Power 18 golf rankings: Scottie Scheffler overtakes Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy returns to top 5

first What else is there to say about Scheffler? After nearly stealing the Memorial Tournament with a historic tee-to-green performance, Scheffler now has 15 consecutive top 12 finishes on the PGA Tour since last fall. He’s the only player in the world to have averaged three strokes per round over the past six months, and with this in mind, it’s almost feel It’s like he’s a bad student. Yes, he won the Player and WM Phoenix Open championships this season, but neutral performances at the Memorial (where he lost by eight strokes) and the Charles Schwab Challenge (where he lost by almost five strokes) ) will double his trophy count. Before: 2 2 The Spaniard has only played twice since finishing second at the Mexican Open, and both starts have plenty to look forward to. He fought to make the list at the PGA Championship and faltered at the final 54 holes at the Memorial to narrowly finish in the top 20. Unlike Scheffler, however, he can be trusted. with a putter in hand, and that’s important to the moment of the big championship. Rahm is second in strokes at Muirfield Village and should enjoy a return to California for the US Open, where he took his first win in 2021. He also won earlier this season. at the Riviera. Before: 1 3 Despite joining an elite group of men to win five major championships with a win at Oak Hill, Koepka stayed in three holes. That is highly likely to change with the US Open taking place on deck, where he’s racked up two wins in 2014-21, a runner-up, top two duels and no results. worse than T18. He followed up his victory at the PGA Championship with a famous curler and finished in an impressive 14th place at LIV Golf DC. Unlike the first two pro tournaments of the season, Koepka won’t tee off last week, which could be something to watch for someone who has spoken out about competing for a major championship. Before: 3 4 Hovland finally broke out after knocking on the door for the past three months. Beating Denny McCarthy in the Memorial playoffs, the Norwegian took his eighth professional win (and fourth on the PGA Tour) since 2020. He’s now won the PGA Tour in every single game. season he joined and cemented his place among the best of the game. The win came after a painful close call at the PGA Championship, where he stared Koepka in the face for 15 consecutive holes on Sunday. Hovland is currently looking for a chance to redeem the major championship having finished in the top seven in the last three matches. Front: 10 5 McIlroy’s season hasn’t been good, by his standards, but the pieces are still there for him to pick up. He played in the last pair in the final round at the Memorial and all will be forgiven if he makes it through. However, he showed dazzling form at three designated events and made it to the PGA Championship with his C game. Shot accuracy is concerned, the wedge is unstable and the putter can get cold. Despite all this, the four-time major champion is still a presence well worth taking into account. He prepared to defend his Canadian Open title before heading to Los Angeles Country Club for the US Open, where he finished in the top 10 four times in a row. Front: 8 6 The Olympic gold medalist hasn’t missed a cut since the 2022 Masters and recently had his chance to win at Quail Hollow Club. While victories don’t pile up, the 29-year-old has 12 top 20 finishes from 16 starts, half of which have been top 5 results. The iron game plays out like a laser beam. and he’s using his putter with a confidence he’s never seen before. After a lousy start to the season with the big stick, Schauffele and his rider are currently on good terms, so he’ll win soon. Schauffele’s US Open results are: T14-T7-5-T3-T6-T5. Before: 7 7 The fiery Englishman has done it all but win in 2023. Now experiencing five consecutive top 20 finishes, Hatton is still well balanced when they arrive. For the past six months, he’s placed in the world top 45 in each stroke category — a feat no other PGA Tour member has been able to achieve. Consistency was good, the well-paid days ending on the podium at the Player’s Championship and the Wells Fargo Championship were even better, but Hatton had his eye on his th PGA Tour win. his two. Previous: Not rated 8 His weekend woes at the Memorial ended a run of nine tournaments in the top 21 since the Genesis Invitational. During this run, Cantlay has put together a great statistical record, but it doesn’t Actually had a chance to win outside of RBC Heritage. Over the past six months, he’s trailed only Scheffler, Rahm and Schauffele in total hits and has been in the top 20 in every tee-to-green statistic. The hitter has been unusually great for a while, but perhaps a return to his home state of California will change that in an important way. Before: 4 9 Finau has found a way to win, but may have sacrificed his main prowess in the process. Since winning the Mexican Open, the 33-year-old has been average and failed to break into the top 20 in three starts, including the T72 at the PGA Championship. The hitter is the main culprit many will point to, but the iron game is starting to trend slightly downward. He’s been hugely successful in his US Open career with four missed cuts and three top 15 finishes. Front: 6 ten The Golfer of the Year Champion is starting to look like the man who ran through the golf world in 2022. The Australian lost a play-off against Dustin Johnson at LIV Golf Tulsa, breaking into the top 10 at PGA Championship and win the championship title. Finished 11th at LIV Golf DC (his worst result since the Masters). After admitting to spending a lot of time away from the game throughout the season, Smith is sure to join the conversation. He’s not afraid of anyone, and another run at a major championship seems within his grasp. Before: NR 11 Fitzpatrick has suffered a very serious back injury. The 28-year-old added a top 10 attempt at the Memorial to his win at RBC Heritage a week after the Masters. He is competing at the Canadian Open before preparing to defend his US Open crown at LACC. The Englishman should take his chance to come back and make up for a grueling miss at the PGA Championship, where he hit three holes on the 36th hole to miss one at the weekend. Front: 9 twelfth Fitzpatrick started the injury portion of Power 18 with Spieth seemingly about to come out of him. Injuring his back on Monday of the Wells Fargo Championship, the three-time major champion continued to slip and injured his wrist while playing with his son that weekend. A T29 finish at the PGA Championship puts Spieth in fourth place in terms of strokes taken from teeing ground. An unfortunate miss at Colonial before finishing in T5 at Memorial, where he placed fourth in tee shots to green. In his last six starts, he has three top-five finishes and a number of missed cuts. As has happened throughout his career, anything is on the table any given week. Front: 5 13 Morikawa registered on the 13th unlucky for good reason. The iron game is starting to reflect its peak form, the hitter is already solid at Muirfield Village and his game is tailored for the US Open. However, the two-time major champion was forced to withdraw before the final round of the Memorial (where he had a two-goal lead) due to a back spasm. Back injuries – whatever the type – are always a concern for golfers. Hope it’s one time. Front: 14 14 It was a bad ending for Clark’s Memorial, but make no mistake that he had legitimate claims to the title when it was nine Sundays. This T12 finish comes after his breakout win at another designated event in the Wells Fargo Championship. He ranks 15th in total strokes and 11th in strokes over the past six months, and the Ryder Cup may be on the 29-year-old’s mind. Before: NR 15 The return to the winner’s circle has been a long time coming for the former world number 1. Score a birdie on the 72nd hole at Byron Nelson to lift his first trophy since the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship, Day’s return journey is complete. He chose to forgo the practice rounds at the PGA Championship, which may have contributed to his slip. The day is also an overlooked Memorial Day weekend, but these two outings are just bumps of speed in another smooth season. Before: 17 16 Fowler has been excellent all season; he currently has 12 finishes in the top 20 from 17 starts with the last two at the Charles Schwab Memorial and Challenge doubling as many times in the top 10 attempts. The five-time winner has tasted contention nine behind in Ohio, which will greatly benefit him as he aims to break a four-year, winless drought. With his play, he was awarded slots to the US Open for the first time since 2020 and The Open for the first time since 2021. Before: NR 17 Homa is about to return to pre-season form, and that comes at a better time. A top 10 finish at the Wells Fargo Championship and the Charles Schwab Challenge clamped a disappointing T55 at the PGA Championship. The putter is starting to cooperate again and if the usually reliable hit finds its way back into his pocket, it could be party time in his hometown of Los Angeles for US Open Championship. Front: 18 18 It wasn’t Justin Thomas, Cameron Young or Sam Burns who made it to the Power 18 team, but Kim. The South Korean continued his fine form with a second attempt at Byron Nelson to Day and a great week at Jack’s Place as he played in the final group on Sunday alongside McIlroy. Kim is second in tee shots to green at Muirfield Village and looks ready to make the big championship jump. Before: NR