The Northern Trust Preview: The Playoffs Begin

The final stretch of the 2016-17 PGA Tour season is upon us and there are still some things left to settle. Justin Thomas did what he could to settle the Player of the Year debate at the PGA Championship two weeks ago, and although he has the inside track, a FedEx Cup title could tilt the scales in a new direction.

If history had taught us anything, it's that someone will get hot the next few weeks and take home the $10 million prize. The history of the FedEx Cup is filled with big names who have captured the title of champion, but aside from the years when Tiger Woods was that man, there was no indication prior to the start of the playoffs who would eventually win.

Entering this year's FedEx Cup, Jordan Spieth seems like a likely candidate to come out on top at the Tour Championship, but there is no bye to the finals, you have to play well to be in contention heading into the final event. The direction of this year's FedEx Cup will be determined by this week's event. The golfers who are on this week likely will be the ones playing well for the next month. The ones who don't are likely headed for an unspectacular end to their season.

This week: The Northern Trust - Glen Oaks Club, Old Westbury, N.Y.

Last Year: Patrick Reed shot a final-round 70 on his way to a one-stroke victory over Emiliano Grillo and Sean O'Hair.

PLAYERS TO CONSIDER

Jordan Spieth

With no course history this week, all we have to go on is current form and hunches. Spieth works on both levels as he's played well the last couple months, and I have a hunch he's going to win the FedEx Cup this year.

Jason Day

Day showed more game in the first three rounds of the PGA Championship than he had the entire season and if not for a misguided effort from behind a tree on the 18th hole on Saturday at the PGA Championship, he may have been in the mix late on Sunday. As it is, he faded down the stretch, but I like what I saw before the fade.

Henrik Stenson

Stenson has been on both ends of the PGA Tour spectrum this season. He went from a guy who couldn't make a cut early in the season to the man who won impressively last week. Stenson is no stranger to playing well during the FedEx Cup, as he won it in 2013.

Hideki Matsuyama

Perhaps no one hotter on the PGA Tour than Matsuyama, who won the WGC Bridgestone Invitational three weeks ago and was in position to win at the PGA Championship only to fade down the stretch. Oddly enough, a major win probably would have hindered the cause heading into the FedEx as it would have added plenty of distraction, hence the absence of Justin Thomas on this list.

Paul Casey

Casey rarely wins on the PGA Tour, but he's often in the mix and has played well the last month, so he should again be in the mix this week. Casey enters this week on a streak of four consecutive top-15s on the PGA Tour, including some big events like the PGA Championship, the WGC Bridgestone and the Open Championship.

PLAYERS TO AVOID

Emiliano Grillo

Grillo was runner-up here last year, but again, that was at a different venue and if that weren't enough, his form lately has been terrible. Grillo has missed the cut in his last three events that had a cut and finished T50 at the WGC Bridgestone, which had little more than 60 golfers in the field.

Phil Mickelson

Speaking of current form and hunches, Mickelson's form has me thinking that he's about ready to call it a year. My hunch then is Mickelson will go through the motions this week and the next and regroup for one last push at the majors next season.

William McGirt

McGirt caught some attention earlier this season when he posted a strong three-week stretch of golf, which included a top-25 at the Masters, but his game has fallen off a cliff since the end of June. McGirt hasn't played the weekend since mid-July at the John Deere Classic.

Jimmy Walker

Who would have thought that just a year after winning the PGA Championship Walker would be in the position of needing to play well during the first FedEx Cup event just to make it into the field the following week? That is exactly the case, though, as Walker has struggled with health issues all season. Like Mickelson, Walker is probably more than ready to move on from this season and start fresh next year.

Wesley Bryan

Bryan has shown early in his career that he's a streaky golfer. He has a stretch early in the season when he missed four consecutive cuts, but not long after, he posted four top-10s in seven events. Bryan, though, is on a bad run as he's missed his last two cuts and finished T44 at the WGC Bridgestone.

ONE AND DONE GOLFER

Last week: Bud Cauley (T42) - $18,661; Season - $7,059,139

This week: Ollie Schniederjans - I'll be in a tough spot the next four weeks as I've used most of the golfers who will likely be in the field for the Tour Championship. With that in mind, I'll need to pick guys that probably won't make the top 30, yet have a good chance to play well. Enter Schniederjans, who nearly won last week and has shown a knack for being streaky.

YAHOO PICKS

Points: 4,227
Rank: 22,385

This Week:

Group A: Jason Day, Rickie Fowler

Group B: Hideki Matsuyama, Webb Simpson, Paul Casey, Jordan Spieth (one start left)

Group C: Brooks Koepka, Ollie Schniederjans

SURVIVOR PICK

Last week: Kevin Kisner - (T42); Streak - 8

This week: Jason Day - With only two cuts left, there's no reason to hold back in this format. Day is one of a few big guns that I've yet to use in the survivor format and the way he's playing heading into the week, he's pretty much a lock to make it to the weekend.