Waste Management Phoenix Open: Power rankings at TPC Scottsdale

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SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 03: Matt Kuchar plays his shot from the 16th tee during the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on February 03, 2019 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Pitbull lays claim to the title “Mr. Worldwide,” but Matt Kuchar is giving him a run for his money. In his last start, Kuchar added a winner’s check to his appearance fee at the Asian Tour’s Singapore Open.

Kuch fired 66-68-62-70 to beat Justin Rose by three. Other notables in the field included Jazz Janewattanond (3rd), Henrik Stenson (23rd), and Ryo Ishikawa (T-24th).

The 40-year-old’s won in the U.S. (including Hawaii), Mexico, Singapore, and Fiji. Not to mention his near-miss in England at the 2017 Open Championship.

It’ll be interesting to see what this does for his confidence. He hasn’t necessarily played poorly to begin the 2019-2020 season, but three 14th-place finishes highlighted his first five starts. He went 13 straight starts without a top-10.

Coming to TPC Scottsdale could be the place for him to keep the momentum going. Kuchar has made six straight cuts at the Phoenix Open and seven of nine in his career. His last three have resulted in T-9 in 2017 (64-69-69-70), T-5 in 2018 (71-68-64-67) and T-4 in 2019 (67-65-65-75).

Eschewing the grind that was Torrey Pines and the Farmers Insurance Open will have Kuchar freed up to play well in the Arizona warmth.

Length is an asset at TPC Scottsdale, but not a requisite. Good approach play is a key factor that Kuchar has in his favor (17th strokes gained approach, .591).

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