pga tour golf power rankings

PGA Tour Power Rankings: Is this the year of Viktor Hovland?

• Senior college football writer
• Author of seven books on college football
• Graduate of the University of Georgia

After a nearly seven-week hiatus, the 2024 PGA Tour season begins Thursday at the Sentry in Kapalua, Hawai'i.

The sport still remains divided, as the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund continue to hammer out the details of a potential alliance that would unify the fractured sport.

It will be difficult to ignore the division surrounding men's professional golf this week, as defending champion Jon Rahm won't be in Hawai'i to defend his title. On Dec. 7, the reigning Masters champion became the latest star to jump to the LIV Golf League. He signed a multiyear contract reportedly worth more than $300 million.

Here are the PGA Tour Power Rankings heading into the first tournament of the 2024 season:

1. Viktor Hovland

A three-time winner in 2023, the reigning FedEx Cup champion seems poised to win his first major championship this year. He finished in the top 13 in each of the four last season, including a tie for second at the PGA Championship. He went 3-1-1 at the Ryder Cup, helping lead the European team to a 16½-11½ victory. Hovland is playing at the Sentry and has committed to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, WM Phoenix Open and the Genesis Invitational.

2. Scottie Scheffler

Despite his struggles with the putter in 2023, the world No. 1 golfer had 17 top-10 finishes in 23 tour starts without a missed cut. He picked up two more official victories at the Phoenix Open and the Players and won a record $21 million. Scheffler's win at the Hero World Challenge proved his work with putting coach Phil Kenyon is paying off; he avoided a three-putt over 72 holes in the Bahamas.

3. Rory McIlroy

Will it be a less stressful 2024 campaign for the four-time major champion? After stepping down from the PGA Tour policy board, McIlroy seems more committed than ever to ending his more than nine-year drought without a major title. McIlroy is skipping the Sentry again and will start the new year with two events in the Middle East: the Dubai Invitational on Jan. 11-14 and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on Jan. 18-21. He's the defending champion in the latter.

4. Max Homa

Homa picked up two more victories during the 2022-23 season, finishing first at the Fortinet Championship in September 2022 and in the Farmers Insurance Open in January 2023. He had a relatively quiet summer before a string of top-12 finishes in each of his past six starts in official tour events. He tied for 10th at The Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in England, his best finish in a major, and finished in the top 10 in each of the three FedEx Cup events. Then he picked up his first victory outside the U.S. at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa on Nov. 12.

5. Xander Schauffele

Schauffele didn't pick up a victory this past season but otherwise played spectacular golf. He had two runner-ups and 11 top-10 finishes in 23 starts. He didn't miss a cut. Schauffele last won at the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open almost 18 months ago. The 30-year-old seems primed to win his first major championship in 2024. He has 11 top-10 finishes in majors in his career and didn't finish outside the top 18 in his past seven starts in majors.

6. Patrick Cantlay

The normally stoic Cantlay found himself in the spotlight often in 2023. He was at the center of controversy at the Ryder Cup in Italy over reports that he wanted to be compensated for his appearance. Cantlay denied the reports. Then his caddie, Joe LaCava, had a dustup with McIlroy on the 18th green. Cantlay also is serving on the PGA Tour policy board for the first time and denied that he attempted to wrest control of the negotiations with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. He has gone more than 16 months without a victory.

7. Collin Morikawa

Morikawa ended a 27-month drought without a victory on the PGA Tour by capturing the Zozo Championship in Japan on Oct. 22. The two-time major championship winner will return to Kapalua, where he squandered a 6-stroke lead at the start of the final round of the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions and lost to Rahm by 2. It tied for the largest collapse after 54 holes in PGA Tour history.

8. Ludvig Åberg

A year ago, the 24-year-old was getting ready for his final college season at Texas Tech. Now, he already has two worldwide victories; he won the Omega European Masters on the DP World Tour in September and the RSM Classic on the PGA Tour in November. The Swede went 2-2 at the Ryder Cup as a European team rookie. Aberg finished in the top 25 in eight of his 11 PGA Tour starts last season. He recently picked up veteran caddie Joe Skovron, who worked with Rickie Fowler and most recently Tom Kim .

9. Matt Fitzpatrick

The Englishman picked up his second PGA Tour victory at the RBC Heritage in April, then he ended a two-year drought on the DP World Tour by winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland in October. He battled a neck injury through much of 2023 but is expected to be healthy heading into this season.

10. Wyndham Clark

Clark finally broke through with his first PGA Tour victory at the Wells Fargo Championship in May, then he stared down McIlroy and Fowler to capture his first major championship at the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club in June. Clark wasn't done, as he tied for 15th at the BMW Championship and was solo third at the Tour Championship. He pocketed more than $10.7 million in on-course earnings last season.

11. Brian Harman

Harman had his breakthrough moment in July when he captured The Open by 6 shots to win his first major championship. At 36 years, he was the oldest first-time major championship winner since Sergio Garcia won the 2017 Masters at 37. Harman tied for fifth at the BMW Championship and was 23rd at the Tour Championship.

12. Tom Kim

Kim labored through a bit of a sophomore slump last season before turning things around with a tie for second at The Open. With the help of swing coach Chris Como, Kim found his form late and won the Shriners Children's Open in Las Vegas for the second straight year on Oct. 15. He became the fourth-youngest golfer to reach three PGA Tour victories; only Gene Sarazen, Horton Smith and Tiger Woods did it at a younger age. Kim hired Daniel Parratt, K.H. Lee's former caddie, to replace Joe Skovron.

13. Lucas Glover

The 44-year-old Glover enjoyed one of the most epic heaters in recent PGA Tour history when he won the Wyndham Championship and FedEx St. Jude Championship in consecutive weeks in August. He was only the third player in his 40s to win in consecutive weeks on tour in the past 25 years.

14. Keegan Bradley

Bradley, 37, enjoyed quite a resurgence last season when he ended a more than five-year victory drought with two wins: the Zozo Championship in October 2022 and the Travelers Championship in June. He cooled off late in the season before tying for ninth at the Tour Championship.

15. Tommy Fleetwood

Fleetwood, 32, came painfully close to winning his first tournament when he lost to Canada's Nick Taylor in a four-hole playoff at the RBC Canadian Open on June 11. A six-time winner on the DP World Tour, Fleetwood has 22 career top-five finishes on the PGA Tour, the most by any golfer without a victory in the past 40 years. He is also the first player to earn more than $20 million in career earnings without a win.

16. Tyrrell Hatton

The Englishman seems closer than ever to picking up another PGA Tour victory after piling up seven top-10s and 13 top-25s in 21 starts last season. He had just one missed cut and finished second at the Players and tied for third at the Wells Fargo Championship and RBC Canadian Open. His lone PGA Tour win came at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

17. Jordan Spieth

A left wrist injury plagued Spieth for much of last season, when he didn't win and had seven top-10s in 22 tour starts. He lost in a playoff to Fitzpatrick at the RBC Heritage. Spieth reinjured his wrist after the Ryder Cup, which led to a proper diagnosis: damage to the ulnar nerve, which controls movement in the forearm, hand and fingers. Spieth said he has addressed the injury through treatment and feels good about his form heading into 2024.

18. Sepp Straka

It was quite a 2022-23 season for Straka, who picked up his second PGA Tour victory at the John Deere Classic on July 9 and made his first appearance in the Ryder Cup. A native of Austria, Straka went 1-2 for the winning European team. He also had his first two top-10s in majors, a tie for seventh at the PGA Championship and a tie for second at The Open.

19. Cameron Young

The 2022 PGA Tour rookie of the year didn't find the winner's circle last season. He came close again before losing to Sam Burns in the final match of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. He also tied for seventh at the Masters, one of his five top-10 finishes last season. Young will have a new caddie in 2024 after Paul Tesori moved to Brendon Todd's bag, as first reported by Golfweek.

20. Jason Day

The Australian ended a five-year winless drought with his 13th PGA Tour victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson on May 14. It was Day's first tour win in 105 starts since the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship. Day also tied for second at The Open, his first top-10 in a major in three years.

21. Rickie Fowler

Fowler's return from golf purgatory was complete when he outlasted Morikawa and Adam Hadwin to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic for his first PGA Tour victory in more than four years on July 2. He birdied the 18th hole on the final hole of regulation and the first playoff hole at Detroit Golf Club to get it done. It came two weeks after Fowler faded in the final round and tied for fifth in the U.S. Open.

22. Tony Finau

Finau claimed two more victories last season at the Cadence Bank Houston Open in November 2022 and the Mexico Open in April. But then he had just one top-20 finish in his next 11 starts in official PGA Tour events, a tie for seventh at the 3M Open. Finau had been linked to LIV Golf but affirmed his commitment to the PGA Tour.

23. Sam Burns

Burns secured his fifth PGA Tour win by taking the final WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas on March 26. But it was otherwise a so-so season, as Burns had as many missed cuts (six) as top-10 finishes. He missed two cuts in majors and his best finish was a tie for 29th at the Masters.

24. Sahith Theegala

The immensely talented Theegala claimed his first PGA Tour victory with a 2-stroke win at the Fortinet Championship in Napa, California, on Sept. 7. It came in his 74th start in an official tour event. He also tied for second at the 2022 RSM Classic, one of his eight top-10 finishes last season.

25. Min Woo Lee

The Australian secured a PGA Tour card by tying for sixth at the Players and for fifth at the U.S. Open last season. He also tied for ninth at the Travelers Championship and for sixth at the Zozo Championship. On Nov. 26, Lee won the Australian PGA Championship, his third victory on the DP World Tour.

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Power Rankings: Rory McIlroy Is Head of the Class at Canadian Open

Jim stracka | may 29, 2024.

Welcome to Power Rankings, a weekly feature on SI Golf from our partners at KeyCompete . This week the PGA Tour shifts north for the RBC Canadian Open. Here’s how our model sees the event event shaping up:

2024 RBC Canadian Open Preview

Hamilton Golf and Country Club, site of the RBC Canadian Open, is a Harry Shapland Colt masterpiece inaugurated in 1914. Recent renovations, including enhancements to several holes and improvements to the course infrastructure, have further elevated its status as one of Canada's premier destinations. With a rich history dating back over a century, Hamilton has witnessed plenty of memorable moments. Here are the players our model likes this week.

KeyCompete’s 2024 RBC Canadian Open Power Rankings

( Odds from DraftKings - place your bets here )

1.  Rory McIlroy (+360) - Didn’t click in the two majors, but a winner at Wells Fargo and the champion here in 2019 and '22.

2.  Shane Lowry (+2200) - Won alongside McIlroy at the team event but quietly having a solid season.

3.  Sahith Theegala (+1800) - Power and precision should play well here.

4.  Tommy Fleetwood (+1600) - Ball-striking also works well at Hamilton, and that happens to be Fleetwood’s bread and butter.

5.  Cameron Young (+2200) - Armed with power and finesse, it feels like he should contend every week, including this one.

6.  Corey Conners (+2000) - A Canadian crowd favorite, Conners could get some extra juice. Ball-striking and steady demeanor will be formidable.

7.  Alex Noren (+2200) - Swede carries experience and precision. 

8.  Sam Burns (+2500) - Power game to thrive on big stages.

9.  Akshay Bhatia (+4500) - Solid all around. Fearless. Winner earlier this year at Valero..

10.  Adam Scott (+3000) - Smooth swing and impeccable course management should get him in the mix.

2024 Charles Schwab Challenge Recap

Davis Riley dominated Colonial Country Club and his five-stroke victory solidified his status as a rising star. But the tournament was overshadowed by the tragic passing of Grayson Murray, which sent shockwaves through the golf community and left players, officials, and fans in disbelief and mourning. Murray will be remembered for his charisma, talent, and infectious spirit. 

 KeyCompete had a solid week that brought our yearly record to 92-59 on matchup bets.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

JIM STRACKA

Jim Stracka is currently serving as the President of StrackaLine and Golf Intelligence. StrackaLine provides greens and yardage guides for every course in the world. Golf Intelligence provides GPS, elevation, and scorecard data for other golf technology companies. Stracka has also held executive roles in various companies in the golf industry.

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2024 RBC Canadian Open predictions, expert picks, odds, field rankings, golf best bets

The pga tour travels to the great white north for one of the best events of the season.

How do you follow up an all-time great tournament? Well, the 2024 RBC Canadian Open is about to find out. Hamilton Golf & Country Club will host this year's Canadian Open, and it has the unenviable task of playing sequel to what may have been the best finish of the 2023 season.

Last year, Nick Taylor became the first Canadian since 1964 to win his home country's open, and he did so in the most dramatic fashion. Holing a 72-foot eagle putt on the third playoff hole against Tommy Fleetwood, Taylor tossed his putter in the air and immediately jumped into rarified air when it comes to Canadian sports lore.

He'll attempt to go back-to-back while being joined in the field by a number of his fellow countrymen, including Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith, Mackenzie Hughes and Adam Hadwin. You may remember Hadwin as the man tackled by security during Taylor's celebration, but it was Rory McIlroy who tackled the field the last time the Canadian Open was held at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

Firing a final-round 61 where he flirted with the possibility of a sub-60 performance, McIlroy ran away from the field for a seven-stroke victory over Webb Simpson and Shane Lowry in 2019. The four-time major champion aims to get back into the winner's circle for the third time in his Canadian Open career and grab his third trophy of the year just as the summer months roll around.

While McIlroy stalks the path towards 30 PGA Tour wins, players like Fleetwood, Cameron Young and Maverick McNealy are still in search of their first. Fleetwood experienced an especially painful defeat at the hands of Taylor last year and hopes to play himself back into contention as does Young who has already notched a runner-up result in 2024.

Sahith Theegala, Sam Burns and Lowry all have eyes on getting back into the winner's circle with others such as Adam Scott, Tom Kim and Keith Mitchell all potentially factoring over the weekend in Canada.

2024 RBC Canadian Open schedule

Dates:  May 30 - June 2 Location:  Hamilton Golf & Country Club — Ontario, Canada Par:  70 |  Yardage:  7,084

2024 RBC Canadian Open field, odds

• Rory McIlroy (4-1): Post-Masters McIlroy is finding his groove. A winner in two of his last three starts, the Northern Irishman returns to a comfortable spot on the calendar and will put his affinity for national opens to the test. Driving the golf ball perhaps as well as ever, McIlroy can thank an uptick in his iron play for his uptick in hardware. While he did not break his decade-long major championship drought at Valhalla, he performed adequately and should be in the mix late on Sunday.
• Tommy Fleetwood (16-1): It is not a matter of "if" but "when" Fleetwood will breakthrough for his long-awaited win on the PGA Tour. Last year's tournament had all the makings of it as the Englishman stood on the tee on the accessible par-5 18th needing birdie to secure victory in regulation. Unable to succeed, Fleetwood fell short once again and will try to make amends this week following a string of mixed results highlighted by a podium finish at the Masters and top-15 finish at the Wells Fargo Championship.
• Corey Conners (20-1): The top Canadian on the board is doing everything we expect from Conners. One of the most accurate drivers on the PGA Tour and a lethal approach player, the 32-year-old is in need of a massive week with his short game if he is to contend. After missing five cuts across his first six Canadian Opens, Conner has found his footing in his home country's open with a sixth-place finish in 2022 and top 20 last year.
• Sahith Theegala (20-1)
• Shane Lowry (22-1): It has been a memorable month for Lowry as he snatched his first PGA Tour victory since his Open triumph and added to major championship record books with his third-round 63 at the PGA Championship. Contending at Valhalla, the Irishman leaned on an unusually hot putter and could be a sign of things to come this summer. He ranks third in this field in strokes gained tee to green and strokes gained approach over the last six months.
• Sam Burns (22-1)
• Cameron Young (22-1)
• Alex Noren (22-1): The former top-10 player in the world is quietly playing some of the best golf on the PGA Tour. It has been nearly three months since Noren has finished outside the top 25 on a leaderboard highlighted by a podium result at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and T12 finish at the PGA Championship in his last start out. He is doing just about everything right as he ranks third in total strokes gained over the last six months.
• Maverick McNealy (30-1)
• Adam Scott (30-1)

2024 Canadian Open expert picks

Who will win the RBC Canadian Open, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that's nailed 12 golf majors , including the last three Masters and the 2024 PGA Championship.

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2024 RBC Canadian Open field: PGA Tour players, rankings

T he 2024 RBC Canadian Open field is set with the passing of the PGA Tour tournament entry deadline . This week's PGA Tour field is set for this FedEx Cup event, played at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, from May 30 - June 2, 2024.

The RBC Canadian Open field is headlined by the likes of Rory McIlroy , Sahith Theegala , Tommy Fleetwood and more.

JOIN FOREBUCKS: Access a winning PGA Tour model, unique tools and in-depth analysis for just $40/year!

This is set to be a 156-player field is played out over four days, with this event marking the 25th tournament of the 2024 PGA Tour schedule .

The tournament is being played in its originally intended slot, with the PGA Tour heading to Canada for one of the longest-running national opens that was won last year by Nick Taylor.

We do not yet have Monday qualifiers for this event, which will be played Thursday through Sunday.

The RBC Canadian Open alternate list will be used to replace any players who withdraw from the field ahead of the tournament, with Sean O'Hair and Richy Werenski being the first two names on the list.

The field will be playing for a $9.4 million purse, with 12 of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking among the top contenders.

2024 RBC Canadian Open field

Top 50 players in 2024 rbc canadian open field.

The post 2024 RBC Canadian Open field: PGA Tour players, rankings first appeared on Golf News Net .

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PGA Tour Power Rankings: Two stops 'til the Masters

• Senior college football writer
• Author of seven books on college football
• Graduate of the University of Georgia

There are only 15 days remaining before the opening round of the 88th Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, the first major championship of the men's professional golf season.

While defending champion Jon Rahm is playing in the LIV Golf League, world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler has emerged as a heavy betting favorite after back-to-back victories on the PGA Tour. The 2022 Masters champion also knows his way around Augusta National pretty well.

With the PGA Tour headed to Texas for the last two stops before the Masters, starting with this week's Texas Children's Houston Open, it's a good time for the latest edition of the PGA Tour power rankings.

Of course, there's no surprise at No. 1. But during a season in which rookies and other lesser-known first-timers have won tournaments, you might have to look further down the list for superstars.

1. Scottie Scheffler

The world No. 1 golfer is coming off back-to-back victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship. He has two top-10 finishes at Memorial Park Golf Course, including a tie for second in 2022. He could become the first player since Dustin Johnson in 2017 to win in three straight starts. Rory McIlroy was the last to do it in three consecutive starts in stroke-play events (DJ's streak included the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play).

2. Wyndham Clark

The reigning U.S. Open champion was runner-up to Scheffler in each of his past two starts, finishing 5 strokes back at the API and 1 back at the Players Championship -- after his birdie putt on the 72nd hole cruelly lipped out. He was ranked No. 189 in the Official World Golf Ranking when he played in the 2022 Texas Children's Houston Open. Now, he's one of the best players in the world, ranking third on tour in shots gained: total (1.869), eighth in tee to green (1.214) and 12th in putting (.656).

3. Xander Schauffele

Schauffele couldn't hold a final-round lead at the Players Championship, but there's no question he has played spectacular golf lately. He has already piled up six top-10 finishes in eight starts this season, including top-5s in three of his past four. One of the top golfers in the world without a major championship victory, the former Olympic gold-medal winner will be riding a lot of momentum heading into the Masters, where he'll try to finally bag a big one.

4. Hideki Matsuyama

The 2021 Masters champion picked up his ninth PGA Tour victory at the Genesis Invitational in February. He followed that with a tie for 12th at the API and a tie for sixth at the Players Championship. Despite battling a back injury again, Matsuyama has been great from tee to green and around the green, but he ranks 134th in strokes gained: putting (-.378).

5. Ludvig Åberg

After picking up his first PGA Tour victory in his last start in 2023 at the RSM Classic, the former Texas Tech star hasn't slowed down. He has three top-10s in seven starts, including a runner-up finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He hits it long and straight and doesn't make many mistakes. He'll make his first start in a major championship at the Masters.

6. Will Zalatoris

Zalatoris missed the cut in his most recent start at the Players Championship, but his form has returned after he underwent back surgery in April that sidelined him for the rest of 2023. He had a pair of top-5s against loaded fields in signature events -- a tie for fourth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and for second at the Genesis Invitational. His ballstriking is as good as ever; he ranks sixth in strokes gained: approach (.789).

7. Rory McIlroy

McIlroy seemed poised for a fast start after he tied for second at the Dubai Invitational and won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic for a record fourth time on Jan. 21. That success hasn't carried over to the PGA Tour, however, as he has just one top-20 finish in five starts so far -- a tie for 19th at the Players Championship. He ranks second in strokes gained: off the tee (.938) but 119th in approach (-.176).

8. Brian Harman

Harman's missed cut at last week's Valspar Championship might have been the result of a hangover from his narrow miss at the Players Championship. He finished 1 stroke behind Scheffler and had a good look for a tying birdie on the 72nd hole. The reigning Open Championship winner tied for 12th at the API.

9. Nick Taylor

The Canadian picked up his fourth PGA Tour victory -- and his second straight in a playoff -- by outlasting Charley Hoffman in two extra holes at the WM Phoenix Open on Feb. 11. Taylor ranks 127th in strokes gained: off the tee (-.158) but makes up for it with stellar iron play (15th in approach) and putting (20th).

10. Matthieu Pavon

On Jan. 27, the 31-year-old became the first golfer from France since 1907 to win on the PGA Tour when he defeated Nicolai Hojgaard by 1 stroke at the Farmers Insurance Open. He also tied for seventh at the Sony Open in Hawaii and was solo third at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

11. Sahith Theegala

Theegala seems close to winning something big. He has four top-10s in eight starts this season, including in each of his past two -- a tie for sixth at the API and for ninth at the Players Championship. He's fourth on tour in shots gained: total (1.446) and seventh in putting (.821).

12. Sam Burns

Burns is tied with Theegala for third-most top-10 finishes on tour this season with four. He tied for third in the WM Phoenix Open and for 10th at the Genesis. He ranks 24th in shots gained: total (.875) and 23rd in putting (.542).

13. Cameron Young

Young narrowly missed out on picking up his elusive first PGA Tour victory again last week, finishing 2 strokes behind Peter Malnati at the Valspar Championship. It was Young's seventh runner-up finish in 60 tour starts, the most of any player without a victory dating back to 1970, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Young is too talented not to end the drought at some point.

14. Patrick Cantlay

The eight-time PGA Tour winner's results have been hit or miss so far this season. He tied for 11th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and for fourth at the Genesis. Cantlay had four other finishes outside the top 35. His inconsistent play off the tee and iron play are to blame -- he ranks 143rd in strokes gained: approach (-.359) and 135th in driving accuracy (55.2% fairways hit).

15. Viktor Hovland

The reigning FedEx Cup champion, who looked ready to challenge Scheffler for world No. 1 at the end of last season, has limped through the first three months of 2024 with an average finish of 39.4 in five starts. He had just one top-20 -- a tie for 19th at the Genesis Invitational. Hovland has been frustrated with his swing and is working with a new coach, Grant Waite. His chipping woes have reemerged as well.

16. Jake Knapp

A nightclub bouncer just three years ago, Knapp became the third PGA Tour rookie to win this season when he captured the Mexico Open at Vidanta on Feb. 25. The former UCLA golfer has three top-5 finishes in 12 starts.

17. Chris Kirk

Kirk has cooled off a bit after capturing his sixth PGA Tour victory at the season-opening Sentry in Hawaii in January. It was his second win in 11 months after he came out on top at the Honda Classic in February 2023. He's 140th in strokes gained: putting (-.404) but has been more than solid off the tee and on approach.

18. Justin Thomas

JT's struggles seemed to be in the rearview mirror after he had four top-12 finishes in his first five starts this season. He took a couple of steps back with missed cuts at the Genesis Invitational and Players Championship and a tie for 64th at the Valspar Championship. Still, his form seems headed in the right direction again.

19. Shane Lowry

After a slow start to 2024, Lowry has rebounded with three consecutive top-20 finishes, including a tie for fourth at the Cognizant Classic and a solo third at the API. Lowry announced this week that he'll play with McIlroy in next month's Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event.

20. Matt Fitzpatrick

After a so-so start to the 2024 season, Fitzpatrick seems close to putting everything together after a solo-fifth finish at the Players Championship. He had missed cuts at the Sony Open, Genesis Invitational and API before he bounced back at TPC Sawgrass. He is driving the ball better off the tee after removing a 4-gram weight from the grip of the club. Fitzpatrick told PGATour.com that he forgot the weight was even there.

21. Max Homa

Homa came out of the gates well this season, tying for 14th at the Sentry and 13th at the Farmers Insurance Open. He also tied for eighth at the API. Homa has been wildly inconsistent off the tee, ranking 150th in driving accuracy (54.2%) and 115th in strokes gained: off the tee (-.117).

22. Byeong Hun An

The South Korean golfer lost to Grayson Murray in a playoff at the Sony Open in Hawaii and has played consistently well since. He has three top-10s and five top-25s with only one missed cut in eight starts. After losing his PGA Tour card in 2021, he has climbed back to No. 42 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

23. Jason Day

The former world No. 1 golfer played some of his best golf at the tour's biggest stops this season. He had three top-10s against elite fields at signature events, tying for 10th at the Sentry, for sixth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and had a solo ninth at the Genesis. He has finished 16th or better in two of his three starts at Memorial Park, where his elite short game is a weapon.

24. Tom Hoge

Hoge has been a model of consistency this season, making the cut in nine of 10 starts with a pair of top-10 finishes. He performed well on the West Coast swing with a tie for sixth at Pebble Beach and solo eighth at the Genesis. His iron play continues to be among the best on tour -- he ranks second in shots gained: approach (1.234) and proximity (34 feet, 7 inches).

25. Peter Malnati

Bucket hats off to the PGA Tour policy board director, who picked up his second career PGA Tour victory -- and his first in 3,058 days -- at the Valspar Championship. He earned a two-year exemption, his first invitation to the Masters and a spot in the remaining four signature events of the season. He jumped from 184th to 65th in the world after the win.

Just missed the top 25: Harris English , Tommy Fleetwood , Austin Eckroat , Jordan Spieth , Collin Morikawa , Christiaan Bezuidenhout , J.T. Poston , Erik van Rooyen , Eric Cole , Grayson Murray, Min Woo Lee

PGA TOUR University Class of 2024 ranking finalized, Michael Thorbjornsen earns PGA TOUR card

PGA TOUR University

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Thorbjornsen follows Texas Tech University’s Ludvig Åberg, who finished No. 1 in the 2023 PGA TOUR University Ranking , as the second player in history to earn PGA TOUR membership via a No. 1 finish in their respective PGA TOUR University classes.

Christo Lamprecht of Georgia Tech, the No. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking since last month, missed the final three rounds of stroke play due to a back injury , thus ending his chances of chasing down Thorbjornsen for the top spot in the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking. Lamprecht finished No. 2, earning Korn Ferry Tour membership for the remainder of the 2024 season, as well as an exemption to Final Stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

While the top six in the PGA TOUR University Ranking remained unchanged, Stanford University’s Karl Vilips and Baylor University’s John Keefer moved into the top 10 and top 25, respectively. Vilips finished T8 at this week’s NCAA Championship and jumped from No. 14 to No. 10, while Keefer rose from No. 29 to No. 25 with a T11 finish this week.

Day in the Life at Stanford | Michael Thorbjornsen | No. 1 in PGA TOUR University

PGA TOUR University First Team

By virtue of finishing No. 1, Thorbjornsen earned PGA TOUR membership for the remainder of the 2024 season and 2025 season.

Players who finished Nos. 2-5 in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking earned fully exempt Korn Ferry Tour membership for the remainder of the 2024 season, as well as an exemption to Final Stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, and the ability to accept unlimited PGA TOUR sponsor exemptions for the remainder of 2024 and 2025.

Michael Thorbjornsen, the top ranked PGA TOUR University player, smiles with his PGA TOUR membership card during the NCAA D1 Men’s Golf Championship on the North Course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa on May 27, 2024 in Carlsbad, California. (Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR)

Christo Lamprecht of Georgia Tech smiles with a trophy after finishing second in the PGA TOUR University rankings, securing him fully exempt Korn Ferry Tour membership for the remainder of the 2024 seasonduring the NCAA D1 Men’s Golf Championship on the North Course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa on May 27, 2024 in Carlsbad, California. (Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR)

Austin Greaser of the University of North Carolina smiles with a trophy after finishing third in the PGA TOUR University rankings, securing him fully exempt Korn Ferry Tour membership for the remainder of the 2024 season during the NCAA D1 Men’s Golf Championship on the North Course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa on May 27, 2024 in Carlsbad, California. (Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR)

Matthew Riedel of Vanderbilt University smiles with a trophy after finishing fourth in the PGA TOUR University rankings, securing him fully exempt Korn Ferry Tour membership for the remainder of the 2024 season during the NCAA D1 Men’s Golf Championship on the North Course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa on May 27, 2024 in Carlsbad, California. (Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR)

Nicholas Gabrelcik of University of North Florida smiles with a trophy after finishing fifth in the PGA TOUR University rankings, securing him fully exempt Korn Ferry Tour membership for the remainder of the 2024 season during the NCAA D1 Men’s Golf Championship on the North Course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa on May 27, 2024 in Carlsbad, California. (Photo by Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR)

• Played four seasons at Stanford (2021-24), earning three collegiate wins including the 2023 Pac-12 Championship and reaching as high as No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking
• Finished solo-fourth at the 2022 Travelers Championship as an amateur, marking the first top-five by an amateur on the PGA TOUR since 2017
• Won the 2021 Western Amateur with a 4-and-3 victory over Gordon Sargent in the championship match
• Made the cut at the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links at 17 years, 8 months, 29 days of age, becoming the second-youngest player to make the cut at a U.S. Open since World War II
• Won the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club, defeating Akshay Bhatia in the championship match
• Played four seasons at Georgia Tech (2021-24), earning two collegiate victories and the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year award
• Broke the Georgia Tech program record for career scoring average (70.05) and single-season scoring average (69.16 this season), breaking records previously held by Bryce Molder (70.69 career scoring average, 69.43 scoring average in 2000-01 season)
• Named the 2024 Byron Nelson Award winner, with the award annually recognizing the outstanding scholar-athlete of the year
• Won the 128th Amateur Championship in June 2023, which earned him exemptions for the 2023 Open Championship (T74 – low amateur) and 2024 Masters Tournament (missed cut)
• Played five seasons at University of North Carolina (2019-24), earning three collegiate victories and four All-Atlantic Coast Conference selections
• Won the 2022 Western Amateur, defeating Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira in the championship match
• Runner-up finisher at the 2021 U.S. Amateur Championship at Oakmont Country Club
• Finished third individually and helped the United States finish third as a team at the 2022 World Amateur Team Championship (Eisenhower Trophy)
• Played five seasons at Vanderbilt University (2019-24), earning All-Southeastern Conference First Team selections in 2023 and 2024
• Earned his lone collegiate victory at the 2022 SEC Match Play presented by Jerry Pate
• Runner-up finisher at the 2024 SEC Championship
• Also recorded top-three finishes at the 2024 Valspar Collegiate (T2) and 2024 Mason Rudolph Championship (T3)
• Played four seasons at University of North Florida (2020-24), earning eight collegiate victories
• Four-time Atlantic Sun Conference Golfer of the Year and the 2021 Division I National Freshman of the Year
• Won the 2023 Southern Amateur Championship at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee
• Semifinalist at the 2021 U.S. Amateur Championship at Oakmont Country Club
• Made the cut as a sponsor exemption at the 2023 Valspar Championship on the PGA TOUR

PGA TOUR University Second Team

Players who finished Nos. 6-10 in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking earned conditional Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2024, fully exempt PGA TOUR Americas membership for 2024, as well as an exemption to Second Stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

• Played five seasons at Vanderbilt University (2019-14), earning two collegiate wins, including the 2024 NCAA West Lafayette Regional
• Two-time All-Southeastern Conference First Team selection (2021, 2023)
• Posted a strong summer of 2023 on the amateur circuit, reaching the Round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur Championship and posting top 10s at the Sunnehanna Amateur (T4), Southern Amateur Championship (T7) and Trans-Mississippi Amateur (T8)
• Played four seasons at Vanderbilt University (2020-24), earning three collegiate wins including the 2023 Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational, where he defeated Christo Lamprecht in a playoff
• Named a 2022 All-America First Team selection and garnered All-Southeastern Conference First Team honors in 2022 and 2024
• Defeated Michael Thorbjornsen to reach the quarterfinals of the 2022 Western Amateur
• Played four seasons at Florida State University (2020-24), earning three collegiate victories including co-medalist honors at the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship
• Three-time All-ACC selection (2022, 2023, 2024) and the 2023 ACC men’s Golf Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year
• Reached the Round of 16 at the 2020 Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale
• Played five seasons at Texas Christian University (2019-24), earning collegiate victories at the 2022 Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational and was co-medalist at the 2024 Big 12 Conference Championship
• Semifinalist at the 2023 North and South Amateur, fell to future PGA TOUR winner Nick Dunlap in the semifinals
• Quarterfinalist at the 2023 Western Amateur
• Played four seasons at Stanford University (2021-24), earning his lone collegiate victory at the 2024 Pac-12 Conference Championship
• Runner-up finisher at the 2023 North and South Amateur Championship, falling to future PGA TOUR winner Nick Dunlap in the championship match
• Reached the quarterfinals of the 2019 U.S. Amateur Championship at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, was eliminated on his 18th birthday

PGA TOUR University Third Team

Players who finished Nos. 11-25 in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking earned fully exempt membership on PGA TOUR Americas for 2024, as well as an exemption for Second Stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

• 11. Mats Ege , East Tennessee State University
• 12. Michael Brennan , Wake Forest University
• 13. Ben Lorenz , University of Oklahoma
• 14. Sampson-Yunhe Zheng , University of California, Berkeley
• 15. Dylan Menante , University of North Carolina
• 16. Jonas Baumgartner , Oklahoma State University
• 17. Ryggs Johnston , Arizona State University
• 18. Canon Claycomb , University of Alabama
• 19. Herman Wibe Sekne , Purdue University
• 20. Maxwell Moldovan , Ohio State University
• 21. Petr Hruby , University of Washington
• 22. Bryce Lewis , University of Tennessee
• 23. Santiago De la Fuente del Valle , University of Houston
• 24. Ben Van Wyk , University of Georgia
• 25. John Keefer , Baylor University

Final 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking

Grayson Murray, 2-time PGA Tour winner, died by suicide, family says

Grayson Murray, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour , died by suicide Saturday morning, his family said in a statement released through the tour.

“We have spent the last 24 hours trying to come to terms with the fact that our son is gone,” his parents, Eric and Terry Murray, said in the statement released Sunday. “It’s surreal that we not only have to admit it to ourselves, but that we also have to acknowledge it to the world. It’s a nightmare.”

A statement below from Grayson's parents, Eric and Terry Murray. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the United States at 988 or visit their website at https://t.co/j0traBx8ia . pic.twitter.com/wPsaYMrWrH — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 26, 2024

On Friday, Murray withdrew from the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, citing an illness. He had finished all but the final two holes in the round.

“Life wasn’t always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now,” the Murray family said. “Please respect our privacy as we work through this incredible tragedy, and please honor Grayson by being kind to one another. If that becomes his legacy, we could ask for nothing else.”

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PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said that he gave Murray’s family the option of asking for the remainder of the tournament to be canceled, but they insisted Murray would want it to continue. Instead, Monahan flew to Fort Worth and several players spoke emotionally about Murray’s death.

“We all want to beat each other. And then something like this happens and you realize we’re all just humans,” Peter Malnati said, fighting back tears, on the CBS broadcast. “It’s a really hard day.

“You look at Grayson and you see him. Someone who has visibly outwardly struggled in the past. And he’s been open about it. You see him kind of get his life back to a place where he’s feeling good about things. It’s just so sad.”

Murray had publicly battled alcoholism and mental health issues, but he returned to form, earned his PGA Tour card and won the Sony Open in Hawaii in January . He made the cut at both the Masters and the PGA Championship the last two months. He was ranked as the No. 58 player in the world by the Official World Golf Ranking.

“I think I first met Grayson at my home club when Grayson was probably 8 years old, maybe 9. He was the first winner of the Webb Simpson Challenge Junior Tournament that I’ve had for 14 years,” Webb Simpson said. “So, when you hear news like that over the phone you don’t think it’s real at first, and you know, you hear the emotion coming from our swing coach and then you realize it’s real. But I know that his mom was with him during the Wells Fargo Championship and I think they were hanging out together, and I loved those two days we got together. So I’m super thankful for getting some good time with him before the bad news of today.”

Monahan said it was something he had spoken directly to Murray about his mental health issues over the past three years. “He had very strong opinions, you know, and he challenged us, and I found that to be very helpful because you can learn a lot when people speak their truth in the way that he did,” Monahan said.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.

(Top photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

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