FedEx Cup Playoffs Preview: Breaking down the top ten contenders

CHARLOTTE, NC - AUGUST 13: Justin Thomas of the United States shakes hands with Hideki Matsuyama of Japan on the 18th green during the final round of the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club on August 13, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Kevin Kisner has enjoyed an absolute career season in 2017. His second career victory at the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational was huge, but he’s made himself a legitimate contender in a year that looked like it would be dominated by superstars.

The place Kisner truly proved himself was at Quail Hollow, during the PGA Championship. No, he didn’t win his first major this year. But he faced a ridiculously difficult course setup, took advantage of the weather conditions (or the lack thereof), and gave himself a real chance to win heading into the weekend.

When he was pressed into chase mode, things fell apart a little bit, but that’s the type of thing that can happen at a major. He’s never been forced into that spot before, but he’ll be better prepared for it going forward.

Kisner has qualified for the FedEx Cup Playoffs in each of the past three seasons. He was eliminated after The Barclays in 2014, then finished 28^th and 26^th in the Tour Championship in ’15 and ’16, respectively. This won’t be anything new to the 33-year-old, but with four straight weeks of the strongest competition in the game, nothing will come easily, either.

I don’t know that Kisner will bring home the big prize in Atlanta this year, but that won’t be the only benchmark for his success. Keep an eye on how he performs when the fields dwindle at the Dell Technologies Championship and the BMW. That’s where the mental edge can make all the difference, and it could show you if Kisner can stick around at this level in the years to come.

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