Dell Technologies Championship: Power Ranking the top ten at TPC Boston
![NORTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 04: Hideki Matsuyama of Japan plays his shot from the first tee during the third round of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston on September 4, 2016 in Norton, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) NORTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 04: Hideki Matsuyama of Japan plays his shot from the first tee during the third round of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston on September 4, 2016 in Norton, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/008e945d9debaddf2cf6e1d63e3f2a7a27d12eac444ffbbceacce3c504970c3c.jpg)
Look, everybody’s allowed an off week. Yes, even Hideki Matsuyama, in the middle of a playoff push for the FedEx Cup. His missed cut at Glen Oaks was the first he’s suffered on the PGA TOUR since February’s Genesis Open at Riviera, and if you saw that coming, you probably should have picked the Powerball numbers when the jackpot got up to $700 million last week.
That being said, while obviously it’s a harsh dose of reality for those of us who are fans, it could be a bit of a wake-up call for Matsuyama himself.
Matsuyama, at age 25 still relatively fresh on the PGA Tour, should still carry well more than his share of confidence into Boston. Just as he’s done at basically every other course the PGA TOUR brings its show to, Matsuyama has consistently improved with every outing at the Dell Technologies Championship. In the last three years, he’s finished 57th, 25th and 15th respectively. That’s exactly the type of trend that bolsters a guy’s value in this column each week. And I’m sure that’s exactly what Hideki is looking out for right now.
Kidding aside, the biggest message here is to not let Matsuyama’s off week at the Northern Trust shake your confidence in him – whether it’s for Fantasy, betting, or just trying to impress your friends and coworkers with your amazing foresight into golf’s future. Look for a solid bounce-back week from the World No. 2 this week.