PGA Tour Power Rankings: Who’s Hot Before the Final Major?

With three major championships already concluded, only one remains on the men`s professional golf calendar. The Open Championship is scheduled for July 17-20 at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, Northern Ireland.

Leading up to The Open, the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois, and the Genesis Scottish Open in North Berwick, Scotland, will take place. Many of the world`s elite golfers are heading across the Atlantic a week early to acclimatize to links golf conditions.

Key questions abound: Can world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler claim the third leg of his career grand slam? Can reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy overcome his past disappointment from missing the cut at the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush? Can defending Open champion Xander Schauffele regain his winning form?

With the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Ryder Cup looming, opportunities are becoming scarce for players to impress U.S. captain Keegan Bradley and European captain Luke Donald.

Here is an updated ranking of the top 25 players on the PGA Tour:

1. Scottie Scheffler

Scheffler took a brief break before traveling overseas for the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open. He has an incredible record this season, finishing inside the top 25 in all 14 starts. His last nine starts have all been top-eight finishes, including victories at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, PGA Championship, and the Memorial Tournament. In his previous appearance at the Renaissance Club in 2023, he tied for third place, five strokes behind the winner.

2. Rory McIlroy

Perhaps a few weeks in the United Kingdom will help McIlroy move past his slump following the Masters. He planned to spend time with his family in London before focusing on this crucial two-week stretch of tournaments. He dramatically won the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open by a single stroke over Robert MacIntyre. McIlroy tied for fourth place last season, four strokes adrift of MacIntyre.

3. Russell Henley

At 36 years old, Henley is enjoying some of the finest golf of his career, with eight top-10 finishes in 14 starts this season. He secured his fifth PGA Tour victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and was a strong contender for another win at the Travelers Championship. Henley finished solo fifth at last year`s Open Championship at Royal Troon, marking his best performance in that major to date.

4. J.J. Spaun

The surprising winner of the U.S. Open followed up his major triumph with a tie for 14th at the Travelers Championship. He was a runner-up twice earlier in the season at the Cognizant Classic and the Players Championship, suggesting another victory could be on the horizon. Spaun has risen to third in the U.S. Ryder Cup team points standings, trailing only Scheffler and Schauffele, making him a near certainty for the team.

5. Sepp Straka

The Austrian-born player has already claimed two PGA Tour wins this season at the American Express and Truist Championship. Despite surprisingly missing the cut in the first three majors, his overall play has been outstanding. He is currently sixth in the European Ryder Cup team standings and is widely considered a strong candidate for one of captain Donald`s six picks, even if he doesn`t automatically qualify. A strong showing at The Open would cap off his major season; he tied for second at Royal Liverpool in 2023.

6. Justin Thomas

Thomas`s results in the first three majors—a tie for 36th at the Masters and missed cuts at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open—somewhat overshadow what has otherwise been a significant rebound season. He ended a nearly three-year winless streak by winning the RBC Heritage in a playoff and finished as runner-up at the American Express, Valspar Championship, and Truist Championship. His inclusion on the U.S. Ryder Cup team seems highly likely.

7. Keegan Bradley

`Captain America` previously stated he would only participate in the upcoming Ryder Cup if he qualified automatically. Currently ninth in points after winning the Travelers Championship, adding to a tie for eighth at the PGA Championship and seventh at the Memorial. Now ranked seventh in the Official World Golf Ranking, Bradley is clearly performing like one of the top American players. Depending on the results over the next seven weeks, Captain Bradley might find it difficult not to select himself.

8. Ben Griffin

Griffin`s excellent run of form has extended into a hot summer stretch. Now ranked 17th in the world, Griffin won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event with Andrew Novak and then secured his first individual stroke-play title at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He achieved two top-10 finishes in majors, tying for eighth at the PGA Championship and 10th at the U.S. Open. Griffin also finished runner-up at the Memorial against a strong field. He is eighth in Ryder Cup points, making it likely he will be on the roster unless his form significantly declines.

9. Collin Morikawa

After a somewhat challenging couple of months, the two-time major champion turned things around with a tie for eighth at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. While Morikawa hasn`t won since the Zozo Championship in October 2023, he has been a runner-up twice this season and has 10 top-25 finishes in 14 starts. He is currently seeking a new caddie for the second time this season after splitting with Joe Greiner before the Rocket Mortgage Classic. His caddie for The Open remains unannounced.

10. Xander Schauffele

The reigning Open Championship winner can be excused for a mediocre summer after being sidelined for about two months with a rib injury. He performed reasonably well in the majors, tying for eighth at the Masters, finishing 28th at the PGA Championship, and 12th at the U.S. Open. He has one top-10 finish and six top-25s in 11 starts this season. Schauffele appears close to finding his peak form and remains second in Ryder Cup points after winning two majors in 2024.

11. Tommy Fleetwood

Another close call at the Travelers Championship means the English golfer is still pursuing his first PGA Tour victory. He has played like one of the world`s best this year, with five top-10s and 11 top-25s in 14 starts. He is second in the European Ryder Cup points standings, behind only McIlroy. His stats are impressive, ranking third in strokes gained: total (1.414) and ninth in approach (.622).

12. Harris English

English has had a strong season, particularly in the tour`s most significant events. He secured his fifth PGA Tour win at the Farmers Insurance Open and tied for second at the PGA Championship. He also recorded top-25 finishes at the Genesis Invitational, Truist Championship, Memorial Tournament, and Travelers Championship. He is 10th in Ryder Cup points, and his putting ability makes him a strong candidate for the U.S. team.

13. Viktor Hovland

Hovland continues to work on his swing, but he won the Valspar Championship earlier this season and finished solo third at the U.S. Open. He withdrew from the final round of the Travelers Championship due to a neck injury, despite carding a 7-under 63 the previous day. Hovland is expected to compete in the Scottish Open.

14. Maverick McNealy

The 29-year-old former Stanford standout might need a strong finish to the FedEx Cup season to secure his first Ryder Cup team spot. After claiming his maiden PGA Tour win at the RSM Classic in November, he was runner-up at the Genesis Invitational and achieved top-five finishes at the Valero Texas Open, RBC Heritage, and the Memorial. However, he finished outside the top 30 in each of the first three majors.

15. Ludvig Åberg

The Swedish golfer has had a surprisingly inconsistent FedEx Cup season. After winning for the second time on tour at the Genesis Invitational and finishing seventh at the Masters, Åberg has not recorded a top-10 finish in his last seven starts. While he is efficient off the tee, he ranks 147th on tour in strokes gained: around the green (-.255) and 125th in putting (-.141).

16. Shane Lowry

The Irish golfer likely needed a break after missing the cut at the U.S. Open and tying for 45th at the Travelers Championship. His iron play has been exceptional this season, ranking second in strokes gained: approach (.932). His putting, however, has struggled, ranking 122nd in strokes gained: putting (-.138). He is returning to familiar ground, including Royal Portrush Golf Club, where he lifted the Claret Jug in 2019.

17. Andrew Novak

After a superb stretch that included a tie for third at the Texas Open, losing in a playoff to Thomas at the RBC Heritage, and winning the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Griffin, Novak`s form has cooled slightly in the past couple of months. However, he tied for 17th at the Truist Championship and 11th at the Charles Schwab Challenge, indicating his game is still strong.

18. Corey Conners

Conners was playing excellent golf until a wrist injury forced him to withdraw before the final round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. He has not played in a PGA Tour event since then. Prior to the injury, Conners had five top-10s and 10 top-25s in 16 starts this season.

19. Brian Harman

Harman, the 2023 Open Championship winner, could use another strong performance to climb into the top six of the U.S. Ryder Cup points standings or at least make Captain Bradley`s selections more challenging. He is currently 12th after winning the Valero Texas Open and tying for third at the RBC Heritage. Harman`s solo eighth finish at the Travelers Championship suggests his form might be returning.

20. Robert MacIntyre

MacIntyre has been finding his form again, finishing solo second at the U.S. Open and tying for 17th at the Travelers Championship. The Scottish golfer now returns home for the Scottish Open, where he is the defending champion and finished runner-up in 2023. He tied for sixth in the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush as a 22-year-old.

21. Sam Burns

Burns` struggles in the difficult conditions on the back nine of the final round at the U.S. Open overshadowed his otherwise strong performance at Oakmont. His game had been showing improvement for weeks. He lost to Ryan Fox in a playoff at the RBC Canadian Open and tied for seventh at the U.S. Open. He has four top-10s and 10 top-25s in 18 starts this season.

22. Patrick Cantlay

It seems unlikely that Cantlay would miss the U.S. Ryder Cup team, but he needs to deliver some notable results to solidify his position. His tie for fourth at the Truist Championship is his only top-10 finish since mid-February. His ball-striking statistics are strong – he ranks 10th in approach (.598), eighth in tee to green (1.028), and 12th overall (1.122) – suggesting his results should be better.

23. Ryan Fox

After securing his first PGA Tour victory in a playoff at the OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic, Fox quickly added a second win. He won another playoff at the RBC Canadian Open, giving him two victories in just four starts. He has climbed to 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

24. Hideki Matsuyama

When the former Masters champion won the season-opening Sentry in Hawaii in January, it appeared he was poised for a strong season. Surprisingly, that remains his only top-10 finish in 17 starts this season. He tied for 21st at Augusta National, missed the cut at the PGA Championship, and tied for 42nd at the U.S. Open. Matsuyama`s challenges have primarily been with his driver, ranking 128th in strokes gained: off the tee (-.166) and 127th in driving accuracy (56.2% of fairways hit).

25. Daniel Berger

Berger looked like a serious candidate for the Ryder Cup team earlier in the season, but he needs to improve his recent form after a slump that included two missed cuts and ties for 46th at the U.S. Open and 42nd at the Travelers Championship. He is currently 18th in the Ryder Cup points standings.

Just Missed the Cut:

Sungjae Im, Nick Taylor, Jason Day, Thomas Detry, Aldrich Potgieter, Cameron Young, Michael Kim, Jacob Bridgeman