The BWD Tournament Hole of the Week: June 8 – 11, 2017. The 14th at TPC Southwind, Home of FedEx St. Jude Classic.

Tournament: FedEx St. Jude Classic, TPC Southwind, Memphis, TN
Hole: 14th – Par 3, 239 Yards
Architect(s): Ron Prichard – 1988
Player Consultants: Hubert Green and Fuzzy Zoeller – 1988

Architectural Summary:
The 14th hole at the TPC Southwind is a lengthy downhill par 3 that plays diagonally over a water hazard that protects the front and right of the green. From the elevated tee, competitors must carry a portion of the pond which fronts the green with precision as the green measures just 19 yards at its widest point. Teeing grounds and wind conditions will greatly affect club selection as the hole can stretch to 239 yards. When playing from back tees, the hole will require anything from a long iron to a fairway wood to ensure competitors carry the water hazard. Conservative players will likely look to play to the left of the green to avoid the pond with hopes to “run up” onto the putting surface. Should competitors “bail out” to the left of the target, a relatively easy chip will be needed to find the correct quadrant of the green. Two greenside bunkers protect the left-rear portion of the green surface that may become a factor for any errant or overclubbed tee shots. The putting surface slopes from left-to-right towards the pond and features severe undulations that will increase the likelihood of three putts.

Statistical Analysis:
In 2016, the 14th hole played as the most difficult par three at TPC Southwind with a scoring average of 3.14 (54 Birdies, 307 Pars, 76 Bogeys, 19 Doubles, and 2 “Others”).

Fun Facts:

  • During the 2015 tournament, Hudson Swafford made a rare ace on the 14th hole as his 9 iron found the bottom of the cup when the hole played 164 yards during the second round.
  • The previous five FedEx St. Jude Classic winners had not finished higher than 14th in any of their previous two starts on the PGA Tour before their respective victories.
  • TPC Southwind was one of the first golf courses in the state of Tennessee to be certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System by Audubon International.