Preview: St. Jude Classic

That is my name...No I'm not

The PGA TOUR bus makes a stop in Memphis, Tenn., this week for the St. Judes Classic at TPC Southwind. Since it’s the last event before the US Open, most of the really good players will be at home watching Phil’s “Secrets of the Short Game” video and getting last-minute practice in before next week…some without a coach (had to get a Tiger reference in here somewhere).

TPC Southwind is a par 70, 7244-yard course that ranked 20th in difficulty on last year’s tour. Even though it’s not a highly anticipated event, the winner still gets to take home $1,008,000 of the $5.6 million purse and 500 FedEx points. That’s not chump change…especially when only 3 of the Top 10 in points, money list and WGR are in the field (not the same 3 dudes).

Brian Gay, defending champ, is in the field and will need to duplicate his putting performance from a year ago if he wants to repeat. Gay isn’t the longest hitter on tour (188th) but he is the most accurate so far this year and from what I hear, it is easier to find the greens if you hit from the short stuff…apparently, it’s also easier to find your ball.  TPC Southwind doesn’t require huge drives but you do need to be spot-on in other areas in order to go low on the card.   Another Gay-like performance of -18 will be needed again this weekend. And yes, I meant to say “Gay-like”…Brian Gay. Grow up.

Although I don’t have the stones to pick him in the ‘Fantasy FourFivesome’, I’ll be rooting for Team Loudmouth Pants and JD…forget the million dollars and first win since 2004, just imagine the outfit of those pants and that sweet seersucker jacket the winner gets.

 

Well…that DVR is now useless.

So I DVR’d Sunday’s coverage of the Verizon Heritage because I wasn’t going to be around a tele all day, and was fully expecting Brian Gay to choke with the lead…

Oops.

Seriously…Brian Gay wins by 10 strokes?  Brian f*ing Gay?  If you had told me on Saturday that Brian Gay was going to put on a Tiger-esque show and win by a decade, I would’ve asked you to join me on 4/20 for some bong rips because you obviously would’ve had some killer stuff.

Guess I was wrong.  Way wrong.

But I probably shouldn’t have been…see, Harbour Town favors accuracy.  Fairways and greens win Tartan Jackets, and it’s not a long course, so why wouldn’t Gay be a logical choice?  The dude is a PGA stalwart despite being the shortest hitter on tour…guys with a 180-yard 4-iron in the bag aren’t big stars, but if they’re around, it means they can put a ball in a bucket from any distance with any club, and doesn’t that sound like the recipe for winning on a course with supremely narrow fairways and teeny greenies?

Yup.

Then again…if this was any other player, I’d keep the DVR around, but let’s face it.  Brian Gay plays boring golf.  Congrats on the huge win and the trip to next year’s Masters, but I don’t think I’m gonna be watching this one.

 

First Tee: Brian Gay