European Tour: D+D REAL Czech Masters Power Rankings

Mr. Smith has got to be feeling pretty good about himself strolling into Prague.

The 24-year-old Englishman became a first-time European Tour winner in his triumph at the Porsche European Open at the end of July. That’s just the beginning for a man looking to make his 10th cut in a row.

In that span, Smith also notched his best finish in a major with a T9 at the PGA Championship thanks to a closing 68.

This will be his first start at the Czech Masters, though Smith has fared well in the Czech Republic with a T2 at the D+D REAL Czech Challenge in 2016 on the Challenge Tour.

Smith is one of the best at avoiding trouble (14th on Tour in driving accuracy) and good when he finds it (12th in scrambling). His ball striking is good enough to keep him around for the weekend, with the putter (130th in putts per round) serving as the barrier between a top 25 and chance to win most weeks.

Given his recent form, I’d bet on Smith to continue his stellar rookie season this week.