St Jude Classic preview – Westwood, Toms, Spieth?
The St Jude Classic might be viewed as little more than a warm-up event for next week's US Open Championship, but oddly the world's top two golfers - one whom could surely use the practice - are giving TPC Southwind a swerve. Does that leave the door open for a Briton to win?
In the absence of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood is favourite for the Memphis tournament, at least according to the markets. You can understand the thinking; at No. 3 in the world, Westwood is the highest-ranking player teeing off here, and his recent record is hot, with four top-10 finishes in his last six outings in the US.
At his most recent tournament, the Players Championship, Westwood was tied for fourth place, and adding to the 37-year-old's reputation is that brilliant (if paradoxically agonising) record of two third-place finishes and a runner-up placing at his last three majors.
But while conventional wisdom would suggest it's only a matter of time before the Englishman wins another trophy, the fact remains that Westwood has a notoriously bad record for closing on US soil. In fact, Westwood has won only once on the PGA Tour - and that victory came in 1998, when he won the Freeport-McDermott Classic.
Maybe he's due his win, maybe not, but perhaps Westwood should have conserved his energies for next week's major - the last player to win the US Open who even competed at the St Jude Classic the week before was Payne Stewart, way back in 1999. Whatever, the punter may be better served backing Westwood as an each-way prospect this week. Of course, we seem to recall saying something similar about Justin Rose at last week's Memorial Tournament...
It's a tough game this seeing into the future lark. We tipped up Rory McIlroy last week, but he could only finish tied for 10th place at the Memorial. McIlroy himself felt pretty pleased with his game, and he's capable of improving on that placing here - but the 21-year-old is not the most consistent of performers, and odds of 14-1 for the outright win look a little frugal. There are other options.
By his own admission, last year's winner Brian g*y plays best in Texas and throughout the South - despite a disappointing season after a promising start in 2009, the 38-year-old looks to be approaching his best form again, tying for second place at last month's Byron Nelson Championship and shooting seven consecutive rounds in the 60s in the golf he's played immediately prior to this competition. All of which suggests it could pay to be at least a little Bri-curious.
David Toms is another former winner here - in fact Toms won twice on the trot, in 2003 and 2004, and was second to g*y at last year's competition. The 43-year-old's best days may be behind him, but he surely remains capable of contending at a course he's excelled at in previous years.
For those who like their odds more generous, or their wagers more quixotic, 16-year-old Jordan Spieth makes his second appearance on the PGA Tour this week. Spieth thrilled onlookers at the Byron Nelson Championship in April, tying for seventh place after the third round and attracting hordes of spectators who followed the amateur's every move over the weekend.
Though Spieth could eventually only finish tied for 16th place, the youngster showed talent, if not the composure required to hold on for a big finish. There's every chance he could flame out without even making the cut here, but the possibility that Spieth thrives on the big stage - allied with 125-1 odds - mean even a trifling wager on the kid to finish in the top 10 may just reap some modest reward.
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