Rocket Mortgage Classic: Power ranking the top 10 at Detroit Golf Club

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PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 16: Hideki Matsuyama of Japan plays a shot from the fifth tee during the final round of the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links on June 16, 2019 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /

Flying under the radar with some solid golf lately is Hideki Matsuyama. Injuries have kept him from reaching his full potential in recent years, but he’s inching back to the form that helped Japan’s top star to six Tour wins from 2014-17.

Still just 27, Matsuyama enters the Rocket Mortgage Classic with 13 (!) straight finishes inside the top 33. Granted, one was a T24 at the WGC-Match Play where he failed to reach the knockout stage, but the point still stands.

Looking more recently, Matsuyama was T16 at the PGA, contended for his second win at the Memorial (6) and was T21 at the U.S. Open. He took last week off and was also off the week prior to the U.S. Open.

Hideki is elite in all statistical categories except for, you guessed it, putting. He’s fourth in strokes gained approach, fifth tee to green, 17th around the green and 26th off the tee to slot sixth total. Putting is 123rd. If he can climb inside the top 100 like he was last year (78th), that could be the difference.

He’s in the top 50 in approach proximity from every length between 75-200 yards, which will help him find the right landing points on what could be some tricky Donald Ross greens.

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