Welcome to the 60th edition of the FedEx St. Jude Classic, otherwise known as either a U.S. Open tune-up or a last-gasp effort to make it into the U.S. Open field.
A weak-field event, the FESJ includes six of the top 30 golfers in the current FedEx Cup standings and eight of the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking: Rickie Fowler (9), Adam Scott (12), Francesco Molinari (16), Charl Schwartzel (21), Brooks Koepka (22), Phil Mickelson (23), Kevin Chappell (26) and Rafa Cabrera-Bello (30).
Players face a stern test this week ahead of their U.S. Open final exam (should they be lucky enough to sit for it). TPC Southwind has been the most formidable non-major par-70 track on Tour in two of the last five years. Beyond mere course difficulty, players face sweltering Tennessee summer heat and a heaping helping of humidity this week. Add to that 2.5’’ Bermudagrass rough and two fewer par-5s, where strokes can be salvaged, than the traditional layout, and you begin to appreciate the challenge.
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TPC Southwind is a Ron Prichard, Fuzzy Zoeller, and Hubert Green creation from the late 80s. Looking for that combination of hands elsewhere on Tour is futile, as this is their only effort. Loren Roberts renovated the course in 2004, mostly installing Bermudagrass greens and ripping out trees.
Nobody finds the fairway with any great frequency at TPC Southwind, and it’s difficult for players to distinguish themselves with their work off the tee. Instead, this is another positional, approach-shot orientated course where iron play from 125 to 200 yards is critical.
If you want to go chalk…
Roster Rickie! Fowler ($12,000) is coming off a tied-for-second finish at the Memorial. He’s finished no worse than 16th in seven of his last eight starts. Fowler tied for 13th in his only FedEx St. Jude start. He’s the Tour’s leader in total strokes gained and is fifth in strokes gained: approach-the-green. At $12,000, you should be able to fill a roster without digging too deep into the bargain bin.
Top-of-the-line considerations
Francesco Molinari: $10,500
Molinari arrives after a second-place showing at the BMW PGA Championship. His recent form on the PGA Tour has been excellent with top-25 finishes in his last three starts. He’s second in strokes gained: approach and fourth in strokes gained: tee-to-green. He tied for 34th in his only FedEx St. Jude start. And he makes birdies in bunches (11th in BoB%).
Phil Mickelson: $10,200
The No. 20 golfer in the world, Mickelson has finished 30th-or-better in four of his last five starts. And from a course form standpoint, Mickelson has notched top-5 finishes in three of his last four starts. Mickelson is 14th in strokes gained: approach and 20th in strokes gained: total. Roster the veteran in this weak field event.
Birdie Brigade
Birdies are the name of the game in GPPs. Field leaders in birdie or better percentage.
4. Rickie Fowler ($12,000)
7. Brooks Koepka ($11,500)
8. Scott Piercy ($8,500)
9. Phil Mickelson ($10,200)
11. Francesco Molinari ($10,500)
Recommended Lineup
Francesco Molinari: $10,500
Molinari finished second at the BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour in his most recent action. He tied for sixth at The Players in his last PGA Tour start and has been on a run of excellent form. The Italian made his first career start at the FESJ last year, tying for 34th. Molinari has been a high-quality iron striker this year and is currently second in strokes gained: approach-the-green and fourth in strokes gained-tee-to green.
Phil Mickelson: $10,200
See above. You have to drop down to Kevin Chappell at $8,800 for a player approaching what Mickelson brings to the table. He’s a great play from pedigree, recent form, course history, and key stats standpoints.
Stewart Cink: $8,000
Cink arrives on the strength of top-25 finishes in three of his last four starts. He’s never missed the cut at the FedEx St. Jude. He’s an excellent fit for the course: 12th in strokes gained: approach, 18th in strokes gained: total, and 18th in greens in regulation.
Peter Uihlein: $7,200
Making a rare second start in a row on the PGA Tour, Uihlein tied for 25th at the Memorial last week. He’s finished 35th-or-better in his last eight starts in combined PGA Tour/European Tour play. While he’s never played the FESJ before, lack of course history is a regular occurrence for the son of Titleist’s CEO.
Danny Lee: $7,200
D. Lee has finished top 10 in two of his last three starts, and the New Zealand native has made the cut in both of his FESJ starts. He’s 48th in strokes gained: approach, which has him respectably positioned in this weak field.
Willy Wilcox: $6,800
Willy tied for 27th at the AT&T Byron Nelson in his most recent PGA Tour action. He placed inside the top 20 in two of his three starts at TPC Southwind. While he’s not a statistical standout, roster him as a low-priced horse for the course.
Ben Alberstadt is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Ben, check out his archive and follow him @BenAlberstadt.
