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Ranking the St. Jude Classic field: Course horses lead the way

Scott Halleran / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The 156-man field is set and ready to take on TPC Southwind for the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn. Though numerous golfers withdrew earlier in the week because of U.S. Open qualifying, some notable names are still preparing for next week's major.

TPC Southwind is a 7,244-yard par-70 that requires accuracy off the tee and a strong approach game to hit the smaller-than-average greens. With an abundance of water hazards and bunkers, avoiding disaster is crucial to sitting near the top of the leaderboard.

Here, we rank the field's top 10 players (betting odds in parentheses).

10. Ben Crane (80-1)

Crane's history at TPC Southwind is impressive. He's made seven of eight cuts, including five top-20 finishes and a win in 2014. The 42-year-old is also playing great golf as of late, tying for eighth and 11th at the Fort Worth Invitational and Texas Open, respectively.

9. Billy Horschel (22-1)

Speaking of impressive course history, look no further than Horschel. The dude rakes at TPC Southwind, with four-straight top-10 finishes, including his tie for fourth last season. Horschel won a few weeks ago, albeit in the Zurich Classic team event, but has also made four of his last five cuts on Tour.

8. Luke List (28-1)

List is the statistical darling of 2018. He's third in strokes gained: tee to green for the season, which ranks behind only Dustin Johnson in the field. His familiarity with Tennessee can't hurt either - he went to Vanderbilt and attended high school in the state. List tied for 18th at the St. Jude Classic last year.

7. Kiradech Aphibarnrat (35-1)

Aphibarnrat - one of the most polarizing figures in golf - is in a perfect spot to pick up his first win on North American soil. The 28-year-old Thailand native is playing great lately, finishing tied for 13th at last week's Memorial and tied for fifth at the BMW PGA Championship in England two weeks ago. His elite putting ability on Bermuda grass will put him into contention.

6. Tony Finau (20-1)

The entire golf world awaits Finau's breakout week, and it could finally arrive. His skills are off the charts, as evidenced by his ability to consistently show up in big-time events. He's only missed two cuts since last year's Players Championship. Though he's never played TPC Southwind before, he fits the mold of the type of golfer who can win this event.

5. Daniel Berger (28-1)

The two-time winner of the St. Jude Classic is looking to make it a three-peat. Berger's two titles at TPC Southwind are his only wins on Tour, making him an obvious favorite regardless of his current form. The 25-year-old hasn't had a top-15 finish since early March, but he did gain 7.5 strokes on approach shots last week at the Memorial, indicating his game is taking shape.

4. Dustin Johnson (13-2)

Johnson is the clear betting favorite entering the week, having won the St. Jude Classic in 2012 with two other top-10 finishes since. However, in 2015, he withdrew from the event with an illness, and was seen shortly after preparing for the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. Perhaps he is another slow start away from quickly turning his attention to next week's major at Shinnecock Hills.

3. Henrik Stenson (11-1)

Stenson makes his first trip back to TPC Southwind since 2012 when he tied for 13th. Few golfers in the world are playing better than the 42-year-old Swede, with three top-six finishes in his last five appearances to go along with a tied-for-13th result last week. A win this week prior to contending at next week's U.S. Open is very possible.

2. Phil Mickelson (16-1)

A strong showing at this week's St. Jude Classic would go a long way for Mickelson, who aims to finally take down the career grand slam next week. Lefty's track record at TPC Southwind is remarkable, featuring two runner-up finishes and a tie for third within the past five years. His worst finish over that stretch is a tie for 11th. As long as he leaves the long-sleeve button-up shirt at home, he will be in the mix Sunday.

1. Brooks Koepka (9-1)

The defending U.S. Open champion is hitting his stride. Koepka followed a strong showing at The Players with a runner-up result in Fort Worth. The 28-year-old has finished second and third at TPC Southwind within the last three years and needs all the FedEx Cup points he can get, so expect him in the hunt all week long.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
(Odds courtesy: Bodog)

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