The FedExCup Playoffs is upon us, and it kicks off at the 2019 Northern Trust, which will be held at the Liberty National Golf Course. A total of 125 players are expected to play, all vying for the biggest share of the $15 million in total bonus for the playoffs. With that said, let’s now take a look at some of the players to watch out for in this tournament.
It doesn’t really matter which tournament he’s entered his name into; if Brooks Koepka is part of a particular tourney, then he is an automatic favorite to win it — or at least one of the chalks. Koepka is the leader in the FedExCup points standings with 2,887 points. He’s won three of the 18 FedExCup tournaments he’s played thus far on the season. He is also coming in hot at Liberty National Golf Course, as he’s fresh off a win at the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Prior to that, Koepka had a T4 at The Open. He’s in a groove right now, which is not good news for the rest of the field for the New Jersey tilt this week.
Rory McIlroy
The Northern Irishman bounced back from a sorry exit at The Open wherein he was cut by finishing with a T4 at the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. In 16 starts this PGA season, McIlroy has been cut just twice, won two times, and finished inside the top 10 a total of 12 times. McIlroy is truly having an amazing year, especially in terms of consistency, and that is being reflected by his output of 2,315 FedExCup points — good for second overall.
Dustin Johnson
Sure, Johnson only had a T20 at the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, a T51 at The Open, and was cut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, but it just doesn’t feel right to overlook him in any given tournament. He can get hot any time, and counting him out could be a decision that would bite you sooner than later. Plus, Johnson is a two-time winner of the Northern Trust, winning it in 2017 and in 2011.
HIGH VALUE SLEEPERS
Bryson DeChambeau
If there’s one thing you need to know about DeChambeau right now, it’s that he is the defending champion of the Northern Trust. He won it last year by edging out Tony Finau last year at Ridgewood. DeChambeau had a nice back-to-back stretch when he went T8 at the Travelers Championship and a T2 at the 3M Open. He wasn’t able to sustain that streak, though, as heh was cut at The Open followed by a T48 at the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational late last July. In 18 starts this season, DeChambeau has five top 10s and eight top 25s with four cuts.
Tony Finau
Speaking of Finau, he is still searching for his first win of the season, though, he’s flirted with success a number of times this season. Just last month, Finau was a solo third at The Open Championship. Overall, Finau has four top 10s in 22 starts this season.
LONG SHOTS
Kevin Streelman
Streelman is way down in the FedExCup points standings, as he is only 68th overall with 609 points. (But at least he’s got more than Jordan Spieth, who is behind him with 605 points.) Streelman was cut in his last start, which was at the Wyndham Championship. His last solid performance was at the Memorial last July, when he finished fourth overall.
Max Homa
No matter what happens for the rest of the PGA season, Homa will always have his win at the Wells Fargo Championship back in May. More recently, he’s been in bad form, as he hasn’t finished better than a T42 in any of his last three starts. But he had a T3 at the CVS Health Charity Classic *.
Writer’s Prediction
Dustin Johnson collects himself and wins his third Northern Trust title.
