Golf fans are in for a treat this week as the PGA tour treks to the great state of Tennessee for the 2015 edition of the FedEx St. Jude Classic. It’s bound to be one thrilling competition as 15 former major winners will be teeing it off at this event, led by the ever-popular Phil Mickelson.
In such a tight and exciting race, who will emerge victorious? Read on below as we list down three high-value sleeper picks who we think can grab the title this weekend. While you’re at it, you can check out our in-depth preview of the 2015 St. Jude Classic here.
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2015 FedEx St. Jude Classic Sleeper Picks and Predictions
[sc:Golf240banner ]Brooks Koepka has had a solid start to the season thus far, finishing in the top 20 in four of his 10 starts this year, including a fabulous victory at the Phoenix Open last January. He shot a 15-under-par total of 269 in that event to beat Ryan Palmer by a single shot. Key to Koepka’s excellent play this year has been his phenomenal driving. He is 10th in the PGA Tour in driving distance, averaging 304.3 yards per drive this season. That will come in handy when tackling the 7,239-yard, par-70 TPC Southwind course.
What makes Koepka (+2,200) such an enticing pick this week is his recent success at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. He finished in a tie for 19th in this event last year, shooting a four-under-par total of 276 including a magical 67 in the final round. With the form that he is in right now and the experience that he has in this tournament, look for Koepka to be in contention come the back nine on Sunday afternoon.
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Ryan Palmer
One golfer who can definitely surprise this week is American Ryan Palmer (+1,400). The 38-year-old is having a spectacular season, finishing in the top-10 in four of his 12 starts this year. He finished tied for 10th in his last start at the Byron Nelson tournament, shooting a 10-under-par total of 267.
Like Koepka, Palmer’s main weapon this year has been his booming drive. He is 13th in the PGA Tour in driving distance, averaging 302.8 yards per drive. Thanks to that extreme length off the tee, Palmer is now ninth in total strokes gained this season with a 1.382 clip. He is also fifth in the PGA Tour in scoring with a solid 69.862 average. With Palmer in such a rich vein of form, the American is a solid pick to win the title this weekend.
Troy Merritt
If there’s one golfer primed for a breakthrough win at the FedEx St. Jude Classic this week, it’s got to be Troy Merritt (+10,000). The American came agonizingly close in this event last year, shooting a nine-under-par total of 271 to finish one stroke back of eventual champion Ben Crane. Merritt’s much-improved short game was the main reason behind that second-place finish and that improved facet of his game has enabled the 29-year-old to soar to new heights this season on Tour as well.
He has finished in the top-6 in his two of his last eight starts, including a third-place finish at the RBC Heritage last April. He has managed to accomplish that feat thanks to his ever-reliable putting. He is seventh in the PGA Tour in strokes gained with putting with an impressive .607 clip.
That will be a major asset when dealing with the slick and tricky greens of the famous TPC Southwind course. If he can get his putter going quickly, don’t be surprised to see Merritt climb the leaderboard in no time.
