Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, & Predictions – The FedEx St. Jude Classic

Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions for The FedEx St. Jude Classic

2018 FedEx St. Jude Classic Fantasy Preview

Classic golf events deserve classic finales, and that’s exactly what the Memorial Tournament got on Sunday.

If we were to write up all of the changes at the top of the leaderboard on a manic final day at Muirfield Village then we would still be typing by the end of next week’s US Open, so instead we’ll summarize real quick and say that Patrick Cantlay had one hand on the trophy and blew it, as did Bryson DeChambeau, who three-putted the last – although he clung on to take his place in a playoff with Kyle Stanley and Byeong-hun An.

Stanley fell off on the first additional hole after a wayward tee shot gave him an almost unplayable lie for his second, and DeChambeau – who had struggled all day off the tee, finding just five fairways all round – suddenly found an extra gear and saw off the challenge from An with a solid 12-foot championship putt.

It was a second Tour win for the flat-cap wearing Californian; not bad for a guy who questioned whether he was good enough to play on the PGA TOUR last year after missing 14 straight cuts. He has answered his critics – and himself – and was even measured up for his Ryder Cup outfit in Ohio….

This is your one-week warning prior to the year’s second major, the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, and so this week’s event, the FedEx St. Jude Classic, will offer a fascinating insight into who is striking the ball nicely and is heading to Memphis to win, and who badly needs to find some form ahead of another expected grisly test in arguably the toughest major on the circuit.

History buffs will note there is the potential for something remarkable this week too: Daniel Berger, who has won here for the past two years, will be looking to complete an extraordinary three-peat. If he can, the 25-year-old would be the first player since Steve Stricker in 2011 to achieve the feat.

And don’t forget anyone who breaks into the top 60 of the world rankings this week will qualify for the US Open, so there is plenty on the line in Tennessee.

Daniel Berger plays a shot from a bunker on the 15th hole during the…

Daniel Berger plays a shot from a bunker on the 15th hole during the first round of the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club on May 3, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Last Week’s Fantasy Results 

It’s nice being back in the winner’s circle with our Bryson pick last week. We had a lot of confidence in him leading into the week and coupled with Rose (T7) along some solid sleepers, and your roster should have performed well.  In case you missed it, here’s was we had to say about Bryson leading into The Memorial Tournament:

When Bryson recorded a trio of top-five finishes in four starts earlier this year, we expected him to add a second PGA TOUR title to his collection at some point.

But it didn’t quite go to plan, and he appears to have cooled off lately with finishes of T37 and T42 at THE PLAYERS Championship and the Fort Worth Invitational respectively. But six of those eight rounds were at par or better, and so it’s hard to believe his form has deserted him completely.

A player well renowned for his scientific approach to picking his way around a golf course, Muirfield should suit Bryson’s game. He isn’t always at his best on Bentgrass, but his laser-like approach play should at least present him with plenty of opportunities.

Bryson DeChambeau poses with the trophy after winning The Memorial…

Bryson DeChambeau poses with the trophy after winning The Memorial Tournament Presented By Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 3, 2018 in Dublin, Ohio. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

The FedEx St. Jude Classic 2018 Field

Many of the world’s leading players have decided to hone their game away from the cameras in readiness for the US Open, and you can hardly blame them for that.

Even so, there are four big hitters in town – Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson – and each of them will be looking to get their hands on some silverware ahead of Open week.

Berger will of course try to claim a remarkable hat-trick, and he will be joined by a whole raft of talented twenty-somethings which includes Tony Finau, Peter Uihlein, Byeong-hun An and Beau Hossler.

Patton Kizzire and Adam Scott, world ranked 63 and 65 respectively, will be looking to achieve big weeks to crash the party at Shinnecock Hills, while Billy Horschel – with four top-10s at TPC Southwind in as many visits – will be looking to finally get a ticket to the champion’s party in Memphis.

Other notables include the irrepressible John Daly and Braden Thornberry, the talented youngster who returns on a sponsor exemption after finishing T4 here 12 months ago.

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This Week’s Course Preview

The PGA TOUR heads south from Ohio to Tennessee this week, with TPC Southwind – which has been upgraded to a WGC venue in time for the 2019 campaign – our host.

This is a 7,244 yard, Par 70 that rewards straight hitting, with natural lakes, streams and ponds very much in play on ten holes. Ron Pritchard was the original designer with assistance from Fuzzy Zoeller, while Loren Roberts was brought in during 2004 for a renovation which removed a number of trees and switched the former Bentgrass greens to Bermuda.

The fairways are Zoysia, that breed of grass usually found in Asia and parts of South Africa, while the greens are small in size and run fast on the stimp.

This is a picturesque layout that also holds plenty of menace: none of the last five champions here have bettered a winning mark of -13. The eleventh is a par 3 that mimics the island set-up at Sawgrass, while the fourteenth is regarded as one of the toughest par 3s on Tour; a 231-yard monster that some players will need to hit a wood or rescue club into.

The par 4 eighteenth features a fairway that is wholly flanked by water down its left-hand side, and so our winner this week will have to do things the hard way to get that paycheck in their pants pocket.

A general view of the 18th green during the final round of the FedEX…

A general view of the 18th green during the final round of the FedEX St. Jude Classic at the TPC Southwind on June 11, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Weather Forecast for Memphis, TN

Anyone that has spent time in Memphis at this time of year will already have a good idea of what the players can expect: sunshine, and lots of it.

All four days of the St Jude Classic are set fair, according to the early forecast, with sunny intervals and intermittent cloud serving up temperatures in the region of 90 degrees.

It will be hot around TPC Southwind, with minimal breeze – nothing more than 10 mph to trouble the players – and fewer trees on the course meaning that shelter is hard to find.

Last Year’s Results from The FedEx St. Jude Classic

Heading into the final round of the St Jude Classic last year, a staggering 21 players were all within four shots of the lead, and on a captivating Sunday at one point nine players all shared first place!

To break through that size of pack it typically takes an excellent performance, and Daniel Berger’s bogey-free 66 was certainly up to the task.

Overnight leaders Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Ben Crane and Stewart Cink could not capitalise on their position, shooting 71, 73 and 73 respectively, as Berger held off the challenge of Charl Schwartzel and Whee Kim to complete back-to-back victories at TPC Southwind.

Cabrera-Bello hung on for a share of T4 alongside the likes of Kevin Chappell, Chez Reavie, Billy Horschel and Braden Thornberry.

Daniel Berger fires a 3-under 67 to win the FedEx St. Jude

In the final round of the 2016 FedEx St. Jude Classic, Daniel Berger shoots a 3-under 67 to win the title by 3 strokes over Brooks Koepka, Steve Stricker, and Phil Mickelson. . SUBSCRIBE to PGA TOUR now: http://pgat.us/vBxcZSh Welcome to the official YouTube channel of the PGA TOUR.

Where to Play Fantasy Golf for The FedEx St. Jude Classic this Week

All eyes are on the US Open now, let’s face it, and that is reflected in a low-quality field this week.

But that brings opportunities too, and we would like to think that with our comprehensive studying we can make the most of an event where the big guns are largely noticeable by their absence.

• PGA $250k Fore: With a field as sparse as this, we can take a calculated risk that our greater research will yield dividends. So, for $4, we can attempt to win the $50k first prize safe in the knowledge that the top 25% walk away with a $6 minimum to roll over to next week.
• PGA $20k Birdie: If the theme this week is maximizing our chances of cashing – even if that’s just 2x – ahead of the US Open then this $3 contest fits the bill. It’s a 20-entry max affair, with the top 22.5% of players doubling their money at the very least.

This Week’s Fantasy Notes for The FedEx St. Jude Classic

We’re in Par 70 territory this week, and that gives an indication of the kinds of players we should be considering in Memphis.

Par 4 scoring is a necessity, and particularly bogey avoidance too as TPC Southwind is anything but a doddle. Berger didn’t shoot a round lower than 66, but he made just nine bogeys in the 72 holes he played. Indeed, he was a lowly T34 at the halfway stage, but a run of ten birdies and two bogeys over the course of the weekend was enough to get the job done.

The Par 70 element suits players who have a habit of showing up at the shorter tracks where they can’t be overpowered with only two par 5s available. The Sony Open is a short Par 70 which has been won by the likes of David Toms and Fabian Gomez, who also have triumphed here at TPC Southwind, while the OHL Classic at Mayakoba – a Par 71 but one that’s less than 7000 yards long – shows Brian Gay and Harris English as dual champions with this St Jude Classic.

That potential link was added further weight with Patton Kizzire winning both the OHL and the Sony; he will be looking for a hat-trick of his own to rival Berger’s this week.

Our Top 5 (and Top 2 Sleeper) Fantasy Picks and Odds to Win The FedEx St. Jude Classic

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Fantasy Golf Predictions This Season (2017-2018)

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