Lucas Glover attended Clemson University and became the first person from his school (and all of South Carolina) to win the U.S. Open! That win shot him up to number 15 in the world rankings. He hasn't won another major championship since, but he's become a steady player on the PGA Tour and maintains a spot in the top 40 global rankings.
Thanks to his impressive strategy on the greens, he's won other tournaments, too, including the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. With all his experience and past wins, he'll likely keep trying to win tournaments for several years to come.
Rickie Fowler began golfing young and even became the top-ranked amateur golfer in the world! After going pro in 2009, Fowler quickly gained a fanbase without any major titles under his belt. He's come close , though, including a runner-up finish at the Masters in 2019. Most recently, he impressed everyone with a record-breaking round at the 2023 U.S. Open, hinting that a major win might be coming soon.
Fowler's a well-rounded golfer with a powerful swing and a smart way of playing the course. Even though he hasn't secured a major title yet, fans still love him, and experts respect his game. With a bit more time, Rickie Fowler might just be on the cusp of #1!
Shane Lowry may not currently be the king of the greens right now, but it’s clear that’s where he’s headed if he continues to improve his game. He may be from Ireland, but he’s definitely a competitor on the global stage.
Lowry made his debut on the pro circuits in May of 2009, and, since then, he’s been racking up wins and accolades. His most recent big win came at the 2019 Open Championship in Ireland.
Min Woo Lee, nicknamed "Woozy" and "The Chef," is known for his impressive ball striking, especially his long-game accuracy. His professional career began in 2019, and he quickly notched wins, showcasing his talent. Victories at the 2020 ISPS Handa Vic Open, the 2021 Abrdn Scottish Open, and the 2023 Fortinet Australian PGA Championship on the European Tour solidified his skills. He also secured the 2023 SJM Macao Open on the Asian Tour.
Lee has climbed the ranks, reaching a career-high ranking of 31st in March 2024. Expect to see him contending in major tournaments and potentially adding more wins for years to come.
Brooks Koepka’s track record on the course speaks for itself. He’s had 15 professional wins in his career, including back-to-back victories at the 2017 and 2018 US Open. However, are his best days behind him?
Koepka hasn’t been seen much in 2022 at any of the major competitions. A recent marriage to his fiance Jena Sims could be a factor, but if you don’t show up every once and a while to defend your legacy, you might not have a legacy to defend for long!
Will Zalatoris is no stranger to the top of the leaderboards. Pretty much every time he plays you can expect him to rise above (most) of the competition. A second-place ranking at the 2021 Masters is nothing to scoff at, but he’s still got room to rise.
If there’s one thing that Zalatoris needs to get under control to become the best of the best, it’s his putting. Other than that, he seems unstoppable, and we expect to see him hanging around the top of the rankings for a long time to come.
Austrian-born golfer Sepp Straka established himself as a PGA Tour star after collegiate success at the University of Georgia and turning pro in 2016. His first professional win on the Web.com Tour (now Korn Ferry Tour) secured him a PGA Tour card for the following season. Straka has steadily climbed the ranks, collecting two impressive PGA Tour victories: the Honda Classic in 2022 and the John Deere Classic in 2023, coming close with a runner-up finish at The Open Championship.
Adding to his achievements, Straka was even part of the victorious European Ryder Cup team in 2023. Still in his prime, Straka's dedication and recent success suggest a future brimming with potential. Golf fans can expect to see him contending in major championships and potentially reigning supreme on the PGA Tour for years to come.
Four Top-10 finishes this year has helped catapult Justin Thomas into the Top-10 of world rankings. A major winner in the PGA championship in 2017 and a reputation as a great ball-striker keeps him ahead of the pack.
Fourteen wins, 65 Top-10 finishes, and more than 45 million dollars won would be a great career for anyone. However, Justin Thomas is far from done, and his current ranking proves it.
American golfer Chris Kirk is currently mapping out a major comeback on the PGA Tour. After a promising start with wins on the Nationwide Tour and four PGA Tour victories between 2011 and 2015, Kirk's career hit a rough patch after a combination of injuries and bad plays. However, in 2023, he snapped an almost eight-year winless drought with a victory at the Wyndham Championship and continued the streak in Maui at the 2024 Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Kirk's diverse play style and mental toughness allow him to thrive under pressure despite a few rough years. This year, golf fans will be glued to their screens, cheering Kirk on as he continues his impressive comeback story on the PGA Tour.
Tony Finau isn't your typical golfer. He skipped college and relied on raw talent and a strong work ethic to go pro in 2007. This gamble paid off quickly with a win on the SunBelt Tour in 2010 — but Finau didn't stop there, steadily conquering various tours before earning his coveted PGA Tour card in 2015.
What sets Finau apart is his brute power. He consistently ranks among the PGA Tour's longest drivers, and he's also a Masters contender, securing Top 10 finishes in 2019 and 2021. His recent tied-second-place finish at the Houston Open in March 2024 proves he's still a major threat. Beyond his talent, Finau's aggressive play and infectious energy have made him a fan favorite.
Talented Canadian Nick Taylor made waves even before turning pro, carrying the Olympic torch at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Soon enough, he became the first Canadian since Mike Weir to win on the PGA Tour at the 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship. He followed this up with another victory at the prestigious AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2020. T
Despite challenges, his dedication shone through in 2023 with a defining moment after winning the coveted RBC Canadian Open. This victory cemented his status as a Canadian golfing hero and a role model for aspiring golfers. With his experience and dedication, fans can expect to see Nick Taylor's name on leaderboards for years to come.
Matthieu Pavon, a French golfer, secured his first major win on the European Tour in October 2023, dominating the Acciona Open de España. This propelled him onto the global stage and earned him a coveted PGA Tour membership. His impact was immediate, with a dramatic win at the Farmers Insurance Open in January 2024, when he became the first Frenchman to win on the PGA Tour in over a century.
Pavon is not only a national hero in France but a respected competitor poised for major championship victories and a long career at the top. He combines consistent ball striking with strategic thinking and a cool head under pressure, making him a threat on both the European and PGA Tours.
Russell Henley isn't your typical long-ball bomber on the PGA Tour, but he makes up for what he lacks in raw power in precision and strategy. Since his record-breaking debut in 2013, he's quietly racked up four Tour victories, including the prestigious Honda Classic.
Known for keeping his head in stressful situations and minimizing mistakes as much as possible, Henley has amassed over $27.5 million in career earnings with his wins. Still in his prime, this consistent contender is a player to watch, with fans eagerly anticipating a potential major championship win in the years to come.
Jason Day, a 36-year-old Australian golfer, started young, eventually turning pro in 2006. Day steadily climbed the ranks, but his 2015 PGA Championship victory cemented his legacy. This win propelled him to the No. 1 ranking. Now, he's still hanging around in the top 30.
Known for his power, accuracy, and mental toughness, Day has faced injuries in recent years, but remains a threat. Still competing at the highest level, Day aims to add more titles to his impressive collection, inspiring golfers worldwide.
South Korean golfer Tom Kim has exploded in the world of golf after going pro in 2018 at barely 20 years old! Now that he's dominated the Asian Tour, Korean Tour, and Asian Development Tour, he decided 2022 was the year to take on the PGA. He secured his first PGA Tour victory at the Wyndham Championship in October 2022, becoming the second-youngest two-time PGA Tour winner behind Ralph Guldahl.
Plus, Kim is the first player under 21 to win twice on tour since Tiger Woods in 1996! Even more impressive, he successfully defended his wins at the Shriners Children's Open in October 2023, becoming the second golfer to win the same PGA Tour event twice in the same season. Known for his aggressive yet controlled playing style, Kim's age has done nothing to hold back his powerful swing, exceptional accuracy, and calm demeanor.
Sam Burns had a great 2021, with wins at both the Valspar Championship and the Sanderson Farms Championship. And 2022 was even better for the up-and-coming golfer, with a second Valspar win as well as a win (beating Scottie Scheffler) at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
With four PGA tour wins, Burns could become a real thorn in the side of professional golfers everywhere. However his so-so rankings, like his T-20 at the PGA, need to rise a bit for others to really feel threatened by him.
Jordan Spieth has only been on tour for about 10 years and is still under the age of 30. He played in the President’s Cup as a rookie and has gone on to win major tournaments, including the Masters and the Open. A tie for second place in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2021, along with excellent play over the last few years, keeps him consistently in the top of the world rankings.
Spieth has earned more than 49 million dollars in 221 events played, with 74 Top 10 finishes. His 12 PGA wins include the 2015 Masters, the 2017 Open Championship, and the 2015 U. S. Open. The only other major, the PGA Championship has eluded him with a second-place finish in 2015.
Keegan Bradley recently made a return to the top 50 of the global golf rankings but how long he stays there is entirely up to his performance in the coming days and weeks. He’s had an impressive 10 wins during his professional career, but the most recent of those came in 2018.
He’s still got a way to go before he’s considered the best of the best, but with his track record, it seems possible that he could rise even further. Whether he can actually do that remains to be seen, but it’s definitely within the realm of possibility.
Tyrrell Hatton has recently garnered a reputation for airing complaints about courses he doesn’t like. But, despite all the whining, Hatton actually seems to know what he’s doing. His 10 professional wins speak for themselves.
However, more recently, things haven’t been looking as great for Hatton. In 2022, he placed 52 at the Masters and T13 at the PGA Championship. Neither one of those rankings are anything to write home about, but there’s still time in the year to turn things around.
Another pro from the class of 2019, Collin Morikawa has been at the top since he was an amateur a few years ago. Ranked the No. 1 amateur in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, he turned pro and added four Top-10 finishes so far this year, earning him the No. 2 spot in the world.
Collin won the PGA Championship in 2020 and the Open Championship in 2021, and has only played in 59 golf tournaments. Earning 16 million dollars and two majors in less than four years is Hall of Fame stats.
Sahith Theegala is a young rising star in the world of golf. The California native started playing golf at the age of five and quickly demonstrated a natural aptitude for the sport. After a decorated college career at Pepperdine University (claiming the prestigious Fred Haskins Award in 2020), it's no surprise he's succeeded professionally.
He earned his PGA Tour after securing his first PGA Tour victory in September 2023 at the Fortinet Championship. In 2024, his powerful and precise play style landed him a runner-up finish in Maui and Top-6 finishes in both the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship. Keep an eye on this one!
Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama in on a tour of his own recently. He won The Masters in 2021, making him the first Japanese men’s player to win a major tournament. A fierce competitor who will possibly easily crack the Top 10 this year.
He also won the Sony Open in Hawaii and the ZOZO Championship on the way to eight PGA victories and eight International victories. He has more than 38 million dollars in earnings, with 19 Top-10 finishes in the last three years.
A win at the 2022 US Open is probably not in the cards this time for Cameron Young, but winning the PGA Rookie of the Year is a much more likely win for this up-and-coming pro golfer. He’s got a ways to go before he’s at the top, but anyone who has seen him play knows he’s got what it takes.
With two wins during the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour, Young isn’t doing half bad in the world of professional golf. With a few more years under his belt, expect to see this golfer closer to the number one spot.
English player Tommy Fleetwood, born in 1991, plays on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour and is famous for his distinctive haircut and long-game accuracy on the greens. He turned professional in 2010 and quickly rose through the ranks, securing his first European Tour victory at the 2013 Johnnie Walker Championship.
After going pro in 2010, Fleetwood collected seven victories on the European Tour and achieved a career-high ranking of 9 in 2018. While he hasn't yet secured a major championship victory, Fleetwood remains a formidable force in the world of golf.
Matt Fitzpatrick has been raising eyebrows since his 2013 win of the US Amateur Championship. He didn’t stay amateur for long, though, and now, he’s poised to do well for himself at the 2022 US Open.
Fitzpatrick may still be pretty young by golf standards, but he’s already made a name for himself as a hard worker, and, more importantly, a winner. With seven professional wins (including the British Masters), he’s one to watch as he rises through the rankings.
Max Homa didn’t have the best track record when he first entered the world of pro golf, but things have definitely gotten better for the California native as the years have gone by. Whether he can make the cut at the 2022 US Open, though, remains to be seen.
Homa has managed to rack up six professional wins, including four on the PGA tour, and he’s infamous for making difficult courses look like a cakewalk. As long as he keeps his eye on the prize, Homa has nowhere to go but up.
Ludvig Åberg is a young Swedish golfer (born 1999) who's quickly making a name for himself on the professional circuit and managed to rank on the international level. Known for his precise shots and strategic mind, this young talent will undoubtedly crop up in golf conversations for years to come.
Aberg first received national attention with a quarterfinal finish at the prestigious U.S. Amateur Championship in 2021, and even won multiple awards at Texas Tech University as a college athlete. After going pro in 2023, Åberg has wasted no time racking up wins on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour thanks to his for his powerful and precise play style.
Brian Harman, born on January 19, 1987, is a professional golfer hailing from Savannah, Georgia. Standing at just 5 feet 7 inches tall, Harman defies expectations with his powerful swing and consistent performances on the PGA Tour.
He won the 2023 Open Championship, joining the elite group of left-handed major winners, and the victory was only one of his three PGA Tour wins. Harman's talent was evident early on, with college achievements like three-time All-American honors at the University of Georgia. He came close to another major title, finishing runner-up at the U.S. Open in 2017.
Cantlay is known as a very quiet and thoughtful player. His putting is phenomenal, and his focus seems unshakeable. His four Top-10 finishes this year and a win at the Memorial have helped him achieve the Top-5 ranking.
Six PGA victories, all of them recent, brought his shy nature a lot of publicity. It probably doesn’t hurt his feelings too much; he has earned 24 million dollars along the way. Patrick seems to be adjusting to the limelight, and major victories cannot be too far away.
Originally from Norway, Hovland attended college at Oklahoma State University. Only active since 2019, he has a tour win this season at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba and a few other Top-10 finishes that have pushed his point average into the Top-3 overall currently.
Three victories on tour with a lowest round score of 62, Viktor is sneaking into the top world ranking this year. He’s only won 10 million dollars so far in his career, but it looks extremely promising that he’ll win a lot more.
Born in La Jolla, CA, his mother is from Chinese Taipei but grew up in Japan, and his father is half-French and half-German. He competed in the Olympics and hasn’t won a major event yet but has been in several playoffs to try to secure a victory.
Schauffele has four tour victories, one international win, and has earned 24 million dollars. Of the 103 cuts in tournaments that he has made, he has had 10 second place finishes.
Wyndham Clark, born on June 21, 1994, is a rising star in the world of professional golf. Hailing from Denver, Colorado, Clark made his mark early in his career, earning accolades in college golf before turning professional in 2017. Known for his powerful driving and precise iron play, Clark quickly made an impact on the PGA Tour with his consistent performances and strong finishes. His breakthrough moment came in 2020 when he secured his first PGA Tour victory at the Bermuda Championship, showcasing his talent and potential on the big stage.
Clark's journey is marked by determination and resilience. He has overcome challenges to establish himself among the elite in professional golf. As he continues to hone his skills and compete at the highest level, Clark now ranks #4 globally and is poised for even more success to come!
An excellent ball-striker, Jon Rahm is currently ranked first in hitting greens in regulation. While he has only one major win, the U.S. Open in 2021, he has placed in the Top-10 on the leaderboard several times, continuing to add more important points to his total.
He is consistently on the hunt for wins, and a very fierce competitor. Placing in the Top 10 half of the time has led to six PGA wins, 31 million dollars, and the distinction of being the top-ranked golfer in the world.
McIlroy turned professional in 2007 and was born in Ireland. He won majors, including The Open Championship and the PGA Championship in 2014. He has also been the FedEx Champion twice and started this season with a win at The C J Cup @ Summit.
Rory is such a phenomenal player that in the 181 cuts that he has made, he’s finished in the Top 10 97 times—over 50%. That type of performance has won him almost $60 million dollars.
Another product of the University of Texas, Sceffler turned pro in 2018. Tall, athletic, and loves pickup basketball. However, this Ryder Cup winner has already won two tournaments this season, both in less than 30 days.
The WM Phoenix Open, and the Arnold Palmer Invitational are his first two PGA victories and have helped him earn more than 12 million dollars. This pace could make him #1 in the very near future.
