Is there a new big three in the world of golf?
By Patrick McDonald
• 8 min read
The first two major championships of 2024 have come and gone with arguably the best players in the world standing victorious. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler slipped on his second green jacket back in April when he won the 2024 Masters, while Xander Schauffele got off the schneid with his first major victory at the 2024 PGA Championship in May.
With June now here, will the game's third-best player claim the U.S. Open? Only time will tell, but what's clear is that Scheffler remains atop the game by a wide margin. Four times a winner already in 2024, Scheffler has since tacked on a top-10 result at a tumultuous PGA Championship and another runner-up performance in his own backyard at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
Meanwhile, Schauffele has not been seen since his victory at Valhalla, but if the past two years are any indication of what we should expect from the PGA Championship winner, more quality golf will be in store for the summer. While quality has been the bedrock for Scheffler and Schauffele, the same cannot be said for many other big names.
Jordan Spieth continues to struggle with his game, as does Patrick Cantlay perhaps stemming for the extracurriculars on the PGA Tour. While Jon Rahm has been solid in his first year with LIV Golf, his performances in the first two majors of the season have been forgettable. Rory McIlroy remains reliable as always. It again feels like he's trending towards a big result, as are the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland.
The Power 18 provides insight as to how golfers are currently performing with benefit given to their play over recent events. It is a wider lens than simply what happened at the last tournament to be played but more narrow than the Official World Golf Rankings, which take into account how more than 2,000 golfers perform across an entireseason.
The Power 18
| 1 | Scottie Scheffler |
| Was his top-10 finish at the PGA Championship more impressive than any of his four victories this season? The case could be made (pun intended). Scheffler continues to operate at a different level than his peers notching back-to-back quality outings since his win at Harbour Town the week following his second Masters triumph. In his last 25 starts dating back to last April, the 27-year-old has five wins, 12 top-five finishes and only four finishes outside the top 10 of an event. Previous: 1 | |
| 2 | Xander Schauffele |
| The statistics backed up the narrative that Schauffele has been the second-best player in the world this season, and now, the results finally do, too. Breaking through for his maiden major title at the PGA Championship, Schauffele could be on the cusp of tracking down Scheffler. He hasn't missed the cut since the 2022 Masters, stands as perhaps the most well-rounded player in the world and now knows he can get the job done on the biggest stage. Previous: 3 | |
| 3 | Rory McIlroy |
| After some early-season concerns surrounding his approach play, McIlroy has got the irons fine tuned. A winner at the Wells Fargo Championship for the third time in his career, the 35-year-old once again showcased that -- when he finds that different gear -- there may not be anyone better. Since the win in Charlotte, he's continued to play well with a T12 at the PGA Championship and top-five finish at the RBCCanadian Open. He needs to rid himself of the occasional lull amid tournament action if he is to break his decade-long major drought at Pinehurst. Previous: 4 | |
| 4 | Bryson DeChambeau |
| There are four players in the world who grabbed top-10 finishes at the first two majors of the year, and DeChambeau is one of them. Emerging as Schauffele's biggest threat Sunday at Valhalla, the 2020 U.S. Open champion fell one stroke short and instead settled for a runner-up result. He's been solid on LIV Golf with four top 10s and may be the man to beat this week in Houston before he tries again for major No. 2 in a couple weeks. Previous: 9 | |
| 5 | Collin Morikawa |
| While DeChambeau has clocked top 10s, Morikawa has been featured in the last tee times in the final rounds at the Masters and PGA Championship. His Sunday performances were eerily similar as he struck the ball well but was unable to get anything going on the greens, ultimately resulting in a pair of top fives. Morikawa has since claimed another top-five finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge and is firmly on a short list to win this week at Jack's place like he did back in 2020. Previous: 7 | |
| 6 | Ludvig Aberg |
| Not quite sure what to make of Åberg's knee injury, which forced him out of the Wells Fargo Championship and was influential in his missed cut at the PGA Championship. We'll find out more this week at Memorial, but if he returns to his healthy self, the young Swede should return to his normal game, too. Before the PGA Championship, the 24-year-old had rattled eight straight top 25s, including runner-up finishes at Pebble Beach and Augusta National. Previous: 5 | |
| 7 | Viktor Hovland |
| The PGA Championship was a nice reminder that high-end players are never that far away from the top of their games. Without a top-10 finish on the year ahead of Valhalla, Hovland surged up the leaderboard at the second major of the year and nearly nabbed his first such title. A return to his old swing coach, Joe Mayo, paid immediate dividends and may only be just the beginning of another summer run to remember. Previous: 17 | |
| 8 | Jon Rahm |
| The string of top-10 finishes on LIV Golf are great, but there is clearly something amiss from Rahm's game at the moment. He's gone through the first two majors without factoring and ended an 18-major made cut streak with his weekend omission in Louisville. His U.S. Open record is unsurprisingly great, but he will need more than that if he is to contend for his major No. 3. Previous: 2 | |
| 9 | Joaquin Niemann |
| Similar to Rahm, Niemann's play on LIV Golf has been stellar with a pair of victories in 2024. Eventually, that needs to translate onto the major championship stage. The Chilean has one top-20 finish in 21 major appearances and will do well to make his 22nd major start at the U.S. Open having to go through the daunted final qualifying. His ball-striking numbers are solid, but the putter has hindered him a smidge as of late. Previous: 10 | |
| 10 | Wyndham Clark |
| The early-season surge has come to a simmer. After notching a win at Pebble Beach and finishing on the podium at three big-time events, Clark's performances in the two major championship have been less-than-stellar. Missing the cut at both the Masters and PGA Championship, the reigning U.S. Open champion has reminded us of his boom-or-bust nature -- his highs are as high as any, but his lows can easily eject him from tournaments. Previous: 6 | |
| 11 | Justin Thomas |
| Thomas experienced a strong start to 2024 and a sluggish spring; now, it appears he might be back on an upward trajectory. After missing four of his last five cuts in majors, the two-time PGA Championship winner found his stride in his backyard to notch a top 10 at Valhalla. The driver numbers continue to be encouraging, and his iron play and short game remain in a strong spot. If he putts better, he will get back into the winner's circle. Previous: NR | |
| 12 | Sahith Theegala |
| Theegala's missed cut at the Canadian Open was a bit surprising, but it shouldn't dampen all that he has done over the last month. A runner-up finisher to Scheffler at the RBC Heritage, the 26-year-old then factored for the first time in a major at the PGA Championship before falling off the pace on Sunday and finishing T12. He's currently posting career-best numbers from off the tee, on approach and with the putter. Previous: 12 | |
| 13 | Max Homa |
| Homa ejected early at the Charles Schwab Challenge to miss his first cut since February, but his game remains in solid spot. His iron play is as steady as they come, his short game is becoming more reliable by the week, and his putter can run as hot as any. He added a nice result at Quail Hollow before a middling performance at the PGA Championship. Don't be surprised if he contends at Muirfield Village like he has done in the past. Previous: 8 | |
| 14 | Tommy Fleetwood |
| The Englishman was in the mix at the Wells Fargo Championship and the Canadian Open but ultimately came up short in both instances. While he remains a consistent fixture on leaderboards, Fleetwood is still in search of his first victory on the PGA Tour. He does everything pretty well but needs an uptick in his iron play if he is to finally get across the finish line. Previous: 14 | |
| 15 | Patrick Cantlay |
| Let's call a spade a spade: It has been a disappointing season for Cantlay. Mr. Consistent has turned into one of the more difficult players to figure out as the extra efforts off the course may have taken something off his game on the course. Despite this, he still has a couple top fives in large events like the RBC Heritage. This week at Memorial could be big for his mental game as he arrives as a two-time tournament winner. Previous: 11 | |
| 16 | Cameron Smith |
| Smith's a player you can't judge by numbers but by feel -- sort of like his game. The Aussie wasn't much of a factor at Valhalla -- not surprising given the course fit -- but I like where he is at with two runner-up finishes on LIV Golf since March. He will need to show something with his ball striking in Houston before arriving at the U.S. Open where he could threaten similar to last year. Previous: 18 | |
| 17 | Hideki Matsuyama |
| We just haven't seen Matsuyama enough to know what's going on. He pulled out of the Wells Fargo Championship with a back injury and has only played in the PGA Championship since the Masters. Both majors yielded top-40 results but nothing of note when it comes to a player of Matsuyama's caliber. Previous: 15 | |
| 18 | Russell Henley |
| Henley is the most underrated player in the world, and this may honestly be too low for how he is playing. Since the Masters, he has rattled off three straight top 25s including a top-10 finish in Charlotte and a nice effort at the PGA Championship. He's straight off the tee, deadly with his irons and has the putter in a position where he can roll the rock with confidence. Previous: NR | |
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