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FedEx St. Jude Classic Power Rankings: Top 10 picks for TPC Southwind

By Mike Randleman

MEMPHIS, TN - JUNE 11: A general view of the 18th green during the final round of the FedEX St. Jude Classic at the TPC Southwind on June 11, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - JUNE 11: A general view of the 18th green during the final round of the FedEX St. Jude Classic at the TPC Southwind on June 11, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images) /
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DUBLIN, OH – JUNE 03: Joaquin Niemann of Chile hits his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of The Memorial Tournament Presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 3, 2018 in Dublin, Ohio. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
DUBLIN, OH – JUNE 03: Joaquin Niemann of Chile hits his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of The Memorial Tournament Presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 3, 2018 in Dublin, Ohio. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

Act fast, because space on the Joaquin Niemann bandwagon is filling up. The 19-year-old Chilean is taking the PGA Tour by storm with three top-10s six starts in 2018.

If the recent world No. 1 amateur were to win this week, he’d become the second youngest winner on the PGA Tour and the youngest since 1923.

Niemann earned special temporary membership on Tour by earning enough non-member FedEx Cup points to reach No. 150 on last year’s list. That means he can accept an unlimited amount of sponsor’s exemptions through the end of the season to work toward earning enough points to reach No. 125 from last year’s standings in order to bypass the Web.com Tour. Niemann’s earned 275 points and must reach 365.

Another top-10 this week might do the trick, though something tells me tournament organizers are going to be lining up to invite Niemann into their fields.

Here in Memphis, this will be his first time playing the FedEx St. Jude. It’s also his first time playing three weeks in a row as a pro, so we’ll see how he holds up. The road trip from Texas to Ohio and Tennessee is at least not too backbreaking.

Niemann’s stats were pretty solid across the board last week as he gained over 5½ strokes on the field on the greens while hitting about three of four greens.

Having played in two Masters and a U.S. Open already, Niemann is growing accustomed to the big stage. Against the lightest field he’s seen on Tour this season, his talent gives him a legitimate chance to win.

The way he eats up greens and is efficient with the putter, this par-70 layout suits Niemann well.

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