Waste Management Phoenix Open: Power rankings at TPC Scottsdale

It was an up and down week for Hideki at Torrey Pines. He fired 73-67-74-71 to finish tied for 45th.

Nothing spectacular, but when you note that’s his worst finish in the last seven starts, you come to realize how quietly consistent he’s been.

In that span, the Japanese star finished T-3 at the CJ Cup and solo second behind Tiger in his home country at the Zozo Championship.

Injuries haven’t helped his cause, but it’s crazy to think he hasn’t won worldwide since 2017.

That’s bound to change sooner or later for the 27-year-old. Coming to Phoenix is just what the doctor ordered.

He won back-to-back Phoenix Open titles in 2016 and 2017. Scores of 65-70-68-67 (-14) got him into a playoff where he beat Rickie Fowler after four holes in 2016 for his second career PGA Tour title. A year later, Matsuyama recorded 65-68-68-66 (-17) to win yet another four-hole playoff, this time against Webb Simpson.

If you don’t remember these wins, I don’t blame you. Both of them came well after the Super Bowl kicked off. Only the golf junkies were still locked in at that point.

Clearly the ball striker’s haven that is TPC Scottsdale is a place of comfort for Matsuyama. He debuted with a T-4 in 2014 (66-67-68-69), was T-2 in 2015 (69-71-63-67) and T-15 a year ago (68-69-69-69). In 2019, he was one of just three players in the 60s all four days and was dialed in with his irons (79.17% GIR).

Matsuyama ranks 28th on Tour in strokes gained approach (.629) and was fifth in that category a season ago. He is also doing well around the greens (.512) in an underrated part of his game.

This is a course where Matsuyama can get good birdie looks, even if the driver isn’t fully cooperating. He lost over a stroke per round on the greens last year. If he can just have a net-zero week with the putter, I see him being in the title hunt.