Power rankings: WGC-HSBC Champions

The final World Golf Championships event of the year convenes on Thursday in Shanghai, China, with the HSBC Champions. Bubba Watson is the defending champion at Sheshan International, a course where long hitters have dominated.

The world Nos. 2 and 3 are in the field, along with 2013 champion Dustin Johnson.

Here are our top five players for this week:

1. Jordan Spieth — We haven’t seen Spieth flying solo since winning the FedEx Cup, so there’s some ring rust to shake off here. However, he’s the best golfer in the world (even if the Official World Golf Ranking doesn’t say it).

2. Rory McIlroy — Have to like McIlroy on this course, where he’s a top-six machine, and for his form after a T-6 finish last week at the Turkish Airlines Open. Final round was a dud in Antalya, but he did have a fairly conservative gameplan.

3. Justin Thomas — The CIMB Classic winner gets into his first WGC this week. Should be riding high off the win and a T-3 effort at the Frys.com Open. Has the length to torch Sheshan International.

4. Kevin Na — How can you not like keep riding the Na Train? P2, T-2, T-3 to start the year. Was T-20 in this event last year.

5. Bubba Watson — The defending champion isn’t ranked so highly because there are hotter players in front of him in the short term and a guy who owns the joint (McIlroy). However, Watson is playing some of the best golf of his life. No real reason to dislike him here.

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

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