PGA power rankings: The best in the world analyzed
With a summer of high-level golf now behind us, and an autumn and winter season still to come, fans of the game are already getting their picks and parlays ready for the rest of the year. But for those of you eyeing up the PGA power rankings and trying to figure out who is worth wagering on, let’s review how the PGA power rankings are shaping up as the year draws to a close:
Matt Fitzpatrick
Despite just making the top 10 PGA Tour rankings and world golf rankings, Matt Fitzpatrick has nevertheless had an incredibly strong season, and looks set to build on this as the year draws to a close. Hailing from Sheffield and now flying the English flag in a field of very strong contenders, 2022 has very much been a coming out year for Fitzpatrick. He earned his first major championship title and first career PGA Tour victory, being the first to win a first tour win at a major since Danny Willett in 2016. Fitzpatrick has recorded 10 top 10 finishes and made 17 cuts in 20 starts so far.
Will Zalatoris
Since turning pro in 2018, Zalatoris has proved to be a recurrent character on the touring scene. Much like Fitzpatrick, 2022 has been very kind to Zalatoris so far. He managed to earn a first career PGA Tour victory after 56 starts and advanced to the TOUR Championship in his first season as a member. Despite suffering an injury that forced him out of the BMW Championship, Zalatoris has continued to have a strong season. This included nine top-10s and 19 cuts in 24 starts.
Collin Morikawa
Now in his third year as a pro, Morikawa has continued to perform strongly in 2022, with 2023 looking even brighter for the young Californian. Morikawa qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs for a fourth season and advanced to the TOUR Championship for a third time. Although he didn’t record a victory he did still score two runner-up finishes and eight top-10s in 19 starts.
Justin Thomas
2022 has been incredibly fruitful for Thomas. He managed to win the PGA Championship, which was only his second major championship win and his 15th career PGA Tour win. Following this, he then tied for fifth place in the FedExCup standings. Most notably, Thomas is now only the 64th player in PGA history to win 15 times on the PGA Tour and the sixth since World War II to win 15 titles.
Jon Rahm
Jon Rahm has had a similarly fruitful 2022 season and looks set to build on this in 2023. He collected eight top-10 finishes, although he didn’t manage to record one in a major championship for the first time since 2017. Despite this, Rahm became the first player to record eight consecutive top-10 placings in a FedExCup.
Xander Schauffele
Schauffele has had a solid 2022 year so far with notable victories at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the Travelers Championship and the Genesis Scottish Open. He finished the FedExCup Regular Season ranked fourth, with an earning bonus of $2.2m.
Patrick Cantlay
Much like 2021, 2022 has proved fruitful for Patrick Cantlay with two solid events under his belt for the year — the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the BMW Championship. Notably, Cantlay was one of the few players to finish the regular season in the top-10 in both 2021 and 2022. This is in addition to earning a qualifying spot for the 2022 Presidents Cup.
Rory McIlroy
Never far from the top-10 power rankings, Rory McIlroy has continued to enjoy success in 2022, with 2023 looking equally bright. He won the FedExCup for the third time, scoring a staggering $18m win bonus and becoming the first player to win it three times! All in all, McIlroy has recorded 10 top-10 finishes and made 14 cuts in just 16 starts. Not a bad year for the Northern Irishman!
Cameron Smith
As the current runner-up in the rankings of the top-10 golfers at the minute, it scarcely needs to be said that Smith has had a fantastic year so far. Smith’s most notable accolades including winning three titles, as well as advancing to the TOUR Championship for the fourth time. Overall, Smith recorded seven top-10 finishes, with 15 cuts in just 18 starts.
Scottie Scheffler
Coming in as the best ranked player in the world right now, Scottie Scheffler has had a fairly incredible run in 2022 so far. Some of the most notable achievements include being awarded the Jack Nicklaus Award as PGA player of the year. He also managed to earn his first four PGA Tour titles in just six starts, including a first major championship title. Smith also earned a total of $14m, becoming the first player in PGA Tour history to surpass this amount in a single season. Not bad for only having turned pro in 2018!
