Irishman Lowry vaults to huge lead at Open

Of the golfers who like to tune up for the majors with live action the week prior, Phil Mickelson is the poster boy. He’s embraced the warm-up act for years. Mickelson’s dedication has included a regular visit to TPC Southwind, site of this week’s FedEx St. Jude Classic. However, while the U.S. Open trophy remains the only hardware separating the World Golf Hall of Famer from the career grand slam, he’s already announced his intention not to compete at Erin Hills next week since the major conflicts with his daughter’s high school graduation ceremony. Nevertheless, like all who are returning to Memphis, they will find one of the most consistent and fairest tests on the PGA TOUR schedule. Horse for the course with respective finishes of T19, T3 and T2. Scoring average in 12 rounds is 68.17. Third on TOUR in birdie-or-better percentage and par-5 scoring. Performs well no matter what. Since 2013, he has two T2s, a T3 and a T11 with a scoring average of 67.88. Approach and scoring metrics are sufficiently supportive. Muirfield Village no longer has his number after Sunday’s T2. Firing on all cylinders. Leads TOUR in strokes gained: tee-to-green; second in adjusted scoring. T13 here in 2014. Chased T6 at THE PLAYERS with a solo second at the BMW PGA. Sits second on PGA TOUR in strokes gained: approach-the-green and seventh in adjusted scoring. Co-runner-up here last year; led field in scrambling. Stumbled to a T40 at the Memorial with a closing 78. Tops on TOUR in fairways hit, 32nd in strokes gained: tee-to-green. Best known as a great putter, he co-led the 2016 SJC in GIR en route to a T7. Currently 22nd on TOUR in GIR, ninth in strokes gained: putting, 10th in adjusted scoring. The recent winner at TPC Four Seasons has three consecutive top 10s at TPC Southwind (2013-2015). Ranks 10th in greens in regulation and 41st in adjusted scoring. Probably more confident this week than in any of his previous four trips sans a top 45. Tee-to-green game is as proficient as it’s ever been, too. Top 10s in three of last six starts. It’s taken 10 years to seek redemption after surrendering three-shot lead entering final round. He shot 75 to finish seventh in 2007. Recent top 10s at Masters and THE PLAYERS. Continue to percolate. His T25 at the Memorial is his ninth top-30 finish in his last 12 starts. Twelfth in strokes gained: approach-the-green. He’s 7-for-8 at TPC Southwind. The 2009 champ added a fourth top 10 here last year (solo sixth) while leading the field in birdie-or-better percentage. Back to putting like in his heyday (13th in strokes gained). First trip since a T6 in 2014, the Englishman remains buoyed by the T2 at THE PLAYERS. Eighth on TOUR in strokes gained: approach-the-green, 28th in adjusted scoring. He’s scuffled of late and he’ll be experiencing the distractions of new duties as a defending champion, but he’s an electric performer who will also lavish in the good vibes. Tournament debut. Dangerous on the greens and will need to be. Seventh on TOUR in strokes gained: putting. Placed T4 at THE PLAYERS where he was third in the stat. He’s 4-for-7 (two top 25s) since winning in Puerto Rico. TPC Southwind fits his profile as he’s 25th in GIR and 19th in strokes gained: approach-the-green. T18 here last year. Power Rankings: FedEx St. Jude Classic Rank Player Comment Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider will include Daniel Summerhays, Kevin Chappell, Jim Furyk, Charl Schwartzel and other notables. This is the 60th edition of the FedEx St. Jude Classic and 29th at TPC Southwind. If the only objective was to prove consistency to anyone interested in committing, all tournament organizers had to do this year was cite that last year’s scoring average of 70.930 on the par 70 that measures 7,244 yards was just three-thousandths of a stroke lower than what it yielded the year prior. Mickelson’s phenomenal record here exemplifies his affinity for the course and the expectation. On the Wednesday of the 2015 FedEx St. Jude Classic, he summed up TPC Southwind as follows: “I think it’s the most underrated course we have on TOUR. It’s such a straightforward, fun test of golf. And if you hit good shots, you get rewarded with good putts and birdies. And if you miss the greens, you’re challenged by very difficult up-and-downs. It’s a wonderful layout.” Greens are 5,420 square feet on average, so it’s no surprise that precision on approach is at a premium. This was the formula for champions Fabian Gomez (2015) and Daniel Berger (2016). However, as Mickelson pointed out, TPC Southwind isn’t a one-trick pony. To single out another two winners, Brian Gay (2009) and Ben Crane (2014) lit up their fields with the kind of putting that has come to define their career success. For more on these angles and other identifiers, please read The Confidence Factor on Tuesday. Clear skies and warming air are expected throughout the tournament. The course’s eponymous south wind won’t make its debut until the weekend, but it’ll barely be noticeable. Combined with greens maxing at an inviting 11-and-a-half feet on the Stimpmeter, conditions will be ripe for scoring. ROB BOLTON’S WRITING SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Columnist Rob Bolton will be filing his usual staples leading up to this week’s event. Look for the following columns this week. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, The Confidence Factor, Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done THURSDAY: Ownership Percentages in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf and One & Done presented by SERVPRO * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, which also publishes on Tuesdays.

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How it works: Each week, our experts from PGATOUR.COM will make their selections in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf. Each lineup consists of four starters and two bench players that can be rotated after each round. Adding to the challenge is that every golfer can be used only three times per each of four Segments. The first fantasy golf game to utilize live ShotLink data, PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf allows you to see scores update live during competition. Aside from the experts below, Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton breaks down the field at this year’s BMW Championship in his edition of the Power Rankings. For more fantasy, check out Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers and Reshuffle. THINK YOU’RE BETTER THAN OUR EXPERTS? The PGA TOUR Experts league is once again open to the public. You can play our free fantasy game and see how you measure up against our experts below. Joining the league is simple. Just click here to sign up or log in. Once you create your team, click the “Leagues” tab and search for “PGA TOUR Experts.” After that? Pick your players and start talking smack. Want to represent the fans against our experts? SEASON SEGMENT

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