For the better part of four decades, the FedEx St. Jude Championship has been a fixture on the PGA Tour schedule every August. It started as a regional tour, the Memphis Open in 1956, and grew into the tour’s marquee playoff events. Moreover, when FedEx sponsored the championship in 1986, it became the company’s first venture into sports anywhere. That run and history, however, now comes with an asterisk.

As reported by Jason Munz, the PGA Tour confirmed Wednesday that the FedEx St. Jude Championship will not be part of the new 15-event championship series set to launch in 2028. It effectively ends Memphis’ run as a top-tier stop after the 2027 edition. The announcement lands just a week before this year’s tournament that tees off at the TPC Southwind. Moreover, it leaves the event’s fate tied to the Tour’s second-tier Challenger Series instead.

Speaking to the Commercial Appeal, the Tour has released a statement: “FedEx has been a wonderful partner since 1986, and our relationship has evolved and innovated over the years. As we prepare for the FedEx St. Jude Championship next week and again in 2027, we remain in close conversation about the future of our partnership. We are grateful to FedEx for all its contributions to the sport and the positive impact they make in the community, including in Memphis with St. Jude.”

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Moreover, FedEx, whose title sponsorship deal runs out in 2027, has largely deferred to comment throughout the process. Moreover, St. Jude has yet to issue any public response to Wednesday’s news.

As reported previously, the update comes in accordance with the PGA structure. In June, the Tour unveiled a restructured 2028 calendar that would split the February to August schedule into two tiers: a premier Championship Series of roughly 15 events with expanded fields of 120 players and a 20-event Challenger series serving as a promotion pathway. After months of ambiguity, the updates confirm St. Jude’s will not be a part of the top-tier series.

To be clear, Memphis is not losing PGA Tour golf outright. The Tour has left the door open for TPC Southwind for possibly another Challenger Series event instead. Whether that reassurance holds up is the open question. A Challenger Series loss starts at a $4 million prize purse, roughly a fifth of what Memphis currently offers. Moreover, it comes without the FedExCup playoff spotlight the tournament has held since 2022.

Fans are not happy with the change. And reasonably so. The tournament has won several names and history on its way here. It began as the Memphis Open in 1958 and became the St. Jude Classic in 1970 after hospital founder Danny Thomas partnered with local leaders. The championship then added the FedEx name in 1986, becoming the company’s first-ever sports investment.

The fans braced for an attachment when the St. Jude Championship briefly ran as a World Golf Championship before being completely rebranded as the FedEx St. Jude Championship in 2022, as the Tour made it an official playoff opener. But 16 years into that identity, it’s already losing its top-tier status.

Moreover, the championship gave memorable moments for both fans and players here. Hall of Famers like Tom Kite, Fred Couples, and Nick Price have all won here. Moreover, John Cook’s 26-under-238 in 1996 still stands as the PGA Tour’s scoring record. That said, the championship has also done a lot for the city as it has for the sport. The event has raised more than $79 million for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital since 1970. The funds help the hospital treat families without ever billing them.

While the Tour remains open to newer options for Memphis, golf fans have not taken the news quietly.

Fans React to the News

One fan commented, “We keep losing more and more things that make the city vibrant. As a lifelong Memphian and loyal supporter of my city, idk how many more hits the people can take; this is crazy! FEDEX literally was built here.”

Reasonably so. The FedEx company’s headquarters sits practically next door to TPC Southwind, and Memphis is where FedEx first placed its bet in sports.

Another fan added, “Well…this is depressing.”

Memphis has hosted this event continuously since 1958, a 68-year run that’s never faced a demotion like this until now.

Another fan wrote, “Wow, end of an era basically,” and another added, 

“Incredibly disappointing!!! Now Memphis gets a glorified Korn Ferry tour stop.”

Another fan highlighted how the marquee event will now perhaps become isolated. Some fans also suspect that top tour pros will not be reaching for the championship once the change takes place.

Sports Business Journal’s Cameron Jourdan stuck a more measured tone. His outlet was first to report the decision Wednesday morning, ahead of the tour’s public confirmation.

“Looking like the Memphis PGA Tour event will be a bit different in the future.”

Other fans said the thread felt like a farewell to one of the city’s longest-running institutions. “Ughhh, what a sad thing to wake up to this morning. 🥲” “Very disappointing news.”