Week 28 Power Rankings: U.S. Bank Championship

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Jul. 14, 2009
By Mike Vitti, PGATOUR.COM

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.

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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.

Playing over a stroke under par on average for the field last year, the Brown Deer Park Golf Course ranked as one of the easiest courses on the PGA TOUR in 2008. However, unlike other birdie-friendly courses, not every hole offers a scoring opportunity.

Three of the first four holes rank among the five toughest on the course, and none of the four has a sub-par scoring average. Players will do well getting through these holes with pars, then they can proceed to attack the rest of the layout.

Also, note that length from the tee is not a huge factor at this course. This is why you still see Champions Tour players like Fred Funk and Lauren Roberts in the field, and also why Corey Pavin set a nine-hole scoring record on his way to winning here in 2006.

Power Rankings: U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee
Rank Player   Comment
Kevin
NA
Na has finished in the top 10 six times this season and is in the top 20 in the FedExCup standings. Na also currently ranks 20th on the PGA TOUR in birdie-to-bogey ratio, and hes 11th in putts per greens in regulation.
Jerry
KELLY
Kelly won earlier this season, plus he has five other top-25s in 2009. He's ranked in the top 30 in scoring average, sand save percentage, and putts per greens in regulation. He was second at this event in 2006 and has seven top-25s in 15 starts.
Joe
Ogilvie
The champion at this event two years ago, Ogilvie tied for sixth defending his title last year in Milwaukee. He has made the cut at this event five times in six starts and enters the event ranked fourth in putts per greens in regulation.
Cameron
BECKMAN
With six rounds in the 60s over his last two events, Beckman has finished in the top 10 in both of his last two starts. Beckman needs to find the fairway this week to be successful, as he is 15th on the PGA TOUR in proximity to the hole from the fairway.
Lee
JANZEN
Janzen has finished in the top 25 four times this season, including twice in his last four starts. He is 26th on the PGA TOUR in putts per round and ranks 16th on made-putt percentage from 10 to 15 feet.
Brett
QUIGLEY
Last week's tie for second at the John Deere Classic was Quigley's third T2 finish this season. Quigley has finished in the top five twice at this event and ranks 14th on the all-time money list at this event.
Matt
BETTENCOURT
He's made the cut in his last six starts and, until a final-round 75 last week, was on his way to his third top-10 finish in 2009. He ranks in the top 30 in birdie-conversion percentage and is fourth in percentage of putts made between 10 and 15 feet.
Nick
O'HERN
O'Hern has finished in the top 25 four times this season, including twice in his last four starts. An accurate player from the tee, O'Hern is 35th in driving accuracy percentage, 21st in proximity to the hole, and seventh in sand save percentage.
John
MALLINGER
He has not posted a round over par in his first eight rounds at the Brown Deer Park Golf Course. He has finished in the top 25 four times this season and ranks in the top 40 in putts per greens in regulation, driving accuracy, and putting inside of 10 feet.
Mark
WILSON
Wilson has finished in the top 25 four times in his last five starts and a total of six times this season. He won an alternate field, the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun, earlier this season.
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