FedEx Cup Power Rankings: Top ten at The Northern Trust
What is there to say about Spieth that we haven’t already said? When he’s on, he’s arguably the toughest player on the planet to beat. When he’s not on…well, let’s just say he doesn’t stay that way for long. Just ask Daniel Berger about the Travelers Championship. Or Matt Kuchar about the Open. Or any number of players who have seen him create magic, whether he was in contention to win or not.
Spieth heads into the FedEx Cup Playoffs still riding high from those back-to-back titles. Even though he couldn’t close the deal on the career grand slam at Quail Hollow, that was overblown like crazy. Even knowing how mentally strong Spieth can be, I’d be shocked if all the talk didn’t have at least some effect on his play through the week.
This is a pure skill pick. There’s not a course on the planet where I wouldn’t put Spieth ahead of most when he’s feeling it. Despite ranking just 125th in driving accuracy, Spieth ranks 12th in greens in regulation, third in birdie average and second in adjusted scoring. It’s almost like he’s better when he’s in trouble. Again, just ask Kuch about that one.
Spieth will be using this week at an unfamiliar course as a tune-up for TPC Boston, Conway Farms and East Lake ahead. However, don’t think for a second he’s not out for the win. All things being equal, he’s a safe bet in New York.