2018 FedEx St. Jude Classic Betting Preview

The PGA enters its final warmup event leading up to the U.S. Open with the FedEx St. Jude Classic from TPC Southwind. This is one of the toughest courses that the Tour visits this year. Bogey and double-bogey rate are near their highest on this course, with water in play on 11 of the 18 holes. Over the last 15 years, no course has seen more golfers send balls into the water on the PGA Tour. The field this week is surprisingly soft, with Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson and Daniel Berger (who has won here the last two years). After that, many of the top players are taking the week off before the U.S. Open. If you’re going to do well at TPC Southwind, you need to hit accurately off the tee, because of the emphasis on quality approach shots. A lot of players will club down from the tee box because of water hazards and dense rough, because of the importance of placement in the fairway. There are only two par-five holes here, so you want to look at golfers who do well on the par-four holes. Check out our golf betting insights into several golfers you should put on your betting card.

2018 FedEx St. Jude Classic Betting Preview

Daniel Berger offers +2800 odds — and the only real reason to think about him is his chance at the three-peat. He did crack the top 20 at the Houston Open in April, but he has not looked particularly good since then. However, he has made 13 of his last 14 cuts, and he ranks in the top 50 in the Tour in greens in regulation percentage. Lee Trevino and Dave Hill have won this tournament at least three times — and Berger has the chance to become the third. Phil Mickelson had a solid tournament last week, and he has five top-25 finishes in his last seven tournaments. He ranks third in birdie average and fifth in sand save percentage. He was the runner-up here in 2013 and 2016. He offers +1400 odds here, and given his consistency as of late and on this course, he has a real shot to make a splash here. Chez Reavie is a real dark horse at the St. Jude Classic with +7000 odds. He did start the year well, and so he ranks third overall in driving accuracy percentage, which could help him at this course. In his last three appearances at the St. Jude Classic, he has finished in the top 27, and his finishes has improved in each of the last three years. He didn’t look good in the Fort Worth Invitational and has not seen a top-25 finish since New Orleans’ Zurich Classic. However, he finished fourth here last year. Charles Howell III had a dreadful Memorial Tournament last week, but he has cracked the top 21 in six of his last eight tournaments. At the St. Jude Classic, he has four top-30 finishes in his last six appearances, and he came in third in 2011. Howell offers +4500 odds, which makes him a value pick here — given his performance on this course. Billy Horschel is a solid golfer — when he makes the cut. In four of his last five events where he has made it into the weekend, he has finished in the top 25, and he already has a win this season at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. At the St. Jude Classic, he has four straight top-10 finishes, including a fourth-place result in 2017. His odds of +2800 make him a solid value choice.