Golf action never stops as the PGA Tour continues this week in Tennessee, where the 2016 FedEx St. Jude Classic will be staged Familiar names litter the tournament field, but there also lesser known players, who we should be paying some attention, too. Let’s look at three of them below.
Can Steele steal a win at TPC Southwind? While he can be easily go unnoticed by bettors looking to cash in on the tournament, Steele nonetheless can be considered a dark horse. Steele, who is currently tied for 20th in the Memorial, has two T13 finishes in three tournaments prior to the Muirfield Village event. He’s missed the cut four times this season, but his recent form suggest that things are about to get better for Steele.
With seven missed cuts to date this season, Hoge (+appears to be a fit for a long shot label. That being said, the five-year pro is playing better golf of late. After missing the cut in the Puerto Rican Open, Hoge has finished inside the top 50 in each of the succeeding three tournaments, including a T17 in the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational. He also has two top 10 finishes on the season, firing a T9 in the RSM Classic back in November and another T9 in the Valero Texas Open late April.
Philip Barbaree Jr.
It’s all right if you haven’t heard of Philip Barbaree Jr.’s name. Perhaps only hardcore golf fans know who the kid is. Barbaree is just 17 years old and will make his PGA Tour debut at TPC Southwind this Thursday. Not many people expect Barbaree to win the event, but he’s the reigning U.S. Junior Amateur champion and is ranked as the second-best junior golfer on the planet. That’s some cool credentials to bring up once people start asking you why you risked money on a 17-year-old.
