Power Rankings: Waste Management Phoenix Open

Apropos of the motion required to propel a golf ball, the PGA TOUR loves its Swings. From the Asian to the Aloha to the West Coast to the Florida, these nicknames help delineate one segment of the season from another. Here’s another: the Fortnight of Tom Weiskopf Redesigns. It’s not as catchy, but it’s not inaccurate. It also has the attention of the 132 golfers committed to this week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. For any of the 156 who took one spin of Torrey Pines North at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open, he might want to digest how the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale has evolved since Weiskopf went to work on the course in 2014. The space beneath the ranking examines what happened in the first three editions of his modernization. TPC Scottsdale isn’t The House That Hideki Built, but it’s been his castle. Since his debut in 2014, he’s an aggregate 517-5-2, not to mention the two-time defending champion. Well, despite early career success at Torrey Pines, it’s had his number since 2014, travel or no travel in advance. No hangovers at the WMPO, though, where he’s gone P2-T4 since 2016. Back home where the ASU product placed T5 as an amateur in 2015. Returned for a T16 last year. Most recently, he lit the world on fire with a Win-2nd-Win burst to bridge the holidays. It’s been over six months now since his last victory (The Open). The constitutes a drought for the 11-time winner. Two top 10s in as many trips to the WMPO; scoring average = 68.13. Anchoring ban and redesign be damned, he’s been a machine at TPC Scottsdale since 2011, going 5-for-5 with a P2 last year, no worse than T14 (2016) and a scoring average of 68.05. This is all about the expectation of him once again sustaining world-beating firepower off the tee. En route to the P2 at Torrey Pines, he led the field in total driving. T2 here in 2015. What an impressive display by the 35-year-old Swede at Torrey Pines where that confident game off the tee will have value in his debut at TPC Scottsdale. Also led last week’s field in GIR. Continues to purr. Tows the confidence of six consecutive top 20s since September into TPC Scottsdale where he’s connected five top 25s since 2009. T10-T14-T12 on the redesign. Rose to T8 at Torrey Pines with a closing 73. Six top 10s in last nine starts worldwide. Back for redemption at TPC Scottsdale where he finished T24 after sitting T7 through 54 holes. Surprisingly uninspiring slate at TPC Scottsdale with one payday (T22, 2015) in three tries on the redesign. Still, experience never hurts as he ascends. Farmers’ T6 the latest of the sizzle. Still chasing his first top 10 since July, but he’s been lurking. Opened 2018 with a T11 at Kapalua and T14 at Waialae. Two top 10s at TPC Scottsdale, including a T7 last year. A threat wherever he pegs it, just not at TPC Scottsdale. Yet. A T17 in 2015 represents his only weekend stay in three attempts. Missed last year’s cut after sweeping the Aloha Swing. He’s a magician. Placed T9 here last year despite ranking outside the top 20 in total driving, GIR, proximity, strokes gained: putting, birdie-or-better percentage and scrambling. Excluding Torrey North (which isn’t lasered for ShotLink), he paced Farmers in strokes gained: putting and strokes gained, period. Scored 9-under 275 in last two trips to TPC Scottsdale. Reconnected with form in the desert of the Coachella Valley two weeks ago. It’s proven to be a comfort zone. Same can be said of TPC Scottsdale, site of a T17 in 2016 and T12 last year. Rank POWER RANKINGS PLAYER COMMENT FedExCup points leader Patton Kizzire, Brandt Snedeker, Patrick Reed and the tournament’s all-time money leader, Phil Mickelson, will be among the notables reviewed in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. Various factors can contribute to springy greens that were witnessed at Torrey North in the first two rounds last week, but that those bentgrass targets are just two years old can’t be ruled out as a predominant factor. The new TifEagle Bermuda greens at TPC Scottsdale experienced the same reaction when they debuted in 2015. Weather permitting, the narrative for greens to mature and establish an “identity” usually includes a waiting period of three years. Sure enough, in spectacular conditions, last year’s scoring average of 70.192 at the WMPO was easily the lowest since Weiskopf placed his stamp of approval on the par 35-36=71 tipping at 7,266 yards. Similarly cooperative elements present the canvas this week as Hideki Matsuyama pursues his third straight title in the tournament. As he does, he goes in knowing that he’ll have to remain as aggressive as he was en route to 17-under 267 a year ago. Last year’s field found only 55.36 percent of the fairways, lowest since the redesign, but it hit 68.47 percent of the greens in regulation, which was a four-year high. The average proximity to the hole checked up at 38 feet, 11 inches, measurably the shortest of the last three editions. Short-game metrics align predictably and there’s been no regression in converting scoring opportunities into par breakers despite the increase in those chances. Putting it all together, the indication is that experience on the redesign has mattered on a similar plane as the maturity of the greens. Matsuyama and his playoff victim, Webb Simpson, beat the field averages in fairways hit, GIR, proximity and scrambling. That’s not surprising, but both were poster boys for how all of the contenders performed across the board. There is no one-size-fits-all profile at TPC Scottsdale. During the grand opening of his redesign in November of 2014, Weiskopf said that he expected winning scores to settle at 14- to 18-under par. He hasn’t been wrong yet, but the over (or the under, depending on your perspective), is in play on Super Bowl Sunday. ROB BOLTON’S 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, Fantasy Insider, Facebook Live WEDNESDAY: One & Done * – 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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