RADIO
As the 2023 season winds down, the year's final regular-season event is upon us. This week's Wyndham Championship will mark the last chance for players to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs by being inside the top 70 in the FedEx Cup Points Standings.
In this article, you will find my 2023 Wyndham Championship Power Rankings, which gives a first look into the top 10 golfers who are primed to make a significant impact in this year's edition of the event. These players should be considered serious contenders at Sedgefield Country Club this week and are legitimate threats to take home the Wyndham Championship title when the tournament gets underway on Thursday, August 3rd, 2023.
Hopefully, these rankings provide some insight into the current landscape of the PGA Tour and the upcoming tournament. Players have been evaluated on recent performances, statistical analysis, and course history. With a unique field of competitors and a Sedgefield golf course that provides plenty of birdies and excitement, the 2023 Wyndham Championship promises to be a fun tournament for golf fans and an intense one for golfers trying to sneak into the Playoffs.
#10. J.T. Poston
The former Wyndham champion comes to Greensboro in white-hot form. Poston most recently scored a runner-up finish in last week's 3M Open which marked his third top-six finish in the month of July.
The Postman has not only delivered recently but also often at Sedgefield. He took down the 2019 edition of the Wyndham thanks to a dominant bogey-free performance on the week. Poston most recently scored a T21 in last year's renewal. He's a streaky player who can go on eye-popping putting runs and he's certainly in the midst of a heater at the moment.
Not out here to finish 2nd. Trying to win. Would make that decision 10 times out of 10 under circumstances https://t.co/GHsIErHCil
— J.T. Poston (@JT_ThePostman) July 30, 2023
#9. Sam Burns
It always feels as though Sam Burns is on the verge of superstardom, yet his inconsistency is impossible to ignore. The Louisiana native has racked up five wins on the PGA Tour since 2021 with a victory earlier this year at the WGC Dell Match Play being the most recent - and impressive - feat.
However, Burns has failed to truly capitalize in the subsequent months with a T6 at the Charles Schwab Challenge standing as his only top-10 finish since April.
Despite his recent lack of high-end finishes, Burns has the type of T2G talent and putting skill needed to win any golf tournament. He managed a solid T13 in his lone Wyndham Championship start in 2020.
#8. Si Woo Kim
A true "Course Horse", Si Woo Kim has been hard to handle in previous trips to the Wyndham Championship. Kim recorded his first career PGA Tour win in the 2016 edition of the Wyndham and has since piled up an additional three top-five finishes at Sedgefield CC.
In addition to his elite course history, the South Korean's game has been firing in 2023. Kim won the Sony Open to kick off the year and has also impressed with top-five outings at the Memorial and AT&T Byron Nelson. The ball-striking has been superior throughout the season and he grades out third in this field in SG: T2G. Though he comes in on the heels of a couple of missed cuts in recent starts, Kim should not be ignored on this layout.
Can only really sit back and admire Si Woo Kim's choice of threads while playing with Phil Mickelson today pic.twitter.com/sIsbEPJh6D
— Alex Perry (@byAlexPerry) April 7, 2023
#7. Justin Thomas
There's no need to kick a guy when he's down, so will put it nicely and say that Justin Thomas is struggling with his game at the moment. After a victory at the PGA Championship last year, Thomas has failed to regain the form that helped him win at Southern Hills. His uninspired 2023 play has cratered recently, with an abysmal opening-round 82 at the Open standing as the low point.
It's somewhat hard to fathom that JT is currently out of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and likely not on the U.S. Ryder Cup team. A last-ditch effort last week in Minnesota ended with a missed cut and this week's Wyndham serves as his legit last chance to sneak into the FedEx Top-70. While Thomas' recent form is impossible to ignore, we also can't sleep on how exceptionally talented - and competitive - he is...a fact that earns him a spot on our Power Rankings despite his recent struggles.
🚨⚙️ Justin Thomas is back grinding on the practice putting green after missing the cut at TPC Twin Cities #3MOpen
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) July 29, 2023
#6. Shane Lowry
The lovable Irishman stands just outside the Top-70 and heads to Greensboro with his eyes set on a berth in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Before a rather surprising missed cut at Royal Liverpool, Lowry had displayed rock-solid form by recording top-20 finishes in five of his last seven starts.
He's gained strokes T2G in eight of his last 10 outings and will need to find something with a putter that's not always been cooperative in 2023. Lowry has some Wyndham experience and has made the cut in two of his last three appearances at Sedgefield with a T7 in the 2017 edition standing as his recent best.
#5. Adam Scott
The sweet-swingin' Aussie is another one of the handful of well-known stars that travel to Sedgefield in the hopes of cracking the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Despite a strong summer that's included three top-10 finishes across his last eight starts, Scott's complete lack of activity during the Swing Season has him on the outside looking in at the FedEx Top-70.
Scott has teed it up in the Wyndham each of the last two years, recording a T2 in the 2021 edition. He grades out third in this week's field in SG: Total over his last 24 measured rounds and has a strong chance to play his way into the PGA Tour's postseason with a good outing this week.
Not out here to finish 2nd. Trying to win. Would make that decision 10 times out of 10 under circumstances https://t.co/GHsIErHCil
— J.T. Poston (@JT_ThePostman) July 30, 2023
#4. Denny McCarthy
The putting extraordinaire has put forth a tremendous 2023 campaign that's included five top-10 finishes with a playoff loss at the Memorial standing as the highlight. Prior to a missed cut in the Open Championship, McCarthy had run off four consecutive top-20 finishes.
Consistently one of the PGA Tour's top putters, Denny Mac's impressive results this year can be attributed to his improved ball striking. The 30-year-old Maryland native has gained strokes T2G in eight of his last 10 starts, and when we factor in his elite efforts on the green, he ranks first in this week's Wyndham field in SG: Total.
In addition to his white-hot form, McCarthy has been excellent in previous trips to Sedgefield, gaining an impressive 23.11 total strokes with three top-25 results in the Wyndham since 2018.
The 🦅 has landed for Denny McCarthy!
A playoff runner-up last month at the Memorial, he's now tied for the lead after this long make on 14.
McCarthy down to +190 @DKSportsbook and the new betting favorite at the Deere. pic.twitter.com/QeOQPEKIYz
— Golfbet (@Golfbet) July 8, 2023
#3. Sungjae Im
A missed cut in last week's 3M Open isn't exactly inspiring for Sungjae Im backers this week, but there are reasons for optimism as he heads to a Sedgefield layout on which he's historically feasted.
The South Korean has felt right at home in previous trips to Greensboro, never finishing outside of the top-25 in four career Wyndham appearances with three of those outings being T9 or better.
Im is always a bit difficult to peg statistically and one of those players that we can stay on after a less-than-stellar outing. His failure to make the weekend in Minnesota was caused by a cold putter that led to him losing over two strokes on the greens across his two rounds at the 3M. We can expect that to improve this week on a Sedgefield layout where he's proven himself to be very comfortable in the past.
#2. Russell Henley
Despite a missed cut at the Open Championship in his most recent start, Henley still comes in near the top of our Wyndham Power Rankings due to his strong form and elite course history.
The UGA alum grades out first among this week's entrants in SG: Approach and has been a consistent ball-striking force en route to seven top-20 finishes across his last 10 starts.
Henley has also been a beast at Sedgefield Country Club throughout the years, posting three consecutive finishes of T9 or better in Greensboro since 2020.
#1. Hideki Matsuyama
This is one of those weird weeks on the PGA Tour schedule when there isn't a clear-cut "Number 1" player in the field. In the case of the Wyndham, we could make a pretty good argument for a handful of golfers, but I'll give the top spot to Hideki Matsuyama, a player that's been on a ball-striking tear of late and leads this week's Wyndham entrants in SG: T2G over the last 24 rounds.
The Japanese superstar's record at Sedgefield is mediocre-at-best, as he's posted a T11 and two missed cuts across his last three Wyndham starts. Despite that underwhelming history, I like to side with terrific ball strikers with the belief that the putter could randomly fire off at any time. Matsuyama has gained an impressive average of four strokes on APP over his last five tournaments, including picking up over three strokes with the irons at last week's 3M Open and posting the best T2G performance in his entire career in the opening round at TPC Twin Cities.
Hideki Matsuyama gained 7.40 strokes from tee-to-green on Thursday. That's the single best round of his career. pic.twitter.com/DgBqJQLyFx
— Rick Gehman (@RickRunGood) July 27, 2023
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