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PGA Power Rankings: WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational

By Chris Aliperto

MEMPHIS, TN - JUNE 10: Dustin Johnson takes a practice swing on the 17th hole during the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic at TPC Southwind on June 10, 2018 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)
MEMPHIS, TN - JUNE 10: Dustin Johnson takes a practice swing on the 17th hole during the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic at TPC Southwind on June 10, 2018 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR) /
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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – MARCH 16: Tommy Fleetwood of England lines up a putt on the ninth green during the third round of The PLAYERS Championship on The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 16, 2019 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – MARCH 16: Tommy Fleetwood of England lines up a putt on the ninth green during the third round of The PLAYERS Championship on The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 16, 2019 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

PGA Power Rankings: WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational

5. Tommy Fleetwood – (13)

Fleetwood really stepped up his game at Royal Portrush, and his solo second place finish at nine-under par will unfortunately forever go unremembered, as the 148th Open Championship and the Claret Jug were not going to slip away from Shane Lowry. His finish was good enough to push him into the top five in my PGA Power Rankings this week, and he also now appears to have the longest running streak of making the cut, after Hideki Matsuyama failed to do so last week. This will be Fleetwood’s debut at TPC Southland, and he comes in off of three straight top-25’s, and still seeking his first win anywhere other than on the European Tour.

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4. Rory McIlroy – (3)

This one is hard to even write about, as I was just as convinced as every other golf writer has been since the Open Championship was announced at Royal Portrush that Rory was going to win. Nerves, a pulled tee shot, and an eventual quadruple-bogey eight on the very first hole of the tournament put months of anticipation to rest in a quick hurry, however, as McIlroy spent the next 35 holes trying to fight his way back to make the cut.

McIlroy did shoot a 65 on Friday but came up one stroke short of making the cut finishing at 2-over par. Although this one is very tough on the individual without a doubt, this is yet another reason why golf is one of the greatest sports on the planet. Even when it seems like it all will come together, one hole can squash all of that immediately.

The last time Rory missed a cut was at the Memorial Tournament, and he was able to follow that up with a win at the RBC Canadian Open. With the disappointment that no doubt ensued last week, I can totally see him bouncing back with authority here this week now that the spotlight will not be as bright.

3. Jon Rahm – (8)

Rahm continued his stretch of solid play at the Open Championship, as he was among the group that finished 3-under par for the tournament, and T-11. He came into Royal Portrush as hot as anyone in the world, as he followed his T-3 U.S. Open with a T-2 at the Andalucia Masters, which of course was followed by his win at the Irish Open.

Given his overall body of work over the last month or so, and the fact that he was once again right in the mix, he remains in the top three this week in the PGA Power Rankings. Rahm joins the list of the many first timers here at TPC Southland this week.

2. Brooks Koepka – (1)

Koepka presents our first real solid chunk of course history here at TPC Southland, as he has played in the FedEx St. Jude Classic in each of the last five years. He had back-to-back solid finishes with a T-3 and a T-2 in 2015 and 2016, but was unable to crack the top-25 here in each of the last two years.

Brooks finished T-4 last week at the 148th Open Championship, and while we know he hardly gets up for regular tour events, there is big money on the line being this is a small field invitational and a new WGC event. It is rare we have big tournaments in back-to-back weeks in golf, and this is the best consecutive fields we have had in quite some time.

1. Dustin Johnson – (2)

DJ’s game is not 100% right now, and it is mostly his iron game that has not been up to par with what we are used to seeing from DJ. However, I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt, as he comes into the new version of the FedEx St. Jude Classic now Invitational as the only past champion in this field. Last year here at TPC Southland, Johnson was incredible tee-to-green, and posted the six shot victory. Johnson also added a solo fifth place finish here in 2016, and a T-10 in 2013.

Johnson did struggle on Sunday in the wind at Royal Portrush like mostly everyone else, and his round of 76 led to a T-51 finish. He has now not finished inside the top-20 since his solo second at the PGA Championship, so his recent form could be much better for a golfer of this caliber. However, His history here in comparison to the rest of the field will give him a slight advantage. Par four scoring will be huge here at TPC Southland, and Johnson was dominant in that regard here last year.

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