2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Top 10 power rankings at Detroit Golf Club
Hideki Matsuyama deserves plenty of praise for making all four cuts since his breakthrough Masters win. It would have been easy to let his game crater like so many other players after their first major championship win.
Two of those made cuts were respectable finishes in majors: T-23rd at the PGA Championship and T-26th at the U.S. Open.
He’ll probably tell you he’s looking for a little more. The T-23rd is the best of the four, but Matsuyama now comes to a course where he’s had success.
He took T-19th (68-67-68-70) at the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2019 and T-21st (71-68-65-71) last year for a combined 28-under-par.
Japan’s top golfer was third in the field in 2020 in strokes gained tee to green (1.85).
The 29-year-old is coming off a week of rest.
Matsuyama ranks 18th on the PGA Tour in SG tee to green (1.124) and is particularly good with his irons (16th SG approach, .642). Going very low is required to contend this week. He’s 38th in birdie or better percentage (22.67%) and should be able to make some hay on the par-5s (4.56 scoring average).
Matsuyama has been lethal with his short irons. He’s fifth in approach proximity from 125-150 yards (19’6”).
This week’s tournament winner will likely have an eagle on his card. He’s 27th in holes per eagle (121.1).
Matsuyama hasn’t missed a cut since March and has not at a non-elevated status PGA Tour event since October.
Four years passed between wins before Matsuyama’s Masters triumph. Four months might not even pass if he plays well in Michigan once again.