Waste Management Phoenix Open: Power ranking the top 10

All Hideki Matsuyama does at the Waste Management Phoenix Open is rack up top-fives. And win.

After debuting with a T4 in 2014 and finishing one shot out of a playoff in 2015, Matsuyama won in 2016 and defended with another win in 2017. He had to withdraw last year due to a wrist injury.

In 16 rounds at TPC Scottsdale, Matsuyama is a combined 59-under with 14 rounds in the 60s and the highest being a 71. Those are all bests among anyone in the field this week.

Matsuyama’s bugaboo throughout his career has been the putter. This is a course where he’s able to work around that issue.

In his two wins he was still middle of the pack in strokes gained putting. He compensated for it by finishing at 71.43 and 85.71 percent driving as well as 88.89 and 72.22 percent in greens in regulation.

The 26-year-old Japan has fallen outside the top 25 in the world but that’s in large part due to injuries that have made it tough for him to develop a rhythm.

Matsuyama appears to be getting back to his old ways that saw him climb as high as No. 2.

After a marginal T51 at the Sony Open, he was one of the best last week in the non-Justin Rose division by finishing T3 at 16-under at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Matsuyama ranks 32nd on the young season in strokes gained approach and was sixth in 2018-19.

While just 76th in par-5 scoring, he was 10th in eagles last season and should feast tee to green this week.

According to Future of Fantasy, Matsuyama is among the top 25 in performance on Bermuda greens since 2014.