This article is part of our Golf Barometer series.
If it weren't for a course-record tying 61 from Hideki Matsuyama on Sunday at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, last week's "Riser" Charley Hoffman would've been in prime position to challenge for his first win of the year before ultimately finishing third. This week, Quail Hollow Club plays host to 2017's final major as nearly the entire top-100 in the Official World Golf Ranking heads to Charlotte, North Carolina. We'll take a look at several players trending with the PGA Championship up next.
VALUE RISING
Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama was clearly rounding into form when he followed his runner-up finish at the U.S. Open with top-15s at the Irish and British Opens, but a five-stroke victory against such a strong field at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational proves his placement at No. 3 in the OWGR. He also moved up to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings with his third win of the PGA Tour season. Matsuyama ranks third among the field at the upcoming PGA Championship in SG: T2G, so his ball striking should carry him a long way at Quail Hollow this week.
Zach Johnson
Surely placing the winner and runner-up from last week in the "Value Rising" category is easy, but much like Matsuyama, Johnson has shown an elevation in his form for weeks now. The John Deere Classic marks the time of year when Johnson usually gets hot, so cash in before the flame runs out. Before the Bridgestone he finished T14 at the Open Championship and T5 at TPC Deere
If it weren't for a course-record tying 61 from Hideki Matsuyama on Sunday at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, last week's "Riser" Charley Hoffman would've been in prime position to challenge for his first win of the year before ultimately finishing third. This week, Quail Hollow Club plays host to 2017's final major as nearly the entire top-100 in the Official World Golf Ranking heads to Charlotte, North Carolina. We'll take a look at several players trending with the PGA Championship up next.
VALUE RISING
Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama was clearly rounding into form when he followed his runner-up finish at the U.S. Open with top-15s at the Irish and British Opens, but a five-stroke victory against such a strong field at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational proves his placement at No. 3 in the OWGR. He also moved up to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings with his third win of the PGA Tour season. Matsuyama ranks third among the field at the upcoming PGA Championship in SG: T2G, so his ball striking should carry him a long way at Quail Hollow this week.
Zach Johnson
Surely placing the winner and runner-up from last week in the "Value Rising" category is easy, but much like Matsuyama, Johnson has shown an elevation in his form for weeks now. The John Deere Classic marks the time of year when Johnson usually gets hot, so cash in before the flame runs out. Before the Bridgestone he finished T14 at the Open Championship and T5 at TPC Deere Run, but Quail Hollow will be a whole different beast for the short hitter. He'll need to gain strokes with his short game in order to excel, but at such a cheap daily fantasy price Johnson will still be popular.
Rory McIlroy
A caddy breakup prior to the WGC-Bridgestone didn't appear to hinder the superstar's performance as he dominated with his driver on the way to a fifth-place finish for the second straight event. He's the best player in the world off the tee right now, making him the betting favorite heading into this week's PGA Championship at a course he's played so well on. A stretch of three missed cuts in four starts is in the rearview.
Hudson Swafford
Swafford missed four straight cuts during the months of May and June, but has since made the weekend in five consecutive starts and posted a top-10 at Firestone CC last week. He ranks 17th on Tour in terms of driving distance and 26th in GIR percentage, so he'll be someone to keep an eye on as a sleeper at the PGA Championship.
VALUE FALLING
Shane Lowry
Lowry has fallen 40 spots in the OWGR since beginning his 2017 campaign at No. 83, most recently missing the cut at the RBC Canadian Open and Open Championship. His season-long numbers are healthy as he ranked 37th in GIR percentage and 19th in SG: OTT, but he hasn't posted a top-15 since early June.
Cameron Smith
Since he followed up his sixth-place result at the Valero Texas Open with a victory at the partner-format Zurich Classic in April, Smith has missed four cuts in five starts to go along with a T65 at the Memorial Tournament. The victory hangover has lasted too long for the 23-year-old and it won't be easy for him to turn things around at Quail Hollow. He could even be a longshot to just make the cut as he ranks outside of the top-160 on Tour in both GIR percentage and driving accuracy this season.
INJURY UPDATE
Brandt Snedeker (ribs)
Snedeker's lingering rib/sternum injury continues to land him here, ultimately forced to withdraw from the PGA Championship after originally expecting to make his return from what is nearing a two-month absence. His WD opened the door for Chris Kirk to enter the field at Quail Hollow, while Snedeker might have a chance at playing next week's Wyndham Championship as he looks to prepare for the playoffs.
