MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With all eyes in the sports world on Memphis, the FedEx St. Jude Invitational delivered an unforgettable debut.
“I think it’s an A all the way around. It was a fabulous week and weekend. There’s been a lot of preparation going into the first playing of the World Golf Championship here in Memphis. We had great community support,” Executive Director Darrell Smith said.
Perhaps more than any other aspect, that’s where Memphis shined the most. There were waves of fans that flooded TPC Southwind.
While turnout officials wouldn’t provide an exact number of guests in attendance, they said they were pleased with how fans turned out.
“We’re extremely impressed by the turnout. We thought that the community came out and supported the tournament, but we also identified that there’s a lot more room on this golf course for a lot more people,” Smith said.
As for the course itself. It hosted the most talented field in Memphis history, and the professionals enjoyed the experience.
“This was great. The golf course is going to hold its own. It looks like you’re going to have a great champion here no matter what,” Tony Finau, who finished 27th, said.
“This golf course I think really brings out some of the better players. That’s what this golf course is going to give you,” 2019 winner Brooks Koepka said.
Now the cleanup process begins. Officials say the course won’t be completely taken down until September.
“We’ll take a little bit of time to catch our breath. But we’re already thinking about 2020,” Smith said.
