudden-death playoff after Garrigus comes to the 72nd hole with a three-shot lead before finishing with a triple bogey.Lee Westwood wins St Jude Classic in Memphis 2011: After 13 years and 355 starts, Harrison Frazar won his first PGA Tour event after beating Robert Karlsson in a playoff. Frazar was playing on a medical extension after hip surgery and was actually considering retirement before his win. Karlsson lost in a playoff for the second consecutive season. 2017: Daniel Berger becomes the first golfer since David Toms to win back-to-back.

Course TPC Southwind in 2013 Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal Yards4344015541964854454821784573,6324651624064722393955304904533,6127,244 Par445344434354344345443570 Source:

Winners YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-upPurse($)Winner'sshare ($)FedEx St. Jude Classic 2018 Dustin Johnson (2) 261 −19 6 strokes Andrew Putnam 6,600,000 1,188,000 2017 Daniel Berger (2) 270 −10 1 stroke Kim Meen-whee Charl Schwartzel 6,400,000 1,152,000 2016 Daniel Berger 267 −13 3 strokes Brooks Koepka Phil Mickelson Steve Stricker 6,200,000 1,116,000 2015 Fabián Gómez 267 −13 4 strokes Greg Owen 6,000,000 1,080,000 2014 Ben Crane 270 –10 1 stroke Troy Merritt 5,800,000 1,044,000 2013 Harris English 268 −12 2 strokes Phil Mickelson Scott Stallings 5,700,000 1,026,000 2012 Dustin Johnson 271 −9 1 stroke John Merrick 5,600,000 1,008,000 2011 Harrison Frazar 267 −13 Playoff Robert Karlsson 5,600,000 1,008,000St. Jude Classic 2010 Lee Westwood 270 −10 Playoff Robert Garrigus Robert Karlsson 5,600,000 1,008,000 2009 Brian Gay 262 −18 5 strokes Bryce Molder David Toms 5,600,000 1,008,000Stanford St. Jude Championship 2008 Justin Leonard (2) 276 −4 Playoff Robert Allenby Trevor Immelman 6,000,000 1,080,000 2007 Woody Austin 267 −13 5 strokes Brian Davis 6,000,000 1,080,000FedEx St. Jude Classic 2006 Jeff Maggert 271 −9 3 strokes Tom Pernice Jr. 5,200,000 936,000 2005 Justin Leonard 266 −14 1 stroke David Toms 4,900,000 882,000 2004 David Toms (2) 268 −16 6 strokes Bob Estes 4,700,000 846,000 2003 David Toms 264 −20 3 strokes Nick Price 4,500,000 810,000 2002 Len Mattiace 266 −18 1 stroke Tim Petrovic 3,800,000 684,000 2001 Bob Estes 267 −17 1 stroke Bernhard Langer 3,500,000 630,000 2000 Notah Begay III 271 −13 1 stroke Chris DiMarco Bob May 3,000,000 540,000 1999 Ted Tryba 265 −19 2 strokes Tim Herron Tom Lehman 2,500,000 450,000 1998 Nick Price (2) 268 −16 Playoff Jeff Sluman 1,800,000 324,000 1997 Greg Norman 268 −16 1 stroke Dudley Hart 1,500,000 270,000 1996 John Cook 258 −26 7 strokes John Adams 1,350,000 243,000 1995 Jim Gallagher Jr. 267 −17 1 stroke Jay Delsing Ken Green 1,250,000 225,000Federal Express St. Jude Classic 1994 Dicky Pride 267 −17 Playoff Gene Sauers Hal Sutton 1,250,000 225,000 1993 Nick Price 266 −18 3 strokes Rick Fehr Jeff Maggert 1,100,000 198,000 1992 Jay Haas 263 −21 3 strokes Dan Forsman Robert Gamez 1,100,000 198,000 1991 Fred Couples 269 −15 3 strokes Rick Fehr 1,000,000 180,000 1990 Tom Kite 269 −15 Playoff John Cook 1,000,000 180,000 1989 John Mahaffey 272 −12 3 strokes Bob Gilder Hubert Green Bernhard Langer Bob Tway 1,000,000 180,000 1988 Jodie Mudd 273 −15 1 stroke Peter Jacobsen Nick Price 953,842 171,692 1987 Curtis Strange 275 −13 1 stroke Russ Cochran Mike Donald Tom Kite Denis Watson 724,043 130,328 1986 Mike Hulbert 280 −8 1 stroke Joey Sindelar 605,912 109,064St. Jude Memphis Classic 1985 Hal Sutton 279 −9 Playoff David Ogrin 500,000 90,000Danny Thomas Memphis Classic 1984 Bob Eastwood 280 −8 2 strokes Ralph Landrum Mark O'Meara Tim Simpson 500,000 90,000 1983 Larry Mize 274 −14 1 stroke Chip Beck Sammy Rachels Fuzzy Zoeller 400,000 72,000 1982 Raymond Floyd 271 −17 6 strokes Mike Holland 400,000 72,000 1981 Jerry Pate 274 −14 2 strokes Tom Kite Bruce Lietzke 300,000 54,000 1980 Lee Trevino (3) 272 −16 1 stroke Tom Purtzer 300,000 54,000 1979 Gil Morgan 278 −10 Playoff Larry Nelson 300,000 54,000 1978 Andy Bean 277 −11 Playoff Lee Trevino 250,000 50,000 1977 Al Geiberger 273 −15 3 strokes Jerry McGee Gary Player 200,000 40,000 1976 Gibby Gilbert 273 −15 4 strokes Forrest Fezler John Lister Gil Morgan 200,000 40,000 1975 Gene Littler 270 −18 5 strokes John Mahaffey 175,000 35,000 1974 Gary Player 273 −15 2 strokes Lou Graham Hubert Green 175,000 35,000 1973 Dave Hill (4) 283 −5 1 stroke Allen Miller Lee Trevino 175,000 35,000 1972 Lee Trevino (2) 281 −7 4 strokes John Mahaffey 175,000 35,000 1971 Lee Trevino 268 −12 4 strokes Lee Elder Jerry Heard Hale Irwin Randy Wolff 175,000 35,000 1970 Dave Hill (3) 267 −13 1 stroke Frank Beard Homero Blancas Bob Charles 150,000 30,000Memphis Open Invitational 1969 Dave Hill (2) 265 −15 2 strokes Lee Elder 150,000 30,000 1968 Bob Lunn 268 −12 1 stroke Monty Kaser 100,000 20,000 1967 Dave Hill 272 −8 2 strokes Johnny Pott 100,000 20,000 1966 Bert Yancey 265 −15 5 strokes Gene Littler 100,000 20,000 1965 Jack Nicklaus 271 −9 Playoff Johnny Pott 60,000 9,000 1964 Mike Souchak 270 −10 1 stroke Billy Casper Tommy Jacobs 50,000 7,500 1963 Tony Lema 270 −10 Playoff Tommy Aaron 50,000 9,000 1962 Lionel Hebert 267 −13 Playoff Gene Littler Gary Player 40,000 6,400 1961 Cary Middlecoff 266 −14 5 strokes Gardner Dickinson Mike Souchak 30,000 4,300 1960 Tommy Bolt 273 −7 Playoff Ben Hogan Gene Littler 30,000 4,300Memphis Open 1959 Don Whitt 272 −8 Playoff Al Balding Gary Player 25,000 3,500 1958 Billy Maxwell 267 −13 1 stroke Cary Middlecoff 20,000 2,800 Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records. Sources:FedEx St. Jude Classic – Winners – at www.stjudeclassic.comFedEx St. Jude Classic – Winners – at www.pgatour.com

References

External links

History of Vernon Bell co-founding the event Coverage on PGA Tour's official site St. Jude Children's Research Hospital TPC Southwind