Quicken Loans National power rankings: Top ten at TPC Potomac
Brendan Steele had a dream start to the 2016-17 PGA TOUR season, notching his second career win at the Safeway Open back in October. While he hasn’t gotten the recognition since then that multi-time winners Dustin Johnson or Justin Thomas have, that doesn’t diminish what he’s done in this campaign.
Steele has made all 17 of his solo cuts this year. His only miss came at the Zurich Classic, where he and Keegan Bradley were eliminated by a single stroke after 36 holes. It hasn’t always been pretty, but you can’t say it hasn’t been effective overall, as he ranks 13th in the FedEx Cup race.
Recently, Steele is as hot as almost anybody out there, with three top-15 finishes in his last four starts. He’s been under par in seven of his last eight rounds, as well, with a one-over Sunday 73 at Erin Hills the only blemish there.
Ranked 17th in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, and 25th in proximity to the hole, Steele should be able to feast on TPC Potomac’s shorter, refreshed design.