FedEx St. Jude Classic (Memphis Open), PGA Tour Golf Tournament
For decades, the PGA Tour played a tournament in Memphis, Tenn., that began as the Memphis Invitational Open and finished as the FedEx St. Jude Classic.
The tournament's history ended when the WGC Invitational, one of the World Championships of Golf events, acquired FedEx as its new title sponsor in 2019. That event, which had been played in Akron, Ohio, moved to Memphis, replacing the St. Jude Classic. The WGC Invitational was itself discontinued in 2021, and a new tournament called the FedEx St. Jude Championship (not Classic) was added to the PGA Tour schedule. Those two events — the FedEx St. Jude Classic and FedEx St. Jude Championship — are two, distinct tournaments. It is the Classic, the traditional, "regular" PGA Tour Memphis stop from 1958 through 2018, that we are discussing on this page.
Entertainer Danny Thomas was long associated with the St. Jude Classic through his charitable work with the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Dave Hill holds the tournament record with four wins.
The most famous thing that ever happened in the St. Jude Classic is the PGA Tour's first round of 59. It was recorded by Al Geiberger in the second round of his 1977 victory.
First played: 1958
Last played: 2018
Also known as: FedEx St. Jude Classic was the tournament's last name, and Memphis Invitational Open was its first name. In-between, it also went under the names St. Jude Classic, Federal Express St. Jude Classic, St. Jude Memphis Classic and Danny Thomas Memphis Classic.
Winners of the PGA Tour FedEx St. Jude Classic
2018 — Dustin Johnson, 2612017 — Daniel Berger, 270
2016 — Daniel Berger, 267
2015 — Fabian Gomez, 267
2014 — Ben Crane, 270
2013 — Harris English, 268
2012 — Dustin Johnson, 271
2011 — Harrison Frazar, 267
2010 — Lee Westwood, 270
2009 — Brian Gay, 262
2008 — Justin Leonard, 276
2007 — Woody Austin, 267
2006 — Jeff Maggert, 271
2005 — Justin Leonard, 266
2004 — David Toms, 268
2003 — David Toms, 264
2002 — Len Mattiace, 266
2001 — Bob Estes, 267
2000 — Notah Begay III, 271
1999 — Ted Tryba, 265
1998 — Nick Price, 268
1997 — Greg Norman, 268
1996 — John Cook, 258
1995 — Jim Gallagher Jr., 267
1994 — Dicky Pride, 267
1993 — Nick Price, 266
1992 — Jay Haas, 263
1991 — Fred Couples, 269
1990 — Tom Kite, 269
1989 — John Mahaffey, 272
1988 — Jodie Mudd, 273
1987 — Curtis Strange, 275
1986 — Mike Hulbert, 280
1985 — Hal Sutton, 279
1984 — Bob Eastwood, 280
1983 — Larry Mize, 274
1982 — Raymond Floyd, 271
1981 — Jerry Pate, 274
1980 — Lee Trevino, 272
1979 — Gil Morgan, 278
1978 — Andy Bean, 277
1977 — Al Geiberger, 273
1976 — Gibby Gilbert, 273
1975 — Gene Littler, 270
1974 — Gary Player, 273
1973 — Dave Hill, 283
1972 — Lee Trevino, 281
1971 — Lee Trevino, 268
1970 — Dave Hill, 267
1969 — Dave Hill, 265
1968 — Bob Lunn, 268
1967 — Dave Hill, 272
1966 — Bert Yancey, 265
1965 — Jack Nicklaus, 271
1964 — Mike Souchak, 270
1963 — Tony Lema, 270
1962 — Lionel Hebert, 267
1961 — Cary Middlecoff, 266
1960 — Tommy Bolt, 273
1959 — Don Whitt, 272
1958 — Billy Maxwell, 267
Golf courses: The tournament was played at Colonial Country Club in Memphis from its 1958 debut through 1971. The club moved to a Memphis suburb in 1972, but continued as the host on its new golf course through 1988. In 1989, TPC Southwind became the site and remained so through 2018.
Photo credit: "FedEx St Jude Classic Pano" by ilovememphis is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
