FedEx St. Jude Classic:
Location: Memphis Tennessee
Course: TPC Southwind
Par: 70
Length: 7,244 yards
Prize Pool: $5,700,000
Last Years Champion: Dustin Johnson
The FedEx St. Jude Classic is the final PGA Tour stop before the U.S. Open, and promises to put competitors to the test. Last year, TPC Southwind played as the most difficult par 70 of the 13 PGA Tour events. Due in part to the length of the course and the small putting surfaces, only 57% of greens were hit in regulation last year. The course undoubtedly favors long hitters as well as those who are able to effectively get up and down from around the green. Taking this into consideration, here's a look at my top picks this week:
Brandt Snedeker - He's already racked up 6 top 10 finishes this season and although he missed the cut at Muirfield, I don't think that's a sign of weakness for Snedeker this week. The Nashville native is 10th in fairways hit and 11th in GIR, two abilities that will be very beneficial at this weeks challenging course.
Jimmy Walker - With TPC Southwind favoring the longer hitters, Walker should be in good position as the 11th longest hitter on Tour this season. With 4 top 10 finishes already, I think he's ready to step up his game and play some great golf this week.
Jason Kokrak - As with many of my picks this week, Kokrak is another big hitter off the tee, averaging over 300 yards. I think he'll be putting that skill to good use this week as he looks to improve upon his seasons best 8th place finish.
Josh Teater - Although he's been a little inconsistent so far this season, Teater finished T7 at Colonial and has a great record of finding greens in regulation, where he sits in 36th spot on Tour. I think this will be a stand out week for him.
Scott Stallings - Gaining momentum as of late, Stallings is coming off two consecutive T4 finishes, which I fully expect he'll be looking to improve upon this week. He's been playing consistently, which is something I love to see. He's familiar with this course and should be ready to step up to the plate.
Robert Karlsson - With some bittersweet history at TPC Southwind, Karlsson has twice found himself in a playoff (in 2010 & 2011) but unfortunately lost on both occasions. Still a non-winner on the PGA TOUR, I think Karlsson is playing well this season and will be looking to once and for all conquer this event.
Here's a look at my completed fantasy picks:
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This article was written by Scott Stevens and is part of the Eat Sleep Golf - Fantasy Golf series which focuses on introducing upcoming PGA Tour events as well as evaluating the field of players. We encourage you to comment below and/or join in the conversation with us on Twitter using #FantasyGolf & #PGATour. Be sure to connect with us @EatSleepGolf