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Quicken Loans National: Power ranking the top 10 at TPC Potomac

By Mike Randleman

POTOMAC, MD - JULY 02: The winner's trophy is displayed on the 18th green after Kyle Stanley of the United States defeated Charles Howell III of the United States during a playoff in the final round of the Quicken Loans National on July 2, 2017 TPC Potomac in Potomac, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
POTOMAC, MD - JULY 02: The winner's trophy is displayed on the 18th green after Kyle Stanley of the United States defeated Charles Howell III of the United States during a playoff in the final round of the Quicken Loans National on July 2, 2017 TPC Potomac in Potomac, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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POTOMAC, MD – JULY 02: Kyle Stanley of the United States celebrates with the winner’s trophy after defeating Charles Howell III of the United States during a playoff in the final round of the Quicken Loans National on July 2, 2017 TPC Potomac in Potomac, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
POTOMAC, MD – JULY 02: Kyle Stanley of the United States celebrates with the winner’s trophy after defeating Charles Howell III of the United States during a playoff in the final round of the Quicken Loans National on July 2, 2017 TPC Potomac in Potomac, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Kyle Stanley is one of the Tour’s premiere ball strikers. He won the 2017 Quicken Loans National on the strength of his length and precise iron play that helped him rack up birdie attempts and largely avoid the taxing rough.

Even by losing over a stroke to the field on the greens during the tournament, Stanley hit 33 of 36 greens to reach a playoff where he beat Charles Howell III.

Stanley nearly won on another tough track recently. He finished T2 for his third top-five of the wraparound season. In 2017-18, Stanley’s racked up 10 top-25 finishes, one being a trip to the WGC-Match Play quarterfinals.

He showed well last week where he finished T15 at the Travelers Championship with four rounds in the 60s.

When Stanley nearly dropped out of high-level pro golf in the mid-2010s, his putter was almost exclusively the culprit. Even in a resurgent 2017, Stanley was 159th on tour in strokes gained on the greens.

He’s now surged to 43rd while still sticking to his strengths (23rd SG off the tee, 52nd SG approaches).

If Stanley can become a GIR machine again and avoid Avenel Farms’ thick rough, he’ll be in the chase again this week.

"“I’m just really comfortable with what I’m doing out there. My preparation has been really good,” Stanley said during the Travelers. “Sometimes when you put the time in, maybe it might not pay off the next week. But, yeah, just from a preparation standpoint, I feel like we’re doing the right things. You know, getting a little bit older and figuring out maybe how to play some of these golf courses better. Yeah, I’m just really comfortable with what I’m doing.”"

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