This week’s layout, the TPC Southwind, has been one of the toughest courses on the PGA Tour in recent times — ranking in, or near, the Top 10 over the last five seasons. Last year the scoring average was 70.93 (Par 70), which made it the 9th toughest course on the PGA Tour – including the Majors.
| YEAR | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RANK | 9 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 9 |
| WINNING SCORE | -13 | -10 | -12 | -9 | -13 |
TPC BY THE NUMBERS
Looking at some key stats of the recent winners, a common theme seems to be the ability for one to scramble — which makes sense, given the difficulty of the terrain.
Of the most recent five champions, three have placed in the Top 3 for Scrambling; four in the Top 10; and all five in the Top 20.
| YEAR | PLAYER | GIR | SCRAMBLING | SG:PUTTING | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Fabian Gomez | T-8 | 8 | 17 | -13 |
| 2014 | Ben Crane | T-47 | 2 | 1 | -10 |
| 2013 | Harris English | T-9 | T-17 | 19 | -12 |
| 2012 | Dustin Johnson | T-4 | 3 | 46 | -9 |
| 2011 | Harrison Frazar | T-8 | 1 | 3 | -13 |
A look back at how the five last FedEx St Jude Classic Champions pulled out their win.
2015 – Fabian Gomez
The 37 year old had started the final round last year atop the leaderboard, tied at 9-under with Greg Owen, who was also searching for his first win on the PGA Tour. The Argentinian went on to shoot a 68 (-4) for a four-stroke victory.
2014 – Ben Crane
Being one of the Golf Boys, definitely helped his fame a bit, but a wire-to-wire win helped him a lot more. He hadn’t won since the 2011 McGladrey Classic. With 30 holes to play on the final day, due to weather delays, he put up a 3-over 73 to win by one stroke over Troy Merritt.
2013 – Harris English
The 26 year old had begun the day in second place but faltered over the front nine. However, four birdies on the back helped him grab his first win on the PGA Tour.
2012 – Dustin Johnson
One of the most talented players to ever play this game, the win was his 6th PGA Tour victory. It was only his second event coming off a back injury, which cost him close to three months away from the game. He won by shooting a final round 4-under 66 to win by a single stroke over John Merrick.
2011- Harrison Frazar
Frazar had started the final round one stroke behind Robert Karlsson. With a one stroke lead on the 18th, he carded a bogey and had to go into a playoff with the Swede Karlsson. After matching birdie for birdie over the first two holes, Frazar’s par on the third hole was good enough for his first PGA Tour win.
