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THE NORTHERN TRUST 2019: Power ranking the top ten at Liberty National

By Brandon Raper

RIDGEWOOD, NJ - AUGUST 23: FedEx Cup signage is displayed on the 15th hole during the first round of The Northern Trust on August 23, 2018 at the Ridgewood Championship Course in Ridgewood, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
RIDGEWOOD, NJ - AUGUST 23: FedEx Cup signage is displayed on the 15th hole during the first round of The Northern Trust on August 23, 2018 at the Ridgewood Championship Course in Ridgewood, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /
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Rory McIlroy THE NORTHERN TRUST PGA TOUR FedEx Cup Power Ranking
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – JULY 28: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a shot on the 12th hole during the final round of the World Golf Championship-FedEx St Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind on July 28, 2019 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

Rory McIlroy has been playing such impressive golf lately that almost nobody can hold a candle to him…well, that is, all but one player, but more on that in a moment.

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Let’s break down a few of Rory’s season-long numbers for a minute before we jump into this week’s outlook. The Ulsterman has played 16 PGA TOUR events, making the cut in 14; his two misses were major surprises at the Memorial Tournament and the Open Championship. Of the 14 cuts he’s made, he’s finished in the top ten an astonishing 12 times, with seven top-fives and two victories to his credit. Truly some impressive stuff over the course of a long season.

On to the NORTHERN TRUST. McIlroy is on record calling Liberty National “one of the best” courses that the PGA TOUR has the privilege of visiting, and he had a solid (if perhaps a bit underwhelming) debut here in what was then the Barclays in 2013. He finished tied for 19th that year at 5-under for the week. It was six shots off the winning mark of Adam Scott, but McIlroy did put together a sterling round of six-under 65 in the second round.

In 2019, McIlroy leads the PGA TOUR in strokes gained off the tee (third in driving distance), 30th in greens in regulation and 29th in strokes gained putting. He’s also 20th in proximity to the hole on approach and sixth in overall putting average. I dare you to find a more consistent game than Rory’s, week in and week out.

McIlroy held the FedEx Cup in 2016, and he’s primed for another run to the title in 2019. Don’t be surprised to see him get started in a big way at Liberty National.

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