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Fantasy golf picks: Can Daniel Berger make it a three-peat in Memphis?

June 06, 2018
FedEx St. Jude Classic - Final Round

Andy Lyons

Daniel Berger presents an interesting -- but age-old -- fantasy golf conundrum this week at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. The 25-year-old star has won the event two years running (those also happen to be his lone two PGA Tour titles), but he arrives in Memphis surprisingly without a top 10 this season. That's not to say he's played poorly. Berger ranks 36th in total strokes gained, has two T-11s and four top-15 finishes. So does he crack our lineup this week? Here's a look at our fab foursome.

Daniel Berger: In short, the answer is yes. It's rare that a guy looking for a three-peat in a tournament is underrated, but that's the case with Berger. While Vegas has made Dustin Johnson the event's overwhelming favorite at 6-to-1 odds, Berger is sitting on the board at an inviting 25/1. In eight career rounds at TPC Southwind, his worst score is an even-par 70 to begin last year's title defense. Pretty strong.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat: Making his tournament debut, but coming off a T-13 at the Memorial and a T-5 at the BMW PGA the week before. The "John Daly of Asia" is starting to play more in the U.S., and he's up to No. 31 in the Official World Golf Ranking. At 40/1 he's an absolute steal -- and a lock to be a hit with the Memphis crowds.

Austin Cook: The rookie already has a win and six top 25s under his belt, and he's posted a T-13 and a T-22 in his previous two starts in this event. Cook is also tied with Rory Sabbatini for the most rounds of shooting 66 or better on the PGA Tour this season with 10. We're banking on a couple more of those at TPC Southwind this week for this 80-to-1 long shot.

Joaquin Niemann: After a T-6 at the Memorial, this 19-year-old phenom has already locked up special temporary membership on the PGA Tour, which means he can use unlimited sponsor's exemptions the rest of the season. Niemann's three top 10s in just five starts since turning pro match the same number of top 10s that guys like Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Matt Kuchar have all season. At 30-to-1 odds, he's a decent bet to wrap up his PGA Tour card for the next two seasons with a win this week.