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Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Author
There are solely 15 days remaining earlier than the opening spherical of the 88th Masters at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership, the primary main championship of the boys’s skilled golf season.
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Whereas defending champion Jon Rahm is taking part in within the LIV Golf League, world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler has emerged as a heavy betting favourite after back-to-back victories on the PGA Tour. The 2022 Masters champion additionally is aware of his approach round Augusta Nationwide fairly nicely.
With the PGA Tour headed to Texas for the final two stops earlier than the Masters, beginning with this week’s Texas Kids’s Houston Open, it is a good time for the most recent version of the PGA Tour energy rankings.
After all, there is not any shock at No. 1. However throughout a season wherein rookies and different lesser-known first-timers have received tournaments, you might need to look additional down the checklist for superstars.
1. Scottie Scheffler
The world No. 1 golfer is coming off back-to-back victories on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Gamers Championship. He has two top-10 finishes at Memorial Park Golf Course, together with a tie for second in 2022. He might grow to be the primary participant since Dustin Johnson in 2017 to win in three straight begins. Rory McIlroy was the final to do it in three consecutive begins in stroke-play occasions (DJ’s streak included the WGC-Dell Applied sciences Match Play).
The reigning U.S. Open champion was runner-up to Scheffler in every of his previous two begins, ending 5 strokes again on the API and 1 again on the Gamers Championship — after his birdie putt on the 72nd gap cruelly lipped out. He was ranked No. 189 within the Official World Golf Rating when he performed within the 2022 Texas Kids’s Houston Open. Now, he is probably the greatest gamers on the earth, rating third on tour in pictures gained: whole (1.869), eighth in tee to inexperienced (1.214) and twelfth in placing (.656).
Schauffele could not maintain a final-round lead on the Gamers Championship, however there is not any query he has performed spectacular golf these days. He has already piled up six top-10 finishes in eight begins this season, together with top-5s in three of his previous 4. One of many high golfers on the earth with no main championship victory, the previous Olympic gold-medal winner shall be driving quite a lot of momentum heading into the Masters, the place he’ll attempt to lastly bag a giant one.
The 2021 Masters champion picked up his ninth PGA Tour victory on the Genesis Invitational in February. He adopted that with a tie for twelfth on the API and a tie for sixth on the Gamers Championship. Regardless of battling a again harm once more, Matsuyama has been nice from tee to inexperienced and across the inexperienced, however he ranks 134th in strokes gained: placing (-.378).
After choosing up his first PGA Tour victory in his final begin in 2023 on the RSM Traditional, the previous Texas Tech star hasn’t slowed down. He has three top-10s in seven begins, together with a runner-up end on the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am. He hits it lengthy and straight and does not make many errors. He’ll make his first begin in a serious championship on the Masters.
Zalatoris missed the minimize in his most up-to-date begin on the Gamers Championship, however his type has returned after he underwent again surgical procedure in April that sidelined him for the remainder of 2023. He had a pair of top-5s towards loaded fields in signature occasions — a tie for fourth on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and for second on the Genesis Invitational. His ballstriking is nearly as good as ever; he ranks sixth in strokes gained: method (.789).
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7. Rory McIlroy
McIlroy appeared poised for a quick begin after he tied for second on the Dubai Invitational and received the Hero Dubai Desert Traditional for a report fourth time on Jan. 21. That success hasn’t carried over to the PGA Tour, nevertheless, as he has only one top-20 end in 5 begins up to now — a tie for nineteenth on the Gamers Championship. He ranks second in strokes gained: off the tee (.938) however 119th in method (-.176).
Harman’s missed minimize ultimately week’s Valspar Championship might need been the results of a hangover from his slender miss on the Gamers Championship. He completed 1 stroke behind Scheffler and had search for a tying birdie on the 72nd gap. The reigning Open Championship winner tied for twelfth on the API.
The Canadian picked up his fourth PGA Tour victory — and his second straight in a playoff — by outlasting Charley Hoffman in two further holes on the WM Phoenix Open on Feb. 11. Taylor ranks 127th in strokes gained: off the tee (-.158) however makes up for it with stellar iron play (fifteenth in method) and placing (twentieth).
On Jan. 27, the 31-year-old turned the primary golfer from France since 1907 to win on the PGA Tour when he defeated Nicolai Hojgaard by 1 stroke on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open. He additionally tied for seventh on the Sony Open in Hawaii and was solo third on the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am.
Theegala appears near successful one thing massive. He has 4 top-10s in eight begins this season, together with in every of his previous two — a tie for sixth on the API and for ninth on the Gamers Championship. He is fourth on tour in pictures gained: whole (1.446) and seventh in placing (.821).
Burns is tied with Theegala for third-most top-10 finishes on tour this season with 4. He tied for third within the WM Phoenix Open and for tenth on the Genesis. He ranks twenty fourth in pictures gained: whole (.875) and twenty third in placing (.542).
Younger narrowly missed out on choosing up his elusive first PGA Tour victory once more final week, ending 2 strokes behind Peter Malnati on the Valspar Championship. It was Younger’s seventh runner-up end in 60 tour begins, probably the most of any participant with no victory courting again to 1970, based on ESPN Stats & Data. Younger is simply too gifted to not finish the drought in some unspecified time in the future.
The eight-time PGA Tour winner’s outcomes have been hit and miss up to now this season. He tied for eleventh on the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am and for fourth on the Genesis. Cantlay had 4 different finishes exterior the highest 35. His inconsistent play off the tee and iron play are responsible — he ranks 143rd in strokes gained: method (-.359) and one hundred and thirty fifth in driving accuracy (55.2% fairways hit).
The reigning FedEx Cup champion, who regarded able to problem Scheffler for world No. 1 on the finish of final season, has limped by the primary three months of 2024 with a median end of 39.4 in 5 begins. He had only one top-20 — a tie for nineteenth on the Genesis Invitational. Hovland has been pissed off together with his swing and is working with a brand new coach, Grant Waite. His chipping woes have reemerged as nicely.
A nightclub bouncer simply three years in the past, Knapp turned the third PGA Tour rookie to win this season when he captured the Mexico Open at Vidanta on Feb. 25. The previous UCLA golfer has three top-5 finishes in 12 begins.
Kirk has cooled off a bit after capturing his sixth PGA Tour victory on the season-opening Sentry in Hawaii in January. It was his second win in 11 months after he got here out on high on the Honda Traditional in February 2023. He is a hundred and fortieth in strokes gained: placing (-.404) however has been greater than strong off the tee and on method.
JT’s struggles appeared to be within the rearview mirror after he had 4 top-12 finishes in his first 5 begins this season. He took a few steps again with missed cuts on the Genesis Invitational and Gamers Championship and a tie for sixty fourth on the Valspar Championship. Nonetheless, his type appears headed in the precise course once more.
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After a gradual begin to 2024, Lowry has rebounded with three consecutive top-20 finishes, together with a tie for fourth on the Cognizant Traditional and a solo third on the API. Lowry introduced this week that he’ll play with McIlroy in subsequent month’s Zurich Traditional of New Orleans group occasion.
After a so-so begin to the 2024 season, Fitzpatrick appears near placing the whole lot collectively after a solo-fifth end on the Gamers Championship. He had missed cuts on the Sony Open, Genesis Invitational and API earlier than he bounced again at TPC Sawgrass. He’s driving the ball higher off the tee after eradicating a 4-gram weight from the grip of the membership. Fitzpatrick instructed PGATour.com that he forgot the load was even there.
Homa got here out of the gates nicely this season, tying for 14th on the Sentry and thirteenth on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open. He additionally tied for eighth on the API. Homa has been wildly inconsistent off the tee, rating a hundred and fiftieth in driving accuracy (54.2%) and one hundred and fifteenth in strokes gained: off the tee (-.117).
The South Korean golfer misplaced to Grayson Murray in a playoff on the Sony Open in Hawaii and has performed persistently nicely since. He has three top-10s and 5 top-25s with just one missed minimize in eight begins. After dropping his PGA Tour card in 2021, he has climbed again to No. 42 within the Official World Golf Rating.
The previous world No. 1 golfer performed a few of his finest golf on the tour’s largest stops this season. He had three top-10s towards elite fields at signature occasions, tying for tenth on the Sentry, for sixth on the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am and had a solo ninth on the Genesis. He has completed sixteenth or higher in two of his three begins at Memorial Park, the place his elite quick sport is a weapon.
Hoge has been a mannequin of consistency this season, making the minimize in 9 of 10 begins with a pair of top-10 finishes. He carried out nicely on the West Coast swing with a tie for sixth at Pebble Seaside and solo eighth on the Genesis. His iron play continues to be among the many finest on tour — he ranks second in pictures gained: method (1.234) and proximity (34 toes, 7 inches).
25. Peter Malnati
Bucket hats off to the PGA Tour coverage board director, who picked up his second profession PGA Tour victory — and his first in 3,058 days — on the Valspar Championship. He earned a two-year exemption, his first invitation to the Masters and a spot within the remaining 4 signature occasions of the season. He jumped from 184th to sixty fifth on the earth after the win.
Simply missed the highest 25: Harris English, Tommy Fleetwood, Austin Eckroat, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, J.T. Poston, Erik van Rooyen, Eric Cole, Grayson Murray, Min Woo Lee
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