Power Rankings: TOUR Championship

OVERVIEW Trying to find weaknesses in Justin Rose’s recent play, and assessing how he might improve in 2019, is like trying to find fault with a rainbow. Still, Rose dealt himself a mild criticism at the World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions in October, when he said, “It would be great to get in the winner’s circle more regularly.â€� Well, OK. But the fact remains, Rose, 38, has won a whole lot lately: A major (2013 U.S. Open), a gold medal (Rio Games, 2016), and most recently the FedExCup in late September, which he secured with a clutch birdie on the 72nd hole at the TOUR Championship at East Lake last season, keeping Tiger Woods from sweeping both the tournament and season-long trophies. Rose has also hit No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking multiple times in recent months What’s next? He finished third at the WGC-HSBC Champions to start his 2018-19 PGA TOUR campaign, when he will try to be the first to successfully defend his FedExCup title. No, he didn’t get into the winner’s circle, but contending goes a long way; in winning the FedExCup, Rose notched seven top-10s, five of those top-fives, in his final nine starts last season. Hard to believe this is the guy who missed 21 straight cuts around the world after turning pro in 1998. He has said it’s kept him from taking anything for granted, and kept him working hard. That hard work is paying huge dividends. — By Cameron Morfit Click here to see who else made the Top 30 list. BY THE NUMBERS FEDEXCUP UPDATE Current 2018-19 position: 30th Playoff appearances: 12 TOUR Championship appearances: 9 Best FedExCup result: Won the FedExCup in the 2017-18 season SHOTLINK FUN FACT With his next PGA TOUR win, Justin Rose will have 10 career PGA TOUR victories, which would be the most by any Englishman since 1945. INSIDER INSIGHTS PGATOUR.COM’s Insiders offer their expert views on what to expect from Justin Rose in 2019. TOUR INSIDER: Rose has 11 top-15 finishes but no wins in the majors and THE PLAYERS Championship since winning the 2013 U.S. Open. Last season he shot up to 17th in Strokes Gained: Putting after ranking 123rd in 2017, a quantum leap that led to his FedExCup title. In addition to putting better, he has also learned to manage occasional back pain. Last summer, as a precaution, he WD’d from the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, then came up big in the Playoffs. Those improvements, should they continue, could net Rose more trophies in ’19, maybe even a green jacket at the Masters, where he’s done everything but win. — By Cameron Morfit FANTASY INSIDER: While he’s made just 18 PGA TOUR starts in each of the last three seasons, gamers still have trouble rationing them in formats in which they’re restricted. And now, he’s coming off a career season at age 38 and giving no reason why he won’t continue to excel. His improved putting serves as the easy explanation for both his ability to capture the FedExCup without winning a Playoffs event – the first to do so – and his ascent to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking, but it was just the final box to check on one of the most fulfilling careers of his generation. Continue to expect a frugal schedule, but he’s announced that he’ll be returning to the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play for the first time in three years. — By Rob Bolton EQUIPMENT INSIDER: Rose has been on staff with TaylorMade for … well, pretty much forever. In 20 years as a professional, TaylorMade is the only equipment company he’s been on staff with. That will likely change in 2019, as reports and rumors are circulating about Rose switching to Honma. And Rose has done more to fuel those rumors than to quell them when discussing the matter. Assuming he does in fact switch to Honma, that leaves a number of questions including, how many Honma clubs will he put into play, which TaylorMade clubs will he leave in the bag, and will he put any clubs in play that aren’t Honma or TaylorMade? Rose’s equipment decisions early in 2019 will be the top equipment story to start the year. — By Andrew Tursky STYLE INSIDER: Rose’s style is a great example of how golf apparel and footwear have evolved. His simple, classic-looking threads have a high tech component as they are crafted from luxurious performance fabrics. Rose pairs his apparel with contemporary trainer-style shoes that feature a spikeless molded outsole for comfort and traction. — By Greg Monteforte

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Tiger Woods, a two-time winner of THE PLAYERS Championship, announced via agent Mark Steinberg on Friday he will not tee it up at next week’s tournament at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. Woods personally informed PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan of the decision before news broke on Friday. “Back just not ready,” Steinberg said in a statement, as per ESPN and Golf Digest. “Nothing concerning, just not ready.” The announcement by the 82-time PGA TOUR winner comes amid a longer than usual layoff after he cited back stiffness and opted not to play in this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, a tournament he has won eight times, most recently in 2013. Woods, 44, would move out of a tie with Sam Snead for the all-time wins record with his next victory.  He hasn’t competed since a 68th-place finish at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, where he has famously never won, on Feb. 16. He finished T9 at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines (where he’s won eight times as a pro) before that. It hasn’t been long, though, since the future World Golf Hall of Famer was in the winner’s circle. Woods won the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP last fall and went undefeated as playing captain at the Presidents Cup. He is 26th in the FedExCup, but did not play at the Arnold Palmer Invitational because of injury for the second straight year. Last year Woods bounced back from a neck injury to finish T30 at THE PLAYERS, and four weeks later rallied to win the Masters Tournament for his 15th major. Woods won THE PLAYERS in 2001 and 2013 and is 11th in the latest world ranking.

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