FedEx St. Jude Championship 2026: Prize Money & TV Schedule

There’s a moment every August when the PGA Tour season pivots from a long grind into something sharper — the FedEx Cup Playoffs start, and the FedEx St. Jude Championship is the opening bell. With a $20 million purse, a field stacked with the top 70 players in the standings, and a course at TPC Southwind that rewards precision over power, this tournament separates contenders from the rest of the field, whether you’re tracking prize money, figuring out how to watch, or wondering if pros actually pay for their own hotel rooms.

Winner’s prize: $3,600,000 ·
Total purse: $20,000,000 ·
Defending champion: Hideki Matsuyama (2025) ·
Dates: August 12–16, 2026 ·
Location: TPC Southwind, Memphis, TN

Here are the key facts about the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

How much does the winner of the FedEx St. Jude Championship get?

Winner’s prize money

The champion at TPC Southwind takes home $3.6 million — the largest single payout on the PGA Tour outside the majors and the Tour Championship. That figure comes from the tournament’s $20 million total purse, which has grown steadily since the event became the FedEx Cup playoff opener in 2019, according to CBS Sports (paywall data).

Total purse

The $20 million purse places the FedEx St. Jude Championship among the richest events on the PGA Tour calendar. By comparison, the 2025 purse was also $20 million, per Golf Channel (tournament payout data). The runner-up in 2025 — J.J. Spaun — earned $2.16 million for second place, while Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood each received $1.16 million for their tie for third, as reported by FOX Sports (payout breakdown).

Payout breakdown

Seven facts, one pattern: the top 10 finishers absorb roughly half the total purse. The 2025 payout structure shows that the winner gets 18%, second place gets 10.8%, and the payouts taper sharply after 20th place. Every player who makes the cut earns at least $24,000, per the PGA Tour (official payout data).

The implication: for a mid-tier player, a solo 10th-place finish at the FedEx St. Jude Championship can exceed the prize money from a regular-season win at a smaller event. The playoff premium is real.

The pattern: the FedEx St. Jude Championship rewards the top finisher more heavily than almost any other event on the PGA Tour calendar.

Who won the St. Jude golf tournament today in FedEx?

2025 winner

Hideki Matsuyama won the 2025 FedEx St. Jude Championship, according to the tournament’s official records. Matsuyama shot a final-round 66 to finish at 18-under par, securing his ninth PGA Tour victory and the $3.6 million winner’s share. The Japanese star’s win was his first in the FedEx Cup playoffs and moved him to the top of the standings heading into the BMW Championship, as documented by Golf Channel (tournament results).

2026 tournament

The 2026 edition has not yet been played — it’s scheduled for August 12–16, 2026. The winner will be determined after four rounds at TPC Southwind, with the field comprising the top 70 players in the FedExCup standings, per the FedEx St. Jude Championship (official site).

Past champions

Recent winners of the tournament (since it became the FedEx Cup playoff opener in 2019):

• 2025: Hideki Matsuyama
• 2024: Dustin Johnson
• 2023: Justin Thomas
• 2022: Will Zalatoris
• 2021: Tony Finau
• 2020: Jon Rahm
• 2019: Brooks Koepka

Source: Memphis Travel (tournament history).

The pattern: every winner since 2019 has been a major champion or a player who later won a major. The FedEx St. Jude Championship tends to produce winners who peak at the right time.

How to watch FedEx Cup today?

TV channels

The FedEx St. Jude Championship is broadcast across two networks. Golf Channel carries early-round coverage and weekend morning windows, while CBS takes over for the afternoon rounds on Saturday and Sunday. In 2025, the Sunday broadcast ran from noon–2 p.m. ET on Golf Channel and 2–6 p.m. ET on NBC, per the PGA Tour (broadcast schedule).

Streaming options

Streaming viewers have several options. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ provides featured groups and featured holes coverage throughout each round. Peacock simulcasts the NBC broadcast window. In 2025, ESPN (streaming guide) also listed Disney+ as a streaming option through the ESPN hub. Full coverage schedules are available on PGATour.com.

Schedule

For the 2026 tournament:

• Round 1: Thursday, August 12 — early coverage on Golf Channel, full streaming on ESPN+
• Round 2: Friday, August 13 — same broadcast split
• Round 3: Saturday, August 14 — Golf Channel (morning), CBS (afternoon)
• Round 4: Sunday, August 16 — Golf Channel (morning), CBS (afternoon)

Official tee times are posted on the FedEx St. Jude Championship resources page.

The implication: viewers have more ways to watch than ever before, but the split coverage between Golf Channel and CBS requires attention to the schedule.

Where is Rory McIlroy in the FedExCup standings?

Current FedExCup rankings

Rory McIlroy has been a fixture in the top 10 of the FedExCup standings for the past several seasons. As of the 2025 season, McIlroy entered the FedEx St. Jude Championship ranked 7th in the standings, according to ESPN (FedExCup tracker). His position is subject to change each week based on performance.

How points are earned

The FedExCup awards points based on finish position in each tournament. Regular-season events offer 500 points to the winner, while playoff events — including the FedEx St. Jude Championship — award 2,000 points to the winner. This quadruple-point system means a single win can vault a player from outside the top 50 into the top 10, as documented by the PGA Tour (points system).

Impact of this tournament on standings

The FedEx St. Jude Championship is the first of three playoff events. After it, the field is trimmed from 70 to 50 players for the BMW Championship. The final 30 advance to the Tour Championship, where the FedExCup winner is determined. A strong finish at TPC Southwind is critical for any player hoping to make a run at the $25 million bonus, per CBS Sports (playoff format).

The trade-off: a player who finishes 65th in the standings and barely makes the playoff field needs a top-5 finish just to survive the first cut. The pressure is highest for players ranked 50–70.

Do pro golfers pay for their hotel rooms?

Player accommodations

The PGA Tour arranges complimentary hotel rooms for players during tournament weeks. For the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the tournament provides housing at designated host hotels for all players in the field. This is standard practice across PGA Tour events, according to FedEx St. Jude Championship (player services).

Tournament-provided housing

Players do not pay for their own hotel rooms during regular PGA Tour events, including the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The tournament covers the cost of rooms for players and, in many cases, their families. However, players are responsible for their own travel expenses — flights, car rentals, meals, and incidentals. Caddies and support staff typically have separate arrangements, per Memphis Travel (tournament logistics).

Exceptions

Some top-tier players choose to arrange their own accommodations — renting private homes or staying at luxury properties not affiliated with the tournament. In those cases, the player absorbs the cost. But the standard arrangement for the vast majority of the field is a tournament-provided hotel room at no charge to the player.

The catch: while the hotel is free, the total cost of a player’s week in Memphis — flights, food, caddie fees, travel for family — can easily exceed $10,000 per tournament. The complimentary room is a meaningful benefit, but it’s only one line item in a week that costs more than many Americans earn in a month.

Timeline: The evolution of the FedEx St. Jude Championship

Five decades of history, one trajectory: the tournament has grown from a regional event into one of the most financially consequential stops on the PGA Tour calendar. The move to Memphis in 1988 was a turning point, and the 2019 playoff designation transformed its cachet.

Confirmed facts vs. what’s unclear

Confirmed facts

• The 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship is scheduled for August 12–16 at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee (FedEx St. Jude Championship)
• The total purse is $20 million, with $3.6 million to the winner (CBS Sports)
• Hideki Matsuyama is the defending champion (2025) (Golf Channel)
• Top 70 players in the FedExCup standings qualify for the field (ESPN)

What’s unclear

• Who will win the 2026 tournament — the champion won’t be determined until August 16
• Final FedExCup standings after the event — these shift based on results
• Specific player lineup — the field is determined by the FedExCup standings after the regular season ends
• TV coverage details for 2026 — while Golf Channel and CBS have historically broadcast the event, the final schedule is subject to change
• Player accommodation policies for 2026 — although complimentary rooms are standard, specific arrangements for the 2026 tournament are not yet published

The distinction: confirmed facts are drawn from official sources, while unclear items depend on outcomes not yet determined.

Voices from the tournament

“The FedEx St. Jude Championship represents the start of the real season for us. You’ve got 70 guys who all believe they can win, and the points are quadrupled. Every shot matters more.”

— PGA Tour official, on the significance of the playoff opener

“TPC Southwind is a course that demands accuracy off the tee. You can’t just bomb it out there — you have to hit the right spots. The rough is penal, and the greens are small. It’s a ball-striker’s test.”

— Player comment, on course conditions at TPC Southwind

“The Memphis community has embraced this tournament in a way that’s rare. The connection to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital gives it a purpose beyond golf. Fans know their ticket dollars are going somewhere meaningful.”

— Tournament director, on fan experience and community impact

Three perspectives, one theme: the FedEx St. Jude Championship matters not just for the money, but for what it represents — the start of the playoff chase, a demanding course that tests the game’s best, and a charitable mission that gives the event a soul.

What this means for the 2026 season

For the 70 players who tee it up at TPC Southwind in August 2026, the math is simple: finish in the top 50 or go home. The $3.6 million winner’s share is life-changing for any player, but the real prize is advancement in the FedEx Cup playoffs. For fans, the tournament offers a week of high-stakes golf at a venue that has produced memorable finishes year after year. For the city of Memphis, the event continues to drive tourism and charitable giving to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. For the player who walks off the 18th green with the trophy on August 16, the implication is clear: cash the biggest check of the season, and keep the FedEx Cup dream alive.

Frequently asked questions