The Desert Classic: Power ranking the top 10 golfers at PGA West

LA QUINTA, CA - JANUARY 21: The group of Andrew Landry, Austin Cook and Martin Piller walk up the fairway during the final round of the CareerBuilder Challenge at the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West on January 21, 2018 in La Quinta, California. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /

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HONOLULU, HI – JANUARY 12: Abraham Ancer of Mexico looks on during the third round of the Sony Open In Hawaii at Waialae Country Club on January 12, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Not often will I pick someone whose tournament history reads ‘MC-76th,’ but that goes to show how solid Abraham Ancer was before the offseason. The 27-year-old Mexican-American matured in a hurry in his second stint on the PGA Tour in 2017-18.

Ancer ended 2018 with a win away from the PGA Tour at the Australian Open where he picked up a five-shot win against a field featuring Keegan Bradley, Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker, etc. That was his fourth top-25 in his final five starts of the year, which also includes a T4 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

Ancer also picked up a top-10 in the FedEx Cup Playoffs as part of seven for 2018. He’s made six of his last seven cuts.

Ancer was back in action last week with a T29 at the Sony Open where he hit the ball very well.

In the very early going of 2018-19, he ranks fourth in strokes gained putting compared to 127th last season. If that holds up even partially to form, it could go well with his steady ball striking that has him 40th in SG off the tee and 70th tee to green. Those stats don’t jump off the page, but they’re well improved from where he was to begin the season.

Ancer plummeted down the leaderboard at last year’s Desert Classic with a Sunday 77. On the bright side, he shot 67 on the Stadium course two days prior.

There are more well-known names I could have gone with in this spot, but I think Ancer could be a PGA Tour winner before long.

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