Waste Management Phoenix Open: Power ranking the top 10

It’s hard to leave out Gary Woodland, the defending champion this week, especially when he’s seemed to use that win in 2018 as a springboard for more success. He recently climbed to a career best 22nd in the world and remains in the top-25.

That’s because he added a runner-up finish and had seven total top-tens in 2018. To start off 2019, the 34-year-old finished runner-up at the Tournament of Champions, made the cut at the Sony Open and last week closed in 66 to take T9 at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Woodland fired 67-68-67-64 (-18) and beat Chez Reavie in a playoff at the 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open. He didn’t drive the ball particularly accurate that week (just over 60 percent) but averaged over 313 yards off the tee and hit 77.78 of his greens in regulation. Add that and a scorching hot Sunday with the flat stick (3.5 strokes gained), and that’s why he reached the lowest 72-hole score since 2013.

Woodland’s made the cut at this event in seven of nine starts and has four top-30 finishes.

He’s 16th on Tour this season in strokes gained approach and was 24th in that category last season.

Last season, Woodland was 12th in eagles and ninth in par-5 scoring.

Hideki Matsuyama was the first to go back-to-back at the Waste Management Phoenix Open since Johnny Miller in 1974-75. Seeing Woodland double up would be no big surprise this week.