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Hero World Challenge power rankings: Top ten at Albany

By Brandon Raper

NASSAU, BAHAMAS - DECEMBER 04: Rickie Fowler of the United States putts on the 12th hole during the final round of the Hero World Challenge at Albany, The Bahamas on December 4, 2016 in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
NASSAU, BAHAMAS - DECEMBER 04: Rickie Fowler of the United States putts on the 12th hole during the final round of the Hero World Challenge at Albany, The Bahamas on December 4, 2016 in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Matt Kuchar Hero World Challenge
ST SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 18: Matt Kuchar of the United States plays his shot from the 16th tee during the third round of The RSM Classic at Sea Island Golf Club Seaside Course on November 18, 2017 in St Simons Island, Georgia. (Photo by Justin Heiman/Getty Images) /

Matt Kuchar is playing in his fourth straight Hero World Challenge, and he’s looking to build on some strong history. In his last two trips to Albany (2015 and 2016), Kuch has finished at -12 and -13 respectively. In ’15, that was good only for 14th place, but going one shot lower rocketed him to a tie for third place last year.

The perennial fan favorite, Kuchar hasn’t cashed a winner’s check since the 2014 RBC Heritage, but he’s got a good shot this week. Even though the Hero isn’t an official event, it fits his game in a lot of ways that could pay off in a big way. His ability to control his ball in the wind nearly led him to his first career major at the 2017 Open Championship, and his short game is as good as any on the PGA TOUR. Last season, Kuchar ranked third on TOUR in scrambling, and 47th in overall putting average.

No, Kuchar hasn’t looked spectacular early this season. He shot an abysmal 78 in the final round of the WGC-HSBC Champions to plummet to a T31 finish in China, and most recently finished a middling T29 at the RSM Classic. Don’t forget, though: it wasn’t that long ago that Kuchar strung together four top-ten finishes in his final five starts of 2016-17. In a short field with no cut, he’ll be able to play nice and loose, and that should help his chances greatly.

Don’t sleep on Kuch this week at Albany.

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