Five players to watch at this weekend’s St. Jude Classic:
Rory McIlroy
With Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson skipping this week to prepare for next week’s U.S. Open, the top drawing card in the St. Jude Classic is the 21-year-old McIlroy, who had a solid tie for 10th last week at the Memorial.
Justin Leonard
Wind, heat and a shot-maker’s course (appropriately named TPC Southwind) suit Texas-native Leonard. The two-time St. Jude champ got his last tour win here in a 2008 playoff over Trevor Immelman and Robert Allenby.
David Toms
Won back-to-back in Memphis (2003-04), a feat matched only by Lee Trevino (1971-72). With a tie for 13th at Colonial, he’s regaining his form from last year, when he had seven top-10 finishes.
Ben Crane
Plays like Heinz ketchup but is fast becoming a leaderboard fixture. Coming off three straight top-10s. Won Farmers Insurance in February and ranks fifth in the FedEx Cup standings.
Lee Westwood
Three of the world’s top-10 players are in Memphis. All are from the British Isles. No. 6 Ian Poulter and No. 10 McIlroy have PGA Tour wins this season, so why not No. 3 Westwood, whose only U.S. win came in 1998?
