Some golfers are using this week’s FedEx St. Jude Classic as a tune up for next week’s US Open. But for Daniel Berger, it’s about much more, as he’s aiming to win his third consecutive tournament at the TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.
Berger’s not getting much respect, however, as the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has the rising star as only a 20/1 pick to win.
The favorite, by comparison, is 33-year-old Dustin Johnson at 6/1. He’s also the 9/1 pick to win the US Open next week.
Johnson, who lost his No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Rankings to Justin Thomas a couple weeks ago, won the St. Jude Classic in 2012. He didn’t play last year, however, as he was still recovering from a back injury.
Other top picks include Brooks Koepka, the current US Open defending champion, at 8/1, Henrik Stenson at 10/1, and Phil Mickelson at 14/1.
Odds Against Three-Peat
If Berger were to win this week in Memphis, it would be the first time since 2011 that a PGA Tour player has won the same event three years in a row. The last person to accomplish that was Steve Stricker, who finished first at the John Deere Classic from 2009-2011.
At just age 25, Berger has a chance become the 27th professional to achieve a three-peat.
I’m excited to coming back here,” Berger said. “I think a lot of it reminds me of the golf course I grew up on. Bermuda greens, a lot of familiar tee shots. It reminds me of being home in Florida.”
However, Berger has struggled this year. In his last four events, his best finish was a tie for 32nd at the Masters. His last event was the Players Championship, where he finished tied for 57th.
But that might not matter. Last year Berger came to TPC Southwind after a similar start to 2017 — having tied for 65th at the Players, and tied for 27th at the Masters.
He then put together rounds of 70, 68, 66, and 66 to win by a stroke. This is the only tournament he has won in his career and he said earlier this week that it was definitely nice returning.
Not-So-Dark Horses
Other golfers seem equally comfortable at this layout. One of them is Mickelson, who has never won here, but since 2013 has posted two ties for second and a tie for third.
“I really, really enjoy this golf course,” Mickelson said. “I think it’s the most underrated one on tour. “It’s quickly become one of my favorite events.”
Koepka is another player that has taken a liking to this event. In the past three years, the 28 year old has a tie for second and a tie for third.
A dark horse to look at this week might be Peter Uihlein. He finished fifth in the Memorial against tougher competition and also had a tie for fifth two weeks prior at the Wells Fargo Championship. He is going off at 30/1.