Beginning in 2019, the annual PGA Tour stop in Memphis will be a World Golf Championship event – unless there is a huge surprise at the Thursday, April 12, press conference the PGA has scheduled at the FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms.

Months ago, word got out that Memphis was a strong contender to land a WGC event. At that time, FedEx St. Jude Classic tournament director Darrell Smith said if Memphis did get a WGC event, it would dramatically enhance the field.

“Best of the best,” Smith told The Daily News. “Many Top 50 players.”

Tiger Woods never has played the FESJC, but there would be an improved chance of him playing a WGC event here.

This year’s FESJC will be held June 4-10 at TPC Southwind. Significant changes are expected to be made to the overall PGA calendar for 2019. The Bridgestone Invitational WGC event in Akron, Ohio, is believed to be the tournament Memphis is getting. Bridgestone’s sponsorship agreement runs out after 2018, according to Crain’s Cleveland Business.

Thursday’s press conference will feature PGA commissioner Jay Monahan, defending FedExCup winner Justin Thomas, FedEx president and COO David Bronczek, ALSAC/St. Jude president and CEO Richard Shadyac, and FESJC board chairman Jack Sammons.

Noted golf writer John Feinstein said in 2017 that FedEx had been lobbying for a WGC event, which is considered to be just a rung below golf’s Grand Slam tournaments.

The FESJC celebrated its 60th anniversary last year and FedEx revealed it was making a 10-year extension of its sponsorship agreement with the PGA.