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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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Dustin Johnson THE NORTHERN TRUST FedEx Cup Power Ranking
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – JULY 26: Dustin Johnson hits his tee shot on the seventh hole during the second round of the World Golf Championship-FedEx St Jude Invitational on July 26, 2019 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

I didn’t think this would be the case, but I struggled a bit with where to place Dustin Johnson in this week’s rankings. He’s second in the OWGR and seventh in the FedEx Cup standings, but he’s also recorded just one top ten finish since the Masters. I’m not screaming that the sky is falling for DJ, but the rest of the competition has stepped their game up, and he’s been left in the dust just a little bit over the summer.

Johnson’s stats are obviously strong, especially when it comes to his power off the tee. We’ve known that for years, but what I like – and you don’t necessarily see in the numbers – is how good he’s gotten with his short game. Johnson has spent tons of time over the last couple years working on improving with short irons and wedges, and he’s given himself the flexibility in his game to get out of trouble without blowing up the scorecard. I just don’t think that can be overlooked, especially in these elite-field events.

Johnson missed the cut here in 2013, but he had a strong match-play week in the 2017 Presidents Cup, where he was the leading point earner for Team USA. He played two matches each with Brooks Koepka and Matt Kuchar, and I’m expecting that he’ll see a lot of those guys on the leaderboards this week. Maybe it’ll provide that extra bit of motivation? Not that I think he needs it, but it couldn’t hurt, right?

Here’s the bottom line: DJ is simply too talented to stay in even a micro-slump for too long. He’ll get everything in line pretty quickly, and we’ve all seen what can happen when he’s on form. He’s a solid top-ten pick for me, with an unlimited ceiling.

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