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3M Open: Power ranking the top 10 at TPC Twin Cities

By Mike Randleman

BLAINE, MN - AUGUST 01: General view of a tee box marker on the seventh hole during the first round of the 3M Championship at TPC Twin Cities on August 1, 2014 in Blaine, Minnesota. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
BLAINE, MN - AUGUST 01: General view of a tee box marker on the seventh hole during the first round of the 3M Championship at TPC Twin Cities on August 1, 2014 in Blaine, Minnesota. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JUNE 30: Hideki Matsuyama of Japan looks on from the fourth tee during the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Detroit Country Club on June 30, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JUNE 30: Hideki Matsuyama of Japan looks on from the fourth tee during the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Detroit Country Club on June 30, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

I think we can all agree it’s about dang time Hideki won a tournament, right? The Japanese star has dealt with some injuries since his last triumph August 2017 at the WGC-Bridgestone, but he’s still had plenty of chances in that span.

The 27-year-old had three top-10s in 2018 and already has four in 2019. His best result was a T3 in January at the Farmers Insurance Open, but he also has a solo sixth in May at the Memorial.

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Matsuyama is also a friend to DFS owners with his consistency. He’s got one of the longest made cut streaks on Tour at 16 (18 counting worldwide events).

Matsuyama’s not just scraping the bottom of the barrel, either. He’s made five straight top-25s and has 14 straight top-50s. Granted, some of these events are limited field, but you get the drift.

Considering virtually the entire field (except for Tom Lehman) is playing TPC Twin Cities for the first time, I like pure talent to have a better chance to rise to the top this week.

Matsuyama has that in spades with his ball striking. His laggy swing finds a way to produce a mark of 26th on Tour in strokes gained off the tee and third in strokes gained on approach. Matsuyama also has a solid short game, which will always serve him well, especially on new courses.

As it’s always been, the putter is his downfall. Matsuyama is 121st in strokes gained putting and has had trouble getting putts to drop in final rounds.

Fortunately for Matsuyama, he’s on bentgrass greens. His wins at the Memorial and Bridgestone came on bent or bent-mix greens where he rolled it well enough to compliment his elite ball striking.

Next. Nate Lashley's dominant run at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. dark

It’s time for him to break through for what would be his seventh PGA Tour victory in his sixth full year on the circuit.

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