With the first six events of the 2025 LIV season having been completed, it’s looking more and more like a three-horse race between Jon Rahm, Joaquin Niemann and Bryson DeChambeau—although there are three more major championships still to play that can tip the scales in a big way, and LIV is sending 11 members to to the PGA Championship in May.
With the USGA now considering LIV performance for a spot in the U.S. Open field, Niemann’s 3 wins will have him teeing it up at Oakmont in June as well.
Keep in mind that twelve LIV members are included among the All-Time Top 100 Players, starting with Phil at #9.
Jon Rahm: LIV Points Leader
Jon Rahm holds a razor thin lead in the LIV Power Rankings with a Top-10 finish in every event (including a runner up and 2-Top 5’s), while Niemann has won three of the first six (bringing Joaquin to 5 career LIV wins–tying him with Brooks Koepka for the all-time lead).
Bryson DeChambeau is just behind them with a runner-up, a Top-5 and 2-Top-10’s—plus his outstanding performance at The Masters.
Bryson DeChambeau: T5 at Augusta
LIV Power Ranking Update
Players are rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner up, Top-5 and Top-10 finishes–as well as performance at the major championships.
Top 5
No. 1 Jon Rahm: 69.7 Rating
LIV Average Finish: 5.3 (#1)
Performance Profile: Runner-up at Riyadh, Top-5’s at Singapore and Mexico, Top-10 at Adelaid, Hong Kong and Miami
Masters Finish: Top-20 (14)
No. 2 Joaquin Niemann: 69.5 Rating
LIV Average Finish: 13.5 (#5)
Performance Profile: Wins at Adelaid, Singapore and Mexico
Masters Finish: Top-30 (29)
No. 3 Bryson DeChambeau: 63.8 Rating
LIV Average Finish: 10.2 (#3)
Performance Profile: Runner-up at Mexico, Top-5 at Miami and Top-10’s at Riyah and Singapore
Masters Finish: Top-5 (5)
Only 23 Years old, Puig lights it up
No. 4 David Puig: 56.2 Rating
LIV Average Finish: 9.8 (#2)
Performance Profile: Top 5’s at Adelaid and Singapore and a Top-10 at Riyadh.
Masters Finish: Did Not Play
No. 5 Lucas Herbert: 55.8
LIV Average Finish: 12.2 (#4)
Performance Profile: Runner-up at Mexico, Top-5’s Riyadh and Hong Kong
Masters Finish: Did Not Play
Notables
Phil Mickelson (No. 11): Looks like Phil has decided to start playing some golf again with a T-5 at Hong Kong and a T-10 at Miami. Although he missed the cut at Augusta National, there were more than a few flashes of the old Phil—don’t be shocked if he’s hanging around on the weekend at Quail Hollow in a couple of weeks.
Brooks Koepka (No. 18): Other than a runner-up at Singapore and a T-10 at Adelaide, Brooks has been pretty much sleeping through the ’25 LIV season. With the PGA Championship right around the corner you might have expected him to be honing his game in Mexico—but after birding two of the first three holes in the first round, Brooks played 5 over the rest of the way and disappeared to a distant 30th.
Still, it’s hard to imagine he won’t show up to play at Quail Hollow and try to bag his 6th major championship.
Sebastian Munoz: Number 6
Sebastian Munoz (No. 6): Sebastian had a terrific first year with LIV in 2023 with 4 Top 5 finishes including a runner-up to end the year at No. 12, but 2024 was a disappointment with just 3 Top-10’s as he slid to 20th.
He’s back on track in 2025 with a runner-up at Riyadh, a Top-5 at Singapore and a pair of Top-10’s (Hong Kong and Mexico).
Jon Rahm had a phenomenal 2024 LIV season, capping off the year with a dominating 3-shot victory over Joaquin Niemann and Sergio Garcia at the final event of the year in Chicago and finished atop our LIV Power Rankings by a wide margin.
Rahm’s performance at the ’24 majors, however, has no doubt left him burning through the winter with just one Top-10 finish (Open Championship)—so you can bet he will be laser focused in 2025 (uh-oh Scottie).
2024 was a break-out season for Joaquin Niemann as he led our Power Rankings through most of the year until Rahm finally ran him down with a win at the UK and then followed with a runner-up at the Greenbrier.
Although Niemann faltered a bit down the stretch, he still finished well ahead of #3 Bryson DeChambeau, in spite of Bryson’s fantastic performance at the ’24 major championships.
All the leaders in our year-end rankings recorded a Top 10 finish in the final event of 2024 at Bolingbrook Golf Club, so when you look at the way the big guns finished up the year, the 2025 LIV season should deliver a ton of excitement.
Jon Rahm broke into the top 50 with his T7 at The Open Championship, and Bryson BeChambeau moved up to #91 with his win at the U.S. Open, runner-up at The PGA and T6 at The Masters.
Brooks Koepka, currently #57, can move into the the top 50 all-time with a big year at the ’25 majors (and he is due after last year where he made all the cuts but failed to record a Top-10).
Power Rankings Overview
Players are rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner-up, Top 5 and Top 10 finishes—as well as performance at the major championships.
Top 5
No. 1 Jon Rahm: 110.2 Rating Jon started the ’24 season with a T3 at Mayakoba and kept his foot on the gas all year, finishing in the top 10 week after week until finally torching the field with 2 wins and a runner-up in the final 3 events of the year.
In 12 LIV tournaments, Rahm recorded 2 wins, a runner-up, 5 Top 5’s and 4 Top 10’s—with an average finish of 4.8.
Unless he suffers a signifacant injury, Rahm will dominate again in 2025—and it’s a good bet there will be another major championship trophy on his mantel before the year is out.
No. 2 Joaquin Niemann: 99.1 Rating
Joaquin jumped out early winning 2 of the first 3 events of 2024 (Mayakoba and Jedda), and applied heat through the final round of the last tournament of the year in Chicago.
In 13 events, Joaquin recorded 2 wins, 2 runner-ups, 3 Top 5’s and 3 Top 10’s, with an average finish of 8.9.
Rest assured, the sweet swinging Niemann, who only just turned 26 in November, will continue to dog Rahm though the 2025 season (and perhaps grab a major championship as well).
Bryson: Huge year at the Majorsin ’24
No. 3 Bryson DeChambeau: 90.2 Rating
The 2024 LIV season was a good one for Bryson with 2-Top 5’s and 5-Top 10’s, but considering his powerhouse performance at the major championships (including his second U.S. Open win), you would have expected quite a bit more—particularly after recording 2 LIV wins in 2023.
Still, DeChambeau was very consistent throughout the season and ended the year at 4th in average finish (12.8)—look for Bryson to elevate his game further at LIV events, while remaining a force (and a big draw) at the majors in 2025.
No. 4 Tyrell Hatton: 87.8 Rating
Hatton posted a win in Nashville at The Grove in 2024, his debut season with LIV, and also recorded a runner-up, 4 Top 5’s and a Top 10.
Tyrell posted an average finish of 10.2, 3rd in the league behind Rahm and Niemann, while recording his best ever showing (T9) at The Masters.
Hatton is loaded with talent, and if he keeps his temper in check it’s almost certain he will record another win (or two) in 2025
Brooks Koepka: 5 LIV wins
No. 5 Brooks Koepka: 79.6
Brooks notched 2 more LIV wins in 2024 (Singapore and Greenbrier), bringing his league leading total to 5 since joining LIV in 2022 (and matching his number in major championship victories).
In spite of the wins, Koepka’s 2024 season was dissapointing, with an average finish of 16.4 which ranked him at 10th in the league. Brooks also failed to record a Top-10 at any of the majors (although he made the cut in all of them).
Koepka appears as fit as he’s ever been, but he will turn 34 years old in May and the clock is beginning to tick—it’s time for Brooks to bring the hammer down more often at LIV events to sharpen his game, particularly those preceding the major championships.
A sixth major win would bring Koepka even with Phil and Lee Trevino, and two more tie’s him with Arnie and Sam Snead—look for Brooks to make his move in 2025.
Movers
Serdio Garcia: 2024Comeback
Sergio Garcia: Sergio nailed down his first LIV win in 2024 at Andalucia, and also recorded 3 runner-up finishes (Mayakoba, Miami and Chicago), while adding a T5 at Houston and T8 at The Greenbrier.
Sergio ended the year at No. 6 in our Power Rankings and 6th in average finish at 14.7—a big jump from his 2023 season.
Although Garcia just turned 45, he’s in fantastic shape and remains one of the premier ball-strikers in golf–don’t expect him to fade away any time soon.
Louis Oosthuizen: Sweet Swing
Louis Oosthuizen: Oosthuizen looked like the Louis of old in 2024, recording a runner-up (Adelaide), a T4 (Andalucia), and 4 Top 10’s. He also ended the year 5th in average finish at 14.6, jumping to 9th in our power rankings.
Let’s hope the back holds up in 2025, because there is nothing more enjoyable than watching Oosthuizen strike a laser-like long iron pin seeker (see double eagle at Augusta in 2012.)
Smith looking for rebound in ’25
Cameron Smith: After leading our Power Rankings in ’23 with 2 LIV wins, a runner-up, 2-T5’s and a pair of Top-10’s (as well as a couple of major Top-10’s), Smith went winless in 2024 and plummented all the way down to No.7.
Cam didn’t exactly fall off a cliff though, with 3 runner-up finishes, 4 Top-10’s and a T6 at The Masters—but two extremely poor performances (Houston and Chicago) knocked his Average Finish down to 17.3 (12th in the League).
Expect Smith and his putter to get back on track with a couple of wins in ’25, and if that wand heats up at a major he will be very tough to beat.
Riyadh Golf Club, Saudi Arabia: Feb 6-8, 2025
2025 LIV Schedule
Riyadh: Riyadh Golf Club, Saudi Arabia(February 6–8)
Adelaide: The Grange Golf Club, Australia (February 14–16)
Hong Kong: Hong Kong Golf Club, Hong Kong (March 7–9)
Jon Rahm put an exclamation point on his phenomenal season with a dominating 3-shot victory over Joaquin Niemann and Sergio Garcia in Chicago, finishing atop the final 2024 LIV Power Rankings. Niemann led the field throughout the year until Rahm finally ran him down with a win at the UK and followed with a runner-up at the Greenbrier.
Niemann had a break-out season, finishing well ahead of #3 Bryson DeChambeau, despite Bryson’s fantastic performance at the 2024 major championships that gave him a big boost in the power rankings.
Joaquin Niemann: Finishes #2
All of the top players in the year-end rankings recorded a Top 10 finish at Bolingbrook Golf Club, keeping the heat on Rahm right through the last round of the season’s final event.
When you look at the way the big guns finished up the year, the 2025 LIV season should provide a lot of excitement.
Keep in mind that 12 LIV players are included among the All-Time Top 100 Players, with Phil in the top 10, Jon Rahm breaking into the top 50 with his T10 at The Open Championship, and Bryson moving up to #91 with his win at the U.S. Open, runner-up at The PGA and T6 at The Masters.
Team Championship: Maridoe Golf club, TX
Team Championship
At the year-end Team Championship held at Maridoe Golf Club in Texas, Ripper GC, the Australian contingent of Cam Smith, Lucas Herbert, Mark Leishman and Matt Jones recorded a 3-shot victory over the Aces (Dustin Johnson, Pat Reed, Harlod Varner III and Pat Perez). Iron Heads, consisting of Jinichiro Kozuma, Kevin Na, Danny Lee and Scott Vincent finished in the 3rd position.
Cam leads Ripper GC to Team victory
Power Rankings Overview
Players are rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner up, Top 5 and Top 10 finishes—as well as performance at the major championships. DJ led the league in 2022 at 80.9, and Cameron Smith set a new standard in 2023 at 89.0—but Jon Rahm’s rating of 110.2 in 2024 is truly mind-blowing.
Top 5
No. 1 Jon Rahm: 110.2 Rating Jon started the season with a T3 at Mayakoba and kept his foot on the gas all year, finishing in the top 10 week after week until finally torching the field with 2 wins and a runner-up in the final 3 events of the year.
In 12 LIV tournaments, Rahm recorded 2 wins, a runner-up, 5 Top 5’s and 4 Top 10’s—and his average finish was 4.8.
It would seem impossible to improve on the year Jon had in 2024, but you don’t want to bet against him in 2025—plus he’ll be loaded for bear at the majors next time around.
No. 2 Joaquin Niemann: 99.1 Rating
Joaquin jumped out early winning 2 of the first 3 events at Mayakoba and Jedda, and battled Rahm tooth and nail all year to the bitter end.
In 13 events, Joaquin recorded 2 wins, 2 runner-ups, 3 Top 5’s and 3 Top 10’s, with an average finish of 8.9.
In the tournaments Rahm won at the UK and Chicago coming down the stretch, Joaquin was right there fighting his heart out—but came up just short with runner-up finishes in both.
Before shedding too many tears for Joaquin though, remember he is just 25 years old, having turned pro at age 19—and with that swing he’s going to pile up plenty of wins before too long.
Bryson: Huge year at the Majors
No. 3 Bryson DeChambeau: 90.2 Rating
Bryson had a good year in 2024 with 2-Top 5’s, and 5 Top 10’s, but considering his incredible performance at the major championships, you would have expected a bit more—particularly after recording 2 LIV wins in 2023.
Still, DeChambeau was very consistent throughout the season and finished 4th in average finish at 12.8—and it’s pretty hard to complain about a year that includes a U.S. Open win.
No. 4 Tyrell Hatton: 87.8 Rating
Hatton posted a win at The Grove in Nashville in his debut season with LIV, and also recorded a runner-up, 4 Top 5’s and a Top 10.
Tyrell also posted an average finish of 10.2, 3rd in the league behind Rahm and Niemann. Hatton is loaded with talent, and when he keeps a handle on the temper it’s almost certain to see him among the leaders come Sunday.
Keep in mind as well that in 2024 Tyrell was seeing many of the LIV tournament courses for the first time, which is always tough—and that won’t be the case in 2025. Don’t be surprised if next year is a multiple win season for Hatton.
Brooks with 5 LIV wins
No. 5 Brooks Koepka: 79.6
Brooks notched 2 more wins in 2024, bringing him to a total of 5 since joining LIV in 2022, matching his major championship total, and 2 more than DJ, Cam Smith and Talor Gooch who each have 3.
For all the even tempered consistency Koepka brings to the major championships, Brooks is remarkably inconsistent when it comes to regular events. Along with his two wins, Koepka recorded a Top 5 at Mayakoba and 3 Top 10’s—but then had a couple of big-time stinkers at Trump National Doral in Miami (45) and Nashville (42).
With an average finish of 16.4, Brooks ranked 10th in the league behind Richard Bland (8) and Paul Casey (9). Bland and Casey are fine players, but they are not close to the level of Brooks Koepka.
It looks like Brooks is past the injuries and appears as fit as he’s ever been—so what’s up? Certainly the putter went cold at some key points in the majors this year, but that doesn’t explain so many poor performances at the regular LIV events.
Brooks needs to step it up in 2025, and he will no doubt be a bigger force at the majors—but Koepka should borrow a page from Jon Rahm and show up every week ready to play. And wouldn’t that be fun to watch.
Movers
Bryson DeChambeau: Bryson joined LIV the first year back in 2022, played the second event in Portland and recorded a T10. The rest of his year, though, was underwhelming with only 1 more Top 10 (Chicago) while finishing up the year at No. 17.
In 2023 DeChambeau pumped it up and recorded 2 wins, vaulting to No. 4, and in 2024 Bryson continued to move up, finishing at No. 3. Look for some good battles with Rahm and Koepka in 2025.
Garcia: Comeback in ‘24
Sergio Garcia: Sergio has played every event since LIV began in 2022, finally breaking out for his first win this year at Andalucia. Garcia recorded 4 top 10’s in 7 events back in 2022, finishing the year at No. 6 in the rankings, but slipped to No. 17 in 2023—and at 43 years old it looked like Sergio was fading fast.
Garcia made a statement that he wasn’t done quite yet in the first event of 2024 with a runner-up at Mayakoba. On top of his win in Spain, Sergio notched 2 additional runner-up finishes in Miami and Chicago, along with a T5 in Houston and a T8 at The Greenbrier.
Sergio ended the year at No. 6 in the power rankings, and also 6th in average finish at 14.7—a huge move from his mediocre 2023 season.
Louis Oosthuizen: Sweet Swing
Louis Oosthuizen: With the prettiest golf swing you’ll ever see, it had to be the bad back that caused Louis to finish 2023 in the middle of the pack (No. 23).
Oosthuizen looked like the Louis of old this year though, recording a runner-up (Adelaide), a T4 (Andalucia), and 4 Top 10’s. On top of that, he finished the year 5th in average finish at 14.6 and jumped all the way to No. 9 in the power rankings.
Let’s hope the back holds up in 2025, because there is nothing more enjoyable than watching Oosthuizen strike a laser-like long iron tracking the pin (see double eagle at Augusta with a 4 iron at No. 12 in 2012.)
All-Time LIV Wins
Brooks Koepka: 5
Cam Smith: 3
Dustin Johnson: 3
Talor Gooch: 3
Jon Rahm: 2
Bryson DeChambeau: 2
Joaquin Niemann: 2
Riyadh Golf Club, Saudi Arabia
2025 LIV Schedule
Riyadh: Riyadh Golf Club, Saudi Arabia(February 6–8)
Adelaide: The Grange Golf Club, Australia (February 14–16)
Hong Kong: Hong Kong Golf Club, Hong Kong (March 7–9)
Jon Rahm has been chasing Joaquin Niemann in the LIV Power Rankings all year, and with his first LIV win at the UK and a runner-up at The Greenbrier, he finally ran him down.
Niemann certainly didn’t give it up without a fight though, finishing one shot behind Rahm at the UK as runner up. Jon came out swinging with a first round 63 and a 6-shot lead over Niemann, but Joaquin fired 67 and 65 on the weekend only to come up just shy.
Niemann certainly didn’t play poorly at The Greenbrier either, finishing at 11 under par and a T15 (along with Bryson DeChambeau), but Rahm has been relentless in 2024 and his runner-up to Koepka on Old White pretty much sealed the deal.
Niemann will need to win Chicago with Rahm finishing outside the top 10 to retake the lead, and the way Rahm has played that doesn’t seem likely. As the year winds down, there are twelve LIV players included among the All-Time Top 100 Players, with Phil at the top and Bryson the most recent addition on the strength of his fantastic major championship season.
Joaquin Niemann: Falls to #2
LIV Power Ranking Update
Players are rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner-up, Top-5 and Top-10 finishes—as well as performance at the major championships.
Top 5
No. 1 Jon Rahm: 100.8 Rating
Jon started to heat up with his final round at The Open and a Top 10 finish, and then kept rolling when he held off Niemann for his first LIV win at the UK. Although the last nine holes at the Olympic Tournament in France were excruciating after the first 63 holes of flawless golf, Rahm came back with another powerful performance at The Greenbrier where he recorded a runner-up, losing in a playoff to Brooks Koepka.
In 11 LIV events, Rahm has recorded a win, a runner-up, 5 Top-5’s and 4 Top-10’s—and his average finish is 5.2.
What separated Jack and Tiger was brilliant consistency and professionalism—and Jon Rahm epitomizes exactly that.
Think Jon will be among the leaders on Sunday at Bolingbrook? You can take it to the bank.
No. 2 Joaquin Niemann: 93.6 Rating
Joaquin has had an amazing year with 2 wins, 6 Top-10’s and a runner-up at the UK, going toe-to-toe with Rahm throughout the year.
Keep in mind that Niemann is only 25 years old, although you may think he’s far older (Joaquin turned pro at 19 and won his first Tour event at 20).
He charged hard but finished a shot back at the UK, and finally relinquished his lead in the LIV Power Rankings when Rahm recorded yet another Top-10 at The Greenbrier—but unfortunately for Niemann it was like trying to hold back a tidal wave.
And while he has yet to make his presence felt at the major championships, Niemann has had extraordinary success at every level since first picking up a club as a toddler—so his time will come without doubt.
Bryson: Bombing it at Bolingbrook
No. 3 Bryson DeChambeau: 86.7 Rating
Bryson got off to a slow start at both the UK and Greenbrier, finishing strong but just outside the top 10 in both events.
With his U.S. Open win, runner up at the PGA and T6 at The Masters, Bryson had an incredible year at the majors—and 2 Top-5’s (Jeddah and Nashville) along with 4 Top-10’s in 12 LIV events is one heck of a regular season.
Bryson is back, and he’ll be hitting eye-popping bombs at Bolingbrook—so Rahm and Niemann will need to bring their A games to keep him at bay.
No. 4 Tyrell Hatton: 83.3 Rating
Hatton played great at the UK, recording a T2, but followed up with a less than stellar performance (25th) at The Greenbrier—which pretty much sums up Tyrell’s 2024 campaign.
Tyrell’s season included brilliant performances (a win, runner-up, 3 Top-5’s and a Top-10), along with forgettable finishes (Hong Kong—21 and Houston—18) and mediocrity (T15 in Jedda and T14 at Adelaide).
Which Tyrell Hatten will show up in Chicago? We’ll have to wait and see.
Cam Smith: 3 Times a Runner-up
No. 5 Cameron Smith: 76.9
Smith is having about as good a season as you can have without recording a win. Including a T2 in the UK, Cameron has recorded 3 runner-up finishes in 2024. When you add 4 Top-10’s and a T6 at The Masters, Smith has had a very successful season.
Like Brooks Koepka however, Cameron puts the bulk of his stock in performance at the majors, and after the good start at Augusta he was outside the top 20 at the PGA and U.S. Open, and then missed the cut at The Open Championship.
Still, Cam is coming off back-to-back Top-10’s at The UK and The Greenbrier, so a win in Chicago would be a great way to wind up the year and make a statement for 2025.
Notables
Brooks Koepka (No. 6/75.7 Rating)
Brooks applied the brakes to the Jon Rahm freight train with a playoff win at Greenbrier for his second victory of the 2024 season and 5th career LIV championship.
It’s been a strange year for Koepka though, making the cut in all four majors while finishing outside the top 20 in every one of them. And although he has a pair of LIV wins along with a T5 and 2 Top-10’s, Brooks was downright lousy in a couple of events (Miami—45 and Nashville—42) and lackluster in others (Hong Kong—28 and Andalucia—27).
Koepka is an enigma for sure, with all that power and ability. Seems like if the putts are falling early, it’s lights out for the field—but if not, the fire begins to fade.
Let’s hope Brooks has it going in Chicago, it would be great to see another bare-knuckle brawl with Rahm.
Louis Oosthuizen: Sweet Swing
Louis Oosthuizen (No. 8/67.2 Rating)
Is there a golf swing in golf more enjoyable to watch? Or a nicer guy on the planet? Once again Louis Oosthuizen is quietly having a solid year with a runner-up (Adelaide), T4 (Andalucia), and 4 additional Top-10’s.
Louis is also the picture of consistency, in spite of a balky back, ranking fourth in average finish at 12.8.
If you can tear yourself away from watching Bryson bomb it, check out the simple elegance of a Louis Oosthuizen long iron—brings a smile every time.
Give Us One More Thrill Phil!
Phil (No. 44/32.8 Rating)
Still no Phil. After tying Gary Player for second behind Jack with 102 major cuts when he made it to the weekend at Royal Troon, it almost seems that Phil has packed it in for the season.
Following a mediocre performance at the UK (T34), Mickelson appeared ready to make some noise at The Greenbrier with two solid rounds, but then blew up on Sunday to finish 50th.
Mickelson also passed a comment that at 54, perhaps it was nearing the time he should “step aside,” but it’s looked like Phil was done before and then he suddenly popped back up.
Come on Phil, give us one more thrill in Chicagoland.
While all eyes have been on Jon Rham since he joined LIV for the 2024 season, Joaquin Niemann quietly remains atop the LIV Power Rankings through the first nine events. And although Rahm has finished among the top 10 in every LIV event he’s played, Bryson DeChambeau has bulled past him into the No. 2 slot with his powerhouse performance at the U.S. Open.
Not only has DeChambeau moved to the top of the LIV Power Rankings, his fantastic play at the 2024 major championships (U.S. Open win, runner-up at the PGA Championship and Masters T6), has also moved Bryson onto the list of the All-Time Top 100 Players.
Bryson (No. 90) joins a long list of LIV players already residing among the Top 100, starting with Phil at No. 9 and DJ at No. 29, Sergio (32), Lee Westwood (34), Rham (52), Koepka (57), Paul Casey and Hendrick Stenson (T64), Louis Oosthuizen (85), Charl Schwartzel (90), Bubba Watson (T99) and Cameron Smith (T99)
Should DeChambeau keep it rolling and win The Open Championship, he would vault all the way into the All-Time Top 75.
And if Jon Rahm were to kick it up a notch and win The Open, he would move into the All-Time Top 50.
Joaquin Niemann: Hanging in at #1
Young Joaquin Niemann will need to marshal all of his talent to keep the big guys at bay—and keep in mind that Brooks Koepka is also due for a big performance at a major.
One thing is for sure, the race is heating up and the next few weeks will be about as exciting as it can get.
LIV Power Ranking Update
Players are rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner up, Top-5 and Top-10 finishes–as well as performance at the major championships. There is one LIV event coming up before The Open Championship—Andalucia at The Real Club Valderrama (July 12-14).
Top 5
No. 1 Joaquin Niemann: 83.0 Rating
Niemann has won two LIV events in 2024 (Mayakoba and Jeddah), and also recorded 5-Top 10’s with an average finish of 10.0, second only to Jon Rahm.
Coming off a solid T3 at The Grove in Nashville, Joaquin will need to keep it going at Valderrama and have a good showing at Royal Troon if he hopes to hold off Rahm and a hard charging DeChambeau.
No. 2 Bryson DeChambeau: 81.1 Rating
Bryson moved steadily up the board last year after a strong showing at the 23’ PGA Championship (T4), finishing at No. 10 on the LIV Power rankings.
In 2024 DeChambeau has ramped it up further, mashing the pedal to the floor with a win at the U.S. Open, runner up at the PGA and a T6 at The Masters—not to mention 5 LIV top 10’s.
It’ll be a wild ride watching Bryson bomb it off the tee at Royal Troon.
No. 3 Jon Rahm: 78.5 Rating
Jon Rahm: 8 top-10’s
Rahm has still not notched an LIV win, but he’s recorded a top 10 in all eight events he’s played. His amazing 5.5 average finish leads the league by a wide margin, but that first win has somehow eluded him—perhaps some home court vibes at Valderrama will push him over the top (and get him revved up for The Open as well).
No. 4 Tyrell Hatton: 73.1 Rating
Hatton wins in Nashville
Hatton recorded his first LIV win at Nashville last week, dominating the field at 19 under and a six-shot margin over runner-up Sam Horsfield. Tyrell has also posted 3-Top-10’s in the ’24 campaign and added a strong showing at The Masters (T9).
At 32 years old, Hatton is in the prime of his career—and he’s been knocking on the door at The Open for a while now (2016–T5, 2019–T6, 2022–T11 and a T20 in 2023). Tyrell was born and still resides in Buckinghamshire, England, so The Open Championship is a prize he would dearly love to take. His game is very sharp right now, so look for Hatton among the leaders on the weekend at Troon this year.
No. 5 Dean Burmester: 66.0 Rating
T12 at PGA Championship
Dean got off to a fast start in the ’24 season with a T3 at Mayakoba, a T8 in Hong Kong, a win in Miami atTrump National Doral and another T3 at Adelade.
Following a solid tournament in Singapore (T14) and a terrific performance at The PGA with all four rounds under par and a T12 finish, Burmester was pretty mediocre in Houston and Nashville (T18 and T 25).
He still holds the 5th highest average finish in the league at 14.0, but Dean will need to step it up at Valderrama and The Open if he hopes to stay in touch with the leaders.
Notables
Brooks Koepka (No. 6/62.9 Rating)
4 T10’s at The Open
Brooks was showing signs of life before his dismal performance in Nashville (42) with a win in Singapore and 2-Top 10’s (Adelade and Houston). And although he hasn’t recorded a major Top 10 in 2024, he’s not been very far off (a poor third round knocked him out at the PGA and a tough second round cost him at the U.S. Open).
Koepka’s trademark at major’s has been his consistency and resilience—so three consecutive mediocre major championship finishes is a surprise.
In his last 7 starts at The Open, Brooks recorded 4 Top 10 finishes (2015–T10, 2017–T6, 2019–T4, and a T6 in 2021).
Looks like Brooks is due.
Cameron Smith (No. 7/62.6 Rating)
Cam recorded his second runner-up of the year in Singapore after a T6 at The Masters, and had a strong finish in Nashville last week (T9). When Smith has a putter in his hands, anything can happen—and if the short stick heats up as it did in 2022, there’s a good chance he’ll be raising the Claret Jug again in July.
Carlos Ortiz (No. 9/58.8 Rating)
First win in Houston
After a slow start to the 2024 LIV season, Carlos posted a T4 in Hong Kong in April and climbed into the Top 10 with his first LIV win 3 weeks ago at the Golf Club of Houston and continued his strong pay with a T9 in Nashville.
Phil (No. 43/30.1 Rating
Lefty Shades
Phil hasn’t made the cut at The Open Championship since 2018, and it’s been over ten years since he fired that brilliant 66 in the final round at Muirfield to come from 5 back and win the 2013 Championship.
Mickelson has done nothing in the LIV events this year other than a T6 at Jeddah back in March, and he missed the cut at both the PGA and the U.S. Open.
His last two starts at Houston (T37) and Nashville (T40) were disappointing to say the least, but as George Patton would say that is exactly why you should expect Phil to mount a major offensive at Troon a couple of weeks from now.
On the other hand, Phil may finally have run out of hat rabbits—but it’s always fun to watch him tee it up again a major championship.
Real Club Valderrama, Spain
2024 Upcoming LIV Schedule
Andacucia: Real Club Valderrama, Spain (July 12-14)
There will be sixteen LIV players teeing it up at Valhalla for the PGA Championship next week, led by the reigning champion—Brooks Koepka.
If Koepka can go back-to-back at the PGA, it will be his sixth major championship, matching Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo and Phil. His chances looked a bit dim only a few weeks ago after the no-show at Augusta and mediocre start to the ’24 LIV season, but then Brooks notched a T9 down under at Adelaide and a 2-shot win over Cam Smith in Singapore.
Koepka is plenty long, and he can hit an iron with anybody, but what separates him from the field at major championships is the putter from 10 feet and in, where steel nerve under stifling pressure is a requirement. Brooks wasn’t making many putts at Augusta, but the short stick started heating up in Singapore—so it’s a pretty good bet he won’t relinquish his title without a fight next week.
Getting off the canvas
Rahm v Scheffler II
A 74 in the first round at Augusta led to an early K/O for Rahm when Scheffler came out smoking with a 66, sending him to the canvas—and he never got up.
Don’t look for that to happen again. In the seven LIV events Rahm has played this year, he’s recorded four Top 5’s and 3 Top 10’s. Before moving to LIV, Jon notched 9 PGA Tour wins along with his 2 major championships (’21 U.S. Open and ’23 Masters).
Rahm’s cut percentage (90.2) and Top 10 percentage (50.2) is second only to Tiger (90.4/54.3) among active players, and his next major Top 10 will move him into the Top 50 players of all-time—and he’s still only 28 years old.
In addition to his two wins, Rahm’s major championship record includes a runner-up, 5 Top-5’s and 4 Top-10’s. And like Koepka, Jon saves his best for the toughest tracks and the biggest stage—so this time he’ll come out swinging for sure.
Neimann Looks to break through
Cam Smith, Bryson DeChambeau and Joaquin Niemann
While Cam will look to deliver magic with the wand, Bryson will be launching bombs into the stratosphere. If Smith drives it in the fairway, the short stick will keep him among the leaders—and then anything can happen (as it did at the ’22 Open Championship).
DeChambeau had the driver under control at Augusta, but his putter let him down—and unfortunately following up with a T26 and a T27 could not have done much for his confidence. Still, with all that power you can’t count Bryson out.
Joaquin Niemann has been showcasing his talent at every LIV event this year, and its high time he stands up to take his place among the elite players in the world. With the way he hits it tee to green, you have to believe he’ll break through soon—but will Valhalla be his first?
Valhalla: 2024 PGA Championship
PGA Championship Field
Brooks Koepka
Jon Rahm
Cameron Smith
Joaquin Niemann
Bryson DeChambeau
Dustin Johnson
Tyrell Hatton
Phil Mickelson
Patrick Reed
Talor Gooch
Dean Burmester
Adrian Meronk
David Puig
Lucas Herbert
Martin Kaymer
Andy Ogletree
LIV Power Ranking Update
Players are rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner ups, Top-5 and Top-10 finishes–as well as performance at the major championships (LIV Player Rankings).
Joaquin Niemann continues to hold the top spot in the Power rankings with a pair of wins, 2 Top-5’s and 2 Top-10’s. Jon Rahm is close behind with 4 Top-5’s and 3 Top-10’s.
Major championship performance moves the needle in a big way, and Rahm would jump to the top with a win at Valhalla–unless Niemann records a Top 10.
Top 5
No. 1 Joaquin Niemann: 80.1 Rating
Niemann added a couple more Top 10’s with a T3 at Adelaide and a T7 in Singapore, and also improved his average finish to 7.9, edging closer to Rahm’s league lead of 5.9—and well ahead of the rest of the field.
No. 2 Jon Rahm: 74.1 Rating
Although remaining winless, Rahm keeps churning out the Top 10’s, adding a T3 and a T10 while continuing to lead the league in average finish at 5.9—so you have to believe that first LIV win is right around the corner.
No. 3 Dean Burmester: 65.1 Rating Burmester maintained his No. 3 position with a T3 and a T14, and also punched his ticket to the PGA Championship.
Abraham Ancer: Moves into The Top 5
No. 4 Abraham Ancer: 62.1 Rating
Since his win in Hong Kong, Ancer has posted 3 consecutive Top 10’s (T9’s at Miami and Adelaide with a T10 in Singapore), while improving his Average Finish to 12.9. Abraham will also be among the LIV contingent looking to make some noise this week.
No. 5 Tyrell Hatton: 61.7 Rating Tyrell held his position among the Top 5 with a T14 and a T5 following the solid performance at The Masters. Hatton is loaded with talent, so don’t be stunned if he’s hanging around the leaderboard again at Valhalla.
Dustin: Looks to get back on track
Notables
Cameron Smith (No. 6/61.3 Rating)
After a solid showing at The Masters, Smith posted a T14 at Adelaide and a runner up to Koepka in Singapore—and as long as that putter doesn’t break, expect to see him lurking on the leaderboard come Sunday next week.
Brooks Koepka (No. 8/59.0 Rating)
With a T9 and a win in Singapore (his fourth since joining LIV), Brooks jumped from the middle of the pack to the Top 10—and he’s tuned and ready to defend at Valhalla.
Dustin Johnson (No. 10/57.4) Johnson started the season right on track with a T5 in Mayakoba followed by a win in Vegas, but then the train left the rails as he finished outside the top twenty in each of the following four events—while also missing the cut at The Masters. Hopefully his T7 at Singapore last week means that Dustin is back in the groove and ready to put some heat on Scheffler next week.
Phil: Going for 102 major cuts
Phil (No. 40/28.9 Rating
Come on Phil, 38th at Adelaide and a T22 in Singapore? Really?? One of these days you’re going to reach into the hat and there won’t be any more rabbits.
This will be his 102nd major cut if he can pull it off, tying him with Gary Player for number 2 all-time behind Jack—let’s hope there’s one more bunny hiding in there…
Thirteen LIV players teed it up at Augusta last week for The Masters, eight made the cut, and 3 finished in the Top 10. Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith both finished at 2 under (T6) while Tyrell Hatton came in at even par (T9).
The big story at the 2024 Masters was the weather, where extremely high winds wreaked havoc with scoring as only eight players finished under par (as compared with twenty-five players under par in 23’). After storming out of the gate with an opening round 65, Bryson followed up with three mediocre rounds of 73-75-73—mainly because the continual buffeting by the wind eventually turned his putter into a block of ice.
Cam Smith: T6 at The Masters
Cam Smith was steady throughout, recording rounds of 71-72-72-71, anchored by the short stick. While not the pure magic seen at his 2022 Open Championship victory, his putter and short game held up well in all that wind—securing him another major T10.
LIV Power Ranking Update
Players are rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner up, Top-5 and Top-10 finishes–as well as performance at the major championships (LIV Player Rankings).
Joaquin Niemann: #1 in the Power Rankings
While fifty-five players have participated in one or more tournaments this season, we’ve included only the top fifty. While most would expect Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith or Dustin Johnson to be occupying the top spot, instead you will see a 25-year-old Joaquin Niemann standing atop the mountain. There are two LIV events coming up before the PGA Championship in mid-May, however–Adelaide at La Grange Golf Club in Australia (April 26-28) and Singapore at Sentosa Golf Club (May 3-5), so there’s opportunity for someone to make a big move.
Top 5
No. 1 Joaquin Niemann: 72.0 Rating
Niemann has won two of the five LIV events played in 2024 (Mayakoba and Jeddah), and also recorded a T4 in Hong Kong and a T9 in Miami with an average finish among the Top 10 (9.0–second only to Jon Rahm.)
While he didn’t have his best at Augusta, Joaquin still finished in the Top 25 at +4 (tied with Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantley.) He’ll have his work cut out for him to hold off Jon Rahm for the top spot in the LIV rankings all year, but keep a close eye on Joaquin at the PGA next month—he can hit it with anybody.
Jon Rahm: 5 top-10’s
No. 2 Jon Rahm: 67.4 Rating
Although Rahm has not yet won a LIV event, he finished among the Top 10 every time he teed it up (3, 4, 5 and 2-8’s). His average finish of 5.6 is also the League’s best by a wide margin, so it’s just a matter of time before the door bursts open. While the much-anticipated showdown with Scottie Scheffler at Augusta didn’t materialize, you can be sure that the 23’ Masters champ will make his presence felt at Valhalla for the PGA Championship.
No. 3 Bryson DeChambeau: 62.8 Rating
Bryson moved steadily up the board last year after his strong showing at the 23’ PGA Championship (T4), and finished the year at No. 10 with 5 LIV Top-10’s. In 5 events this year, DeChambeau has recorded a T4 (Jeddah) and 3 Top-10’s (Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Miami). With his T6 at The Masters, Bryson is chomping at the heals of Niemann and Rahm—it would be a big surprise if he were not among the leaders again on Sunday at the PGA.
Dean Burmester: Winner in Miami
No. 4 Dean Burmester: 58.8 Rating
Who? Not a household name to American golf fans, South African Dean Burmester played his entire career on the Sunshine and European Golf Tours accumulating 14 wins before joining LIV for the 23’ season (where he picked up 3 Top-10’s). With a win in Miami at Trump National Doral, a T3 at Mayakoba and T8 in Hong Kong, Dean is making himself known in a big way. His average finish of 13.2 places him 7th through the first five events, ahead of Dustin Johnson (15.6), Cam Smith (16.5), and Brooks Koepka (20.4).
No. 5 Tyrell Hatton: 56.0 Rating
Hatton recorded a Top-10 in his first LIV event at Mayakoba, but dropped steadily in his next 3 starts until a T4 in Miami propelled him upward to his strong showing at the Masters (T9). He’s a superlative ball-striker and there’s something piratical about Tyrell–look for him to hoist his Jolly Roger among the leaders at the PGA in a couple weeks (unless his temper sends him off the plank).
Tyrell Hatton: T9 at The Masters
Notables
Cameron Smith (No. 10/52.5 Rating)
After finishing #1 in the 2023 LIV Power rankings, Cam was wallowing in the middle of the pack until a runner-up in Hong Kong and a T6 at The Masters shot him up to the 10th position.
Perhaps the first major of the year got his blood flowing.
Brooks Koepka (No. 19/42.6 Rating)
Outside of a T5 in the first LIV event of the year at Mayakoba, Brooks has been sleep-walking through the 2024 season—and his performance at Augusta (+9/T45) did nothing to indicate he was ready to emerge from his slumber.
As everybody knows, Brooks puts the bulk of his focus and energy into the majors, particularly the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. Hopefully The Masters will serve as a blaring wake-up call and he’ll arrive at Valhalla tuned up and ready to defend his title.
Brooks Koepka:Reigning PGA Champion
Phil (No. 43/37.2 Rating
At 53 years old, Phil can still play–there’s no doubt about it. Last year he did nothing in the LIV events leading up to The Masters, and magically recorded a runner up finish. Once again in 24’ he’s done virtually nothing in the LIV tournaments, yet makes the cut at Augusta by a comfortable margin —and finishes ahead of both Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka.
Phil Mickelson: 101 Major Cuts
What’s up with that? Perhaps Phil should put his foot on the gas in the upcoming LIV events at Adelaide and Singapore to sharpen his game and then see if he can add another PGA Championship to his major trophy case. The 2024 Masters was the one hundred and first major championship cut he’s made in his career, one behind Gary Player (who is second only to Jack).
Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta GA
Masters Summary
Bryson DeChambeau
T6
Cameron Smith
T6
Tyrell Hatton
T9
Patrick Reed
T12
Joaquin Nieman
T22
Phil Mickelson
T43
Jon Rahm
T45
Brooks Koepka
T45
Dustin Johnson
MC
Sergio Garcia
MC
Bubba Watson
MC
Charl Schwartzel
MC
Adrian Meronk
MC
Trump National Doral, Miami FL
2024 Upcoming LIV Schedule
Adelaide The Grange Golf Club, Australia (April 26-28)
The rumor mill has been in high gear recently, with speculation that Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson may bolt from the PGA Tour to grab the huge money being thrown around by the Saudi-backed “Super Golf League.” The latest rumor spike has been fueled by the “PIF Saudi International,” held at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which was sanctioned by the Asian Golf Tour and attracted a number of the biggest names in golf, including Phil, DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Reed, Tony Finau, Cameron Smith and Bubba Watson.
Greg Norman
Greg Norman (with LIV Golf Investments), is the prime mover behind the Super Golf League, and also the mastermind behind the “International Series,” a group of ten new events added to the Asian Golf Tour with a massive funding infusion from LIV (and the PIF Saudi International as the first in the series). Because the Saudi International was added as a regular event on the Asian Tour, the PGA Tour did not raise an objection to players who wanted to enter–but did include a stipulation that any player entering the Saudi event would have to play in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (held at the same time), in each of the next two years in order to retain their tour card. It is clear that Norman is using the International Series, and the Saudi International specifically, as a means to showcase the Super Golf league, and entice as many PGA Tour players as he can. On the other side, the PGA Tour has stated plainly that anyone who enters a Super Golf League tournament will immediately lose their privileges to play PGA Tour events. So where do things stand right now?
Big Money
Rumors are flying where offers in the neighborhood of $100 Million or more have been dangled in front of the biggest stars in golf, with a number of players categorically stating that they are not interested, some remaining cryptically mum, and quite a few dancing around on the fence. Players that have gone on record as saying absolutely not include Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, and the biggest name of all–Tiger. The mum group is headed by Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott and Lee Westwood (each of whom stating that they signed a Non-Disclosure-Agreement with LIV Golf Investments, thus having perfect cover to dodge uncomfortable questions). The bulk of the speculation surrounds players who are on the fence, including Phil, Bryson DeChambeau, and those who competed at the Saudi International (Xander Schauffele, Cam Smith, Pat Reed, Bubba Watson and Tony Finau). Phil has been crafting his public statements to indicate that the Super Golf League can provide “leverage” for players to get a bigger piece of the PGA Tour money pie–which ironically may itself tend to negate quite a bit of the leverage he purports to seek. On the other hand, the PGA Tour appears to have already reacted to the looming threat posed by the Super Golf League, with increased purses, higher FedEx Cup prize money, and a $50 million bonus fund that is disbursed on the basis of “PIP Standings” (Player Impact Standings—basically popularity, not directly associated with performance).
Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz
The Saudi’s
The biggest hurdle that Greg Norman and the Super Golf League will face, however, is the source of the big money that’s being waved in front of the players. “LIV Golf Investments” is backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), with Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as Chairman–the same man who, according to the CIA, ordered the assassination and dismemberment of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul back in 2018. One would think this is an association that few players would find appealing—but then again, it’s a lot of money…
A group of young guns is emerging on the PGA Tour, flexing their muscle and exerting a powerful influence that will change the landscape of professional golf for the next decade and more. Each is seeking to etch his name in golf history, and all have the talent to do so. Currently twelve players under the age of 30 are included among the top twenty in the World Golf Rankings, and we will take a look at them all as the 2022 tour season gets under way. Can one of these mega-talented young stars approach the seemingly unattainable records of Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods? To put it in perspective, Jack Nicklaus recorded 73 tour wins in his career (30 in his twenties), with 18 major titles (7 in his twenties).Tiger Woods has accumulated 82 wins on tour (46 in his twenties) including 15 major titles (8 in his twenties). Last time we looked at Jon Rham, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas. Here are three more dynamic young stars with an opportunity to approach, and possibly even surpass, the extremely high bar that’s been set by Jack and Tiger.
Bryson DeChambeau (28 years old/No. 9 in the World Rankings)
In addition to focus and fortitude, what separated Jack and Tiger from their contemporaries was a combination of prodigious power and uncanny putting. Bryson’s massive length has been well documented, but keep in mind that he can also roll his rock. In 2020 Bryson not only led the tour in driving distance, he also ranked 12th in putting. DeChambeau was born in Modesto California, and began looking at golf through a different lens from an early age, playing from the forward tees to perfect his wedge game and build confidence with the scoring shots in golf (100 yards and in). When he was 18, Bryson postulated that he could achieve a more repeatable swing plane (and thus consistency) if all of his clubs from 3 iron to wedge were exactly the same length, so he thumbed his nose at a hundred and fifty years of golf dogma and made the switch. And on receiving a golf scholarship to SMU in Dallas, Texas, he continued his analytical vision of the golf swing by majoring in physics (the genesis of his moniker as “The Scientist”). Bryson’s game began its meteoric rise when he won the NCAA division I individual championship in 2015, and followed that up by winning the US Amateur title in the same year, joining Jack, Tiger, Phil and Ryan Moore as the only players to achieve that distinction. Bryson turned pro following The Masters in 2016, where he finished 21st as the low amateur, and won his first PGA Tour event in 2017 at the John Deere Classic. His success continued in 2018 with three tour wins, including The Memorial at Muirfield Village. Bryson added another win in 2019, and decided it was time to power up with an intensive strength and conditioning regimen, which led to two more wins in 2020, including the U.S. Open, where his length dominated Winged Foot to capture his first major title. Once again, Bryson ignored conventional wisdom where lean muscles and flexibility were accepted as the key to generating speed and power, instead opting for massive daily protein intake, the weight room, and sheer bulk. In 2021 DeChambeau added another victory to his resume, winning Arnie’s event at Bay Hill. Eight tour wins including a major in under six years is impressive, but Bryson will need to keep the lab running on overtime to make a move on Jack and Tiger.
Jordan Spieth (28 years old/No. 15 in the World Rankings)
Like Justin Thomas, his boyhood rival, Jordan Spieth has been on the PGA Tour for so long that it’s hard to believe he’s still in his twenties. And like Thomas, Jordan made his debut on the tour scene as an amateur when he was sixteen years old (the 2010 Byron Nelson, where he popped everybody’s eyeballs with a top 20 finish). He made the cut at the Byron Nelson again in 2011, and in 2012 Jordan qualified for the US Open at the Olympic Club, where he finished 21st as the low amateur (and tying Tiger as well). Jordan turned pro in 2013, making the cut in eighteen of the twenty-three events he entered, recorded nine top 10’s including his first tour win at the John Deer Classic, and finished the year with a runner up at the Tour Championship. In 2014, Spieth failed to record a win, but made the cut in twenty-four of the twenty-seven events he entered, including a runner up at the Masters. 2015 would prove to be a break-out year for Jordan, with five wins, including two majors (The Masters and the U.S. Open), top 10 finishes in fifteen of the twenty-five tournaments he entered, and victory at the Tour Championship where he took home the FedEx Cup. He tacked on two wins in 2016, including eight top 10’s, and three more in 2017, including his third major title (The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale). 2018 through 2020, however, were lean years for Spieth, and he failed to record a win or advance to the Tour Championship (although he made the cut in 51 of the 63 tournaments he entered, with twelve top 10’s). In 2021 Jordan ended his drought with a win at the Valero Texas Open, recorded nine top ten finishes, including a runner up at Open Championship, a T3 at The Masters, and a return to the Tour Championship. Spieth currently stands with twelve wins and three major titles, and even with the three-year lull, Jordan can still put himself into position for an assault on Jack and Tiger with a big year in 2022—and he has the pedigree to do it.
Patrick Cantley (29 Years old/No. 4 in the World Golf Rankings)
Injury has robbed Patrick Cantlay of the opportunity to build his professional golf legacy in his twenties, but he has set the stage to show the world what he can do in his thirties. Born in Long Beach, California, Cantley received a golf scholarship to UCLA, and was awarded the Haskins Award as outstanding college golfer in the country as a freshman in 2011 (and also the Jack Nicklaus Division I Player of the Year award presented by the Golf Coaches Association of America). Cantley holds the record for the most consecutive weeks as the number one amateur in the World Golf Rankings (54), holds the record for lowest score (60) ever recorded by an amateur in a PGA tournament (2011 Travelers Championship), and was the low amateur at the 2011 US Open where he tied for 21st. As the golf world looked on with great anticipation, Cantley turned pro in 2012 following the US Open, and made the cut in six of the seven tournaments he entered. But the train derailed in May of 2013, at The Colonial Invitational (now the Charles Schwab Challenge), where Cantley suffered a severe back injury (fracture of the L5 vertebrae) and was forced to withdraw, subsequently missing the bulk of the season. The back injury continued to plague him through 2014, where he could only tee it up six times, and then he missed the entirety of the 2015 and 2016 seasons. In 2017 Cantlay began his comeback, making the cut in all thirteen of the events he entered, recording a runner up at the Valspar that helped him gain entrance to the FedEx Cup playoffs, where three consecutive top 10’s got him to the Tour Championship. In the Fall of the 2017/2018 wrap around season, Patrick notched his first tour win at the Shriners, and made the cut in twenty-one of the twenty-three tournaments he entered, including seven top 10’s and another trip to the Tour Championship. In 2019 he added another win (The Memorial), making the cut in eighteen of twenty-one events he entered and nine top 10 finishes. In 2021 Cantlay fulfilled the promise of his superlative amateur career, as he won four times, including another win at the Memorial, wins at The BMW and Tour Championship, and ultimately becoming the FedEx Cup Champion. Patrick will be a force to be reckoned with at the majors in 2022, and the adversity he’s overcome make you believe that anything is possible. One thing is for sure, we will be pulling for him.
Stay tuned as we next look at Victor Hoveland (24 years old/No. 3 in the world), Xander Schauffele (28 years old/No. 10 in the world, and Cameron Smith (28 years old/No. 10 in the world)
