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2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship First Round Leader Odds, Picks: Sam Burns & Corey Conners Best Value Targets

The FedEx St. Jude Championship features a 122-man field, and historically it has seen a pretty eclectic mix of morning and afternoon first-round leaders. With TPC Southwind having been host for the old WGC St. Jude Classic, course history is something to consider this week. However, recent form and tee-to-green play will be bigger focuses.

Using OddsShopper golf betting tools below, we’ll identify some of the best values on the board for the first-round leader market at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship this week.

FedEx St. Jude Championship First Round Leader

The course isn’t supposed to see much wind on Thursday, but the hot weather should make the greens tougher to hold in the afternoon. It makes sense to include players from both sides of the draw, though, as TPC Southwind has produced numerous afternoon first-round leaders over the last 5 to 10 years.

Best First Round Leader Betting Picks

Sam Burns First Round Leader +4000 | RISK FREE Bet at BetMGM

The last time Sam Burns was on the course, he was grinding his way to a 42nd-place finish at the Open. It was a pretty lackluster trip overseas, but he can flip the tables very quickly. He had posted three straight made cuts prior to his ninth-place finish at the Arnold Palmer earlier this year, and Burns has typically made mincemeat of these shorter courses with Bermuda greens. He’s third in strokes gained putting on Bermudagrass over the last 50 rounds.

Burns got himself into a playoff at TPC Southwind last season and shot a pair of 64s in the process. While his inaccuracy off the tee will likely lead to some bigger numbers during the week, his early tee time on Thursday and decent 40-1 odds make him an ideal lead-off target in the first-round leader market.

If looking to make a wager on BetMGM this week, then Burns is a first-round leader target to consider at that sportsbook. He has solid 40-1 odds, and new BetMGM users get a risk-free bet up to $1,000!

Corey Conners First Round Leader +6000 | RISK FREE Bet at BetMGM

Corey Conners may not be a good play as a winner this week, but it’s certainly worth noting that he played well at Sedgefield, gaining 8.1 strokes ball striking alone. His three strokes lost putting are concerning, but for first-round leader purposes, he only needs one solid round of putting. Ultimately, TPC Southwind is a track that could produce an extremely low round, as he has had lots of success at these more technical tracks that reward consistent ball striking.

He opened with a 62 at the RSM Classic in the fall and then followed that up with an opening 64 at the Sony Open. Even with an afternoon tee time, the fact Conners’ form is burgeoning again makes the 60-1 intriguing enough to lock him in as a first-round leader target.

Longshot First Round Leader Betting Picks

Anirban Lahiri First Round Leader +10000 | RISK FREE Bet at BetMGM

A big round at TPC Southwind typically requires some higher-end ball striking, so recent form is something to weigh heavily this week. Last week, Anirban Lahiri led the field in strokes gained tee to green for the tournament, a surprising result given that he came into the event having missed four of his last five cuts. He came extremely close to pulling off a massive upset at the Players in March on another water-laden Bermuda track.

Lahiri last played TPC Southwind in 2018 and opened with a 65. Given his top-10 form last week and massive odds, Lahiri is a strong first-round leader target in the event his putter catches up to his ball striking.

Matthew NeSmith First Round Leader +13000 | RISK FREE Bet at BetMGM

Matthew Nesmith has proven he can go low on the PGA Tour, following up a 61 at the Valspar with some lower rounds at the Wells Fargo and Travelers. He only finished 36th last week at the Wyndham, but his ball striking took a tick upward and he opened with a solid 66. He’s a Southeast native, and the Bermudagrass and heat likely won’t bother him much. For a player whose best assets are his irons and a putter that seems to spike on Bermuda more often than not, NeSmith is good longshot play for first-round leader bets. His 7:15 a.m. local tee time places him in the first group, so if there’s any moisture on the course, he’ll stand to benefit the most.

Other Notables | RISK FREE Bet at BetMGM

Chris Kirk First Round Leader +8000 | BetMGM

Tyrrell Hatton First Round Leader +6600 | BetMGM

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