Week 7 Power Rankings: Northern Trust Open

text size

Listen to Mike Vitti

Mike Vitti discusses this week's Power Rankings in his weekly Talk of the TOUR segment on the PGA TOUR Network (XM 146, SIRIUS 209). Click to listen

MORE: Champions Tour Rankings

EDITOR'S NOTE: Officially, Mike Vitti is the Director of Research and Development in the TOUR's Marketing Department. Unofficially, he's a stats guru who analyzes all kinds of data from our ShotLink numbers.

Vitti will size up the field each week and provide his top 10 players going into the tournament, based on factors such as the player's strengths, the course setup, recent performances, etc.

With its narrow fairways, changes in elevation and smaller-than-average sized greens, Riviera Country Club is definitely a shotmaker's course, and, like a lot of the older courses, it challenges players to use every shot in their bag.

In 2008, Riviera ranked as the 13th toughest course on the PGA TOUR, producing 1,313 birdies and eagles and 1,661 scores of bogey or worse. So this will be a change from some of the birdiefests from the last few weeks.

Definitely do not look for struggling players (i.e. Phil Mickelson) to break out of their malaise playing in the Northern Trust Open.

Power Rankings: Northern Trust Open

Rank Player   Comment Mike WEIR It's his second week in a row at the top, but Weir has finished in the top three twice in his first three starts. He was a back-to-back winner at Riviera; though he missed the cut last year, he comes in ranked in the top 10 in scrambling and proximity to the hole. Robert ALLENBY Allenby is making his first start of 2009 at Riviera, where he is a past champion. He has finished in the top-10 four times in ten starts including three of the last four. Allenby ranked second on TOUR in greens in regulation in 2008. K.J. CHOI Choi is a player who performs well on the tough courses. He has made the cut in all eight of his starts here and has two top 10s, including last year's T7. He enters this week in the top 20 in driving accuracy and greens in regulation. Jim FURYK Furyk is making his second start of the season at the Northern Trust Open. He definitely fits the profile of a shotmaker, and his steady play from the tee will benefit him this week. He did miss the cut here in 2008 but tied for third in 2007. Charles HOWELL III Winner in a playoff over Phil Mickelson in 2007, Howell has never missed a cut in seven starts and, including his victory, has finished in the top 10 four times. He enters this week ranking 15th in scoring average. Charley HOFFMAN Hoffman has yet to finish outside of the top 20 in his first four starts. He ranks fifth in scoring average, ninth in ball striking and is 15th in scrambling. He does not have a great record here, but neither did Weir before he won. Padraig HARRINGTON Harrington has only played in the Northern Trust Open twice but has finished in the top 10 both times. In his eight rounds at the course, he has only been over par once, and, in his very first competitive round, he posted a tidy 63. Kenny PERRY With three top 10s, including a win in Scottsdale, Perry enters this week atop the FedExCup standings. Hitting over 77 percent of greens in regulation, he's third in ball striking. He would be higher, but he has only one top 25 in 14 starts here. Zach JOHNSON Johnson comes into this week ranked 12th in greens in regulation and 24th in driving accuracy, making him seventh in the ball striking category. Although he has never missed a cut at Riviera in five starts, he has only finished in the top 25 once. Geoff OGILVY A golf course aficionado, Ogily should thrive at Riviera, but he has not had great success in the past. However, this year he enters with a victory, ranked third in scoring average and in the top 25 in ball striking.