2024 Zozo Championship: Top 10 power rankings at Narashino CC
Top ten contenders at the Zozo Championship
10) Matt Kuchar
Kuchar made headlines for his theatrics at the Wyndham Championship, in which he missed the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the first time.
The fall swing has been kind to the vet with two top 15 finishes in three tries. It was looking bleak for Kuch -- he missed nine out of his first eleven cuts to start 2024 -- but the summer provided a much-needed jolt.
Kuchar cannot compete on long tracks at this point in his career and is forced to rely on his iron play, savviness, and course acumen. At a track that necessitates positioning and angles rather than distance, look for Kuchar to shine.
9) Doug Ghim
Ghim came oh-so-close to his first-ever PGA Tour victory last week at the Shriners. A final round 65 (including this beautiful approach into 18) was not enough to overcome J.T. Poston; he fell by one stroke.
Doug Ghim hits an excellent approach on 18 to put the pressure on J.T. Poston. 👀🎯
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) October 21, 2024
📺 Golf Channel 📱 NBC Sports app | @ShrinersOpen pic.twitter.com/pAJfzGkzOk
On the surface, last week's performance may seem like a fluke for Ghim -- it was his first finish inside the top five all season. But the reality is his approach play has been elite for the past six months; his putter has betrayed him. The 28-year-old placed 136th on Tour in strokes gained with the putter.
Last week saw the script flip, however. It was the first time he had gained strokes on the greens since The Players in March. Ghim ranks as the number one player in the field from tee to green over the past 24 rounds, just to show where his ball striking is at.
His game has been ascending for half a year now, and it could be time for his ball striking to cash him a first-place check.