MEMPHIS, Tenn — There is less than 30 days before the beginning of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, running Aug. 15-18. The crew at TPC Southwind is busy preparing for the annual golf tournament that marks the beginning of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Thursday, the grounds held media day to showcase new attractions coming to the golf course during the tournament. The crown jewel? A brand new overlook aptly named The Bluff at Hole 14.
"(It's) the last par three on TPC Southwind, really where we think the tournament gets won or lost frankly," said Joe Tomek, executive director of the golf tournament.
The hole is beside a pond, where Tomek and his crew have built a dock to allow patrons a beautiful view of putts on the 14th green banked by the water. At the top of the dock is the popular Bubbles and Birdies concession stand with food from chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman.
On the other side of the pond and green is a shaded bleacher sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield, where fans can cool off with refreshments, fans and sunscreen. Michelob Ultra also has a tent on 14 where fans can get a custom beer koozie.
"We're trying to create a bit of a lively atmosphere for those that might not like golf," Tomek said. "Maybe they love it, maybe they don't, but showing people that you can have a lot of fun on a golf tournament, whether you're a fan or not."
The 14th green will also feature appearances from University of Memphis athletes, thanks to FedEx's new N.I.L. agreement with the school. It will pay off to be the early bird. The first 250 fans to the hole each day will receive an exclusive giveaway.
The tournament is also welcoming in new fan gear vendors. At the fan shop near Hole 18, fans can grab merch from clothiers like Trap Golf and Peter Millar or new brands like Golf is Dope, Eastside Golf and Lulu Lemon.
The golf tournament comes once a year, and the FedEx St. Jude Championship are putting the finishing touches on a year's worth of preparation. The golf course and tournament have spent the last four months putting up tents and attractions to prepare for the flood of golf fans to Memphis.
"Our team's job is for one week a year," Tomek said. "So we plan 51 weeks out of the year for that 52nd week, and we love what we do, and we're really good at it, too. A labor of love is what we like to call it."
