Top 30 Players to Watch in 2019: No. 14 Marc Leishman

OVERVIEW The next step for Marc Leishman is to have others looking over their shoulder when he’s in the mix — and for it to happen more often. The affable Australian notched PGA TOUR win No. 4 in the fall with a very impressive effort at the CIMB Classic – a victory that came after he was annoyed at a winless 2017-18 season. Two victories in the prior season had him on the brink of a FedExCup title, and although he returned to the TOUR Championship last season, he did so at the back of the pack of those at East Lake. He wasn’t satisfied with that and it spurred him to the win soon after in Malaysia. As one of the most likable players on TOUR, Leishman has a perceived lack of killer edge, but his talent is immense and when the chips are down the more he converts — and the more others will realize he’s a serious contender for majors and the FedExCup. A pair of runner-up finishes in his home country – first as part of a team at the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf and then to his World Cup teammate Cameron Smith at the Australian PGA Championship – has Leishman even more fired up. Wait for this to manifest into on course performance early in the new year. If the winds get up in the two Hawaii events, he will be hard to beat but where you can almost bank on him being in the Sunday sprint is at Torrey Pines for the Farmers Insurance Open, where he has two prior runner-ups. — By Ben Everill Click here to see who else made the Top 30 list. BY THE NUMBERS FEDEXCUP UPDATE Current 2018-19 position: 5th Playoff appearances: 10 TOUR Championship appearances: 3 Best result: 6th in the 2016-17 season SHOTLINK FUN FACT Marc Leishman is one of eight players to average 25.50 putts (or fewer) per round in multiple PGA TOUR wins. INSIDER INSIGHTS PGATOUR.COM’s Insiders offer their expert views on what to expect from Marc Leishman in 2019. TOUR INSIDER: Just one stat becomes key with Marc Leishman — when he has accuracy off the tee, he turns it into contention. The rest of his game is consistent enough to be in the mix most weeks. Ranked 114th last season in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee was a serious dip on previous seasons and it cost him. Fix that and more wins are coming. — By Ben Everill FANTASY INSIDER: Already a well-oiled machine, the wins are now coming as he’s entered his prime. Funny how that happens. With three victories in his last 45 PGA TOUR starts and exactly 25 events in each of his last three completed seasons, the Aussie has elevated into a cornerstone in full-season formats, so his position in the Top 30 series is rightful and warranted. What makes him special is his knack for tracks like Bay Hill, Torrey Pines and TPC River Highlands all the while presenting as a default safety net when Mother Nature is blowing things around. — By Rob Bolton EQUIPMENT INSIDER: X-Forged iron lovers — they are a passionate group — know that Leishman has a bag full of X-Forged 2018 irons (3-9); his are equipped with Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 130X shafts. He also uses a red version of Odyssey’s Versa #1 Wide putter. Leishman fills out the rest of his bag with Callaway equipment, and a Chrome Soft X golf ball, but he does employ a Titleist Vokey SM7 58-degree wedge. It’s always interesting to see what “otherâ€� club players in 13-club contracts decide to go with. For Leishman, he’s elected the lob wedge. — By Andrew Tursky STYLE INSIDER: The big Aussie has found a comfort zone with his game and his wardrobe. He builds his outfits from the top to the bottom. He uses bold and colorful striped shirts to make a strong statement while neutral colored pants help to keep his kits well balanced. — By Greg Monteforte

Click here to read the full article…