Golf Tips: Best bets for FedEx St Jude Championship and Czech Masters

• Rai repeat success backed at 64/165.00

• Burns will feel at home this week at 50/151.00

• Clark is too big a price at 120/1121.00

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FedEx St Jude Championship Tips and Predictions

FedEx St Jude Championship: Rai backed at TPC Southwind

Steve Rawlings: "With previous figures reading 18-MC-15, the 2021 course winner, Abraham Ancer, didn't have a brilliant Southwind CV. But last year's champ, Glover, had finished third the year before he won and the 2022 winner, Zalatoris, had finished eighth on his only previous appearance.

"Justin Thomas had finished 12^th on debut in 2019 before winning in 2020, Brooks Koepka has course form figures reading 19-3-2-27-30-1-2-54 at TPC Southwind, Dustin Johnson was winning here for a second time in 2018, and Daniel Berger has figures reading 1-1-MC-2-5. But prior to eight years ago previous course form had been far from essential, and debutants had a really good record.

"In his two visits before his win nine years ago, Fabian Gomez had finished 15th on debut in 2011 before missing the cut in 2013, and the 2014 winner, Ben Crane, had inconsistent course form figures reading MC-6-33-39-14-12-MC-18, but at least they'd played the course before.

"Berger was making his debut when he won in 2016, the 2013 winner, Harris English, was playing in his first event at TPC Southwind, DJ had never played here before when he won in 2012 and neither had the 2011 champ, Lee Westwood, who beat another first-timer, Robert Karlsson, in a playoff. Course form may have been key of late, but I wouldn't dismiss anyone on account of a lack of course knowledge...

"I was happy to have a very small wager on the Wyndham winner, Aaron Rai, at 65.0. The Englishman has been in stellar form all summer and although he doesn't have a brilliant Southwind portfolio, he shot 66-67 over the weekend when 12^th on debut back in 2019.

"Rai has since finished only 26^th, 51^st and 49^th here but he'll be in good spirits after Sunday's victory and given he doesn't drink, we don't have to worry too much about a post-victory hangover."

Each-Way Tips: Southern Sam in his element at 50/1

Matt Cooper: "Sam Burns is a good ol' southern boy whose best golf has come in the south-east of the United States of America.

"The area from Texas to the Atlantic coast, stretching halfway up the country, is sometimes referred to as the Bible Belt but a fondness for scripture is unlikely to be the key to Burn's success - it's more likely that this son of Shreveport, Louisiana enjoys the home comforts of heat, humidity, grainy grass and warm breezes (and/or is less inconvenienced than others).

"His five PGA Tour wins, his Korn Ferry Tour victory, and a host of fine performances have come in that neck of the woods and call to mind the profile of David Toms which was very similar. TPC Southwind ought to be right in his crosshairs: the Bermuda grass greens, the Zoysia grass fairways, the sticky air, the hair dryer winds.

"In fact, back in 2021 he carded 66-64 to get into contention at the course before a third round 70 seemed to have derailed his hopes. He bounced back with another 64 and was only denied victory in extra holes. A year later he again spent most of the week in the top 10 before drifting back to T20."

Find Me a 100 Winner: Back Clark at 119/1

Steve Rawlings: "His last victory came in the weather-shortened AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am but since then he's finished second to the world number one, Scheffler, in both the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship. Clark was third behind Scheffler in the Heritage and matched his score over the last three weeks in Paris, where the world number one walked away with the gold medal.

"After top-10 finishes at both the Travelers Championship and the Scottish Open, Clark was disappointing in the Open, where he missed the cut, and his chance was lost in Paris when he shot 75 on day one, after he'd found water off the tee on the first three holes!

"Clark sat 56^th of 60 after that opening round but a 68 on Friday, and a pair of 65s over the weekend, saw him climb up into a tie for 14^th . If he can build on that weekend, he's vastly over-priced here at triple-figures.

"His first two visits to TPC Southwind have seen him finish 28^th and 66^th but he was on the wane here last year after a busy summer. That can be forgiven but he'd sat seventh and just four back with a round to go on debut two years ago, so there's no reason to think he can't win here."

First-Round Leader Tips: Picks from 60/1 to 100/1

Matt Cooper: "In the current PGA Tour season he has one solo first round lead (Bermuda), one shared (Palm Springs), two seconds (Craig Ranch and Quail Hollow), a fourth (Royal Troon), two sixths (Sea Island and Le Golf National), a seventh (Waialae) and an eighth (Renaissance).

"The latter two would have been no use to us but they back up the notion that he's getting off to fast starts at the moment. Moreover, three of them have come recently and at least five read well for this week.

"Then there is his brief course record. His second visit two years ago was curtailed after a first round 73. But on debut in 2019 he finished T12 with a first round 66 (tied seventh) and another 66 in round three. He's an early starter at 8:00 and can fly from the blocks again."

Course and current form stats

Andy Swales: "TPC Southwind, which opened in 1988, is a gently undulating tree-lined course which was built on the site of a former dairy farm. Precision driving and pin-point iron play is the key to success, while water comes into play on 10 holes.

"In 2004, the original Bentgrass putting surfaces were switched to Bermuda. During this upgrade they also narrowed many of the fairways, planted more than 100 new trees, added 15 bunkers and enlarged three ponds;

"More modifications were made to this parkland course in 2020 that included renovating every bunker, while extending the seventh hole by 15 yards, and relocating the third fairway. The greens at TPC Southwind are considerably smaller than the PGA Tour average, which is why the emphasis is more on accuracy than sheer power...

"Among the big name pros whose course form is better than most, are Rory McIlroy 17/2 and Patrick Cantlay 20/1. McIlroy, who won't have to face the rigours of another major championship for eight months, has twice finished inside the top-four here, including tied-third last year."

Czech Masters Tips and Predictions

Back Lacroix in Prague at 79/1

Steve Rawlings: "When Jamie Donaldson won the inaugural edition of the Czech Masters ten years ago, he was winning on the DP World Tour for the third time and Haydn Porteous had won the Joburg Open in his native South Africa a few months before he won this event in 2017 but Thomas Pieters, Paul Peterson, Andrea Pavan, Johannes Veerman, Max Kieffer and last year's winner, Todd Clements, all won their first DP World Tour titles in this event.

"The 2016 winner, Paul Peterson, went off at 1000.0 and it's a wonder last year's victor didn't reach that price given his form. Clements came into the event with form figures reading MC-MC-MC-62-MC and his only previous top 20 finish on the DP World Tour was an off-the pace tied 11^th at the Open de Portugal back in September 2020.

"He was said to be inspired by the victory of his friend, Daniel Brown, the week before at the ISPS Handa World Invitational but he was impossible to spot before the off and this looks like an event where you can take a chance with one or two longshots. Especially given we're at a new venue this time around...

"Paris-born Frenchman, Frederic Lacroix, hasn't played since finishing 20^th in the BMW International Open at the start of July but he may well be inspired by watching the Olympics and this course might just suit him.

"The DP World Tour site originally had the yardage for the OAKS Course recorded at just 6,960 yards but it's since been updated to list it at 7, 592 yards, suggesting the big hitters are going to enjoy themselves this week.

"Lacroix regularly averages over 300 yards off the tee and as a Challenge Tour graduate in search of his first win on the DP World Tour, he looked a reasonable price at 80.0."

Each-Way Tips: 55/1 Sullivan can Czech out

Matt Cooper: "We'll kick off with an Englishman who is probably quite pleased to see the tournament move to a different venue because Andy Sullivan managed a best of T41st at Albatross (and that came in the first of four visits there).

"His Kyle Phillips experience has been far more promising. At Verdura on the Italian island of Sicily he opened with a 67 and carded a pair of weekend 65s to claim third in 2018.

"A year earlier he was fourth, just two shots back of the lead, after 54 holes before finishing ninth in the Scottish Open at Dundonald Links. He carded a third round 67 when T41st at The Grove in the 2016 British Masters and opened with a 66 to lie second after 18 holes when T39th in the KLM Open at Bernardus.

"The look of PGA National is very modern: the shaping, the cut of the grass, the way some holes are fringed by high grass swaying in the breeze and other holes have a backdrop of trees. It's reminiscent of Hanbury Manor - where Sullivan last landed a DP World Tour victory in 2020."

Course and current form stats

Andy Swales: "The spacious PGA National Oaks course is barely five years old. The first nine holes were opened in August 2019, while the remaining nine were ready for play by the following summer;

"This traditional parkland venue has plenty of woodland, a significant amount of sand, but little in the way of water. The only hole where the pros could find their ball making a splash is if they completely over-hit their approach shot at the par-four second...

"With no course history to analyse, punters will largely be limited to current form. And with no DP World Tour events since The Open at Royal Troon, even these stats are slightly diluted. A number of those taking part in Prague have enjoyed some action in recent weeks, having opted to tee-up on the Challenge Tour, PGA Tour or Asian Tour.

"Ryo Hisatsune 25/1 flies back from the United States having stood on the podium at the weather-interrupted Wyndham Championship in North Carolina. Meanwhile, Englishman Andy Sullivan 55/1 was runner-up over the weekend at an Asian Tour event staged at Foxhills in Surrey. As for those opting to test their skills on the Challenge Tour, one to consider is the up-and-coming Robin Williams 80/1."

Read the Punter's live blog for the latest betting news from both of this week's golf events