Having traded pars on the 18th to open up extra holes, the two returned to the tee. Zalatoris missed his tee shot to the right and could have easily gone out of bounds. Meanwhile, Straka found the danger — narrowly avoiding the water covering the left side of the runway in the process. Both would eventually do unconventional lots, but that’s where things would stop being normal. With Zalatoris’ tee shot finding (and inexplicably staying) the rocks in the hazard at the par-3 11th, it set the stage for Straka to claim his second PGA Tour title of the season. However, in a surprising moment, he too found the penalty area. Straka couldn’t find the green on his third shot and with his compound errors, Zalatoris’ maiden victory was firmly in his grasp. It’s almost poetic that Zalatoris’ first trip to the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour took such a turn, as his path to his spot was as bumpy as they come. While he is the reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, the Wake Forest product was omitted from last season’s FedEx Cup Playoffs because he was not a full-time member. Since then, he has added disappointment after disappointment, losing in a playoff to Justin Thomas at the PGA Championship and just missing one at the US Open. Inevitably, he felt it would happen again after his tee shot on the final playoff hole, but the golf gods had a way of intervening. Like Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele, the more one pitches late Sunday, the more often breaks — or should I say bounces — go their way. This is especially true for Zalatoris, as it was never a matter of “if” he would win on the PGA Tour, but rather “when.” His moment finally arrived at TPC Southwind. With the title of the St. Jude, has climbed to the top of the FedEx Cup standings. Now, he has the opportunity to follow in Patrick Cantlay’s footsteps and cross the finish line at East Lake and lift the FedEx Cup crown. Grade: A+ Here is the breakdown of the rest of the standings in the St. Jude 2022 2. Sep Straka (-15): Coming into the week off six straight missed cuts, if you told Straka he’d have a 9 in hand with a chance to win the tournament, he would have taken it in stride. He showed tremendous determination down the stretch, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot to match Zalatori, who was on the team ahead of him. Ultimately, it wasn’t meant to be, but his game shows the ungodly depth he’s currently on the PGA Tour. It also shows that a player’s luck can change every week. Grade: A+ T3. Lucas Glover: Was No. 121 at the start of the St. Louis Championship. Jude and will leave Memphis just outside the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings. Without a top-20 finish since the Texas Open in April, the former US Open champion played his best golf of the season at the most crucial time. While his bogey on the 72nd hole might make dinner taste a little sour, in the grand scheme of the postseason, it was a remarkably complicit performance. “It’s cool,” Glover said. “A few years ago I was in a similar situation and I had, you know, a good week and a half and ended up in Atlanta. That was kind of in the back of my head and I thought, you know, I’ve just got to make it. for next week and then everyone has a chance.” Grade: A+ T5. Tony Finau (-11): Trying to become the first man to successfully defend a title in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Finau put in a big effort. Coming off a win in his third straight start, the four-time PGA Tour winner should be on the list of likely players to lift the trophy at East Lake. As was the case last month, Finau’s game has been strong throughout the bag and could be on the cusp of a postseason run. Grade A T5. Adam Scott (-11): He entered week 77 of the FedEx Cup standings and played well inside the top-70 cutoff with his top-five result. The Australian did not play very often during the 2021-22 regular season and the game plan has proved fruitful. He should have plenty in the tank as he looks to break into the top 30 next week at the BMW Championship before serving as a veteran presence for the International Team at the Presidents Cup in September. “I played really bad yesterday and somehow got a decent score, and to turn it around and play solid today and give myself a chance to go through,” Scott said. “I’m happy with that. I’m going to play four rounds next week. And my golf was really good and I’m not taking anything from that. I feel like even though I don’t win this event, I feel like I’m getting something out of the week, so hopefully that it’s good for the confidence coming into next week and to somehow have a big week and get through to East Lake.” Grade A T5. Jon Rahm (-11): The former world No. 1 has had a quiet season with just one win, but he may be on to something. Completing the Championship of St. Jude with a round of 4-under 66, Rahm notched another top-10 result in the FedEx Cup Playoffs and could be one to watch at the BMW Championship. He’s been his normal, steady self from tee to green around TPC Southwind, and his lack of natural knowledge of the players at Wilmington Country Club may help his efforts on the greens against the competition. Grade: B+ T13. Cameron Smith (-9): He was the betting favorite overnight, but before he even hit a golf ball, Smith saw his name drop from 11 under to 9 under. Assessing a two-stroke penalty 30 minutes off the tee Sunday for an improper drop during his third round, the reigning Golfer of the Year was immediately put behind the eight ball. He did his best to pull it off as he made a birdie in his gaping hole, but finally stopped. It would be a big day for Smith. with a win, he would have moved up to world No. 1 and FedEx No. 1, and would have been the prohibitive favorite to win player of the year. Instead, he’ll have to wait until next week for another chance to pull off such feats. Grade: B T13. Justin Thomas (-9): The 2020 winner at TPC Southwind never threatened the leaders as a poor third round was his undoing. After opening with rounds of 67, Thomas signed for a 1-over 71 on Saturday. Despite the disappointment, the former FedEx Cup champion should take plenty of positives into the final two weeks of the season. Posting a top-20 finish, Thomas tied for fourth in strokes gained winning the green thanks to outstanding efforts both off the tee and around the green. If he is to try a standard effort with his irons next week, he should have a realistic chance of capturing his second BMW Championship. Grade: B-