THE FAVORITES
Dustin Johnson, – Equally as famous for his off the course activities, Johnson is being tipped to win the Memphis tournament. The 31-year-old, who has already racked up 12 PGA Tour titles, including the 2012 FedEx St. Jude Classic, has been playing well as of late – with a Top 3 finish at the Memorial Tournament.
Odds: 7-1
Phil Mickelson – The cagey 5-time Major Champion is considered one of the favorites to take home the trophy (and $1.1M in cash). Even though the 45-year-old veteran has played relatively inconsistent this year, according to his own lofty standards, Lefty’s results at the Memorial tournament, where he seemed to be in good form, suggests the betting odds make sense.
Odds: 13-1
Brooks Koepka – Rounding out the top three is the West Palm Beach-born Koepka. Despite having lost in the playoff to Garcia at the AT&T Byron Nelson, the 26-year-old finished in the Top 20 in each of his last two outings – and the Florida State grad should be eager to prove he belongs on the big stage.
Odds: 14-1
SURPRISE PICKS
Gary Woodland – The 32-year-old, and two-time PGA Tour winner, could be the surprise pick at FedEx St. Jude Classic. Woodland has put together some great performances heading into this event. At last week’s Memorial, the Kansas-born pro finished in a tie for fourth place, only two strokes behind the winner, William McGirt – and essentially tied (+/-1) with a group which included big names such as Rory McIlroy, Johnson, Patrick Reed, Keegan Bradley, and Matt Kuchar. Additionally, Woodland sits at #64 in the world rankings and needs to jump into the Top 60 to get a ticket to the U.S. Open.
Odds: 20-1
Chad Campbell – The veteran could be another surprise at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, as he’s had plenty of success playing at TPC Southwind, especially in his last six starts where he hasn’t missed a cut. The 42-year-old’s best finish in Memphis was in 2012, where he finished in the third spot, tied with Ryan Palmer, Davis Love III and Nick O’Hern. Even though Campbell is listed as somewhat of a long shot, it’d be no surprise to see the Texas-born golfer shine big in Memphis.
Odds: 60-1
All in all, FedEx St. Jude Classic has all the ingredients to give pro golf fans an exciting battle over the next several days, where they’ll watch some of the world’s top golfer’s compete for a trophy and money – as well as big momentum, heading into the U.S Open.
