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PGA Power Rankings
By Kurt Boyer
Updated: March 12, 2024
PGA Power Rankings: Top 10 PGA Players Headed Into Sawgrass
Tie #1 - Brooks Koepka
PGA Tour officials' surprise choice to merge with LIV Golf has taken a lot of steam out of golf's main controversy in 2023. Players can now choose to go back and forth between brands of tours without too much trouble, following PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan's shocking stand-down and LIV-PGA merger announcement last year. Brooks Koepka, our mainstay at #1 on FanDuel's PGA Power Rankings, is among the LIV golfers who can gain the most from PGA officials' surprise welcome back to the tour. Kopeka, like many players who joined LIV Golf, tumbled downward in the World Golf Rankings in spite of continuing to flourish in major championships and weekly events. Koepka goes into golf's next major tournament season ranked at a meek 29th in the world less than 10 months after winning the PGA Championship. But the 5-time major winner is still planning to focus on his LIV Golf schedule this year, and boasts (+1700) betting odds to repeat as the PGA champion.
It remains that our golf blog is in a tough spot ranking "PGA Tour" pros who are technically part of the tour again, but who are mostly found taking part in LIV Golf tournaments. Unlike the oft-cosmetic World Golf Rankings, however, a gaming blog cannot afford to give our readership anything except the most accurate rankings we can try to provide. As such, protocol demands that if the PGA Tour and LIV Golf claim to have merged, then all competitors can be combined in a single set of power rankings again, leaving the indomitable Koepka as the sensible speculator's #1 threat to win any big title.
Tie #1 - Scottie Scheffler
It's time for the FanDuel golf blog to listen to our users. Scottie Scheffler was selling picks at immensely steep prices of 6-to-1 to win the 2024 Bay Hill Invitational, and we were quick to warn beginning golf bettors away from making those picks on a gambling favorite against a smallish, but star-studded field. As of a week later, you can call us liars.
Scheffler pulled away from the Bay Hill field with a sparkling 6-under-par performance on Sunday, lifting Arnold Palmer's championship trophy after prevailing by 5 strokes. What's even more impressive is that Scheffler did so against a leaderboard of the toughest names around, including the recent major champions Wyndham Clark and Shane Lowry, and upstart Will Zalatoris. Scheffler is now a massive (+550) favorite to win at Sawgrass.
#3 - Jon Rahm
Spanish ace Jon Rahm is almost always "trending" on Sunday of a tournament. But our #3 ranked player was trending on social media for another reason in late 2023, eschewing regular questions before changing the subject abruptly in a post-final round press conference, to complain about golf bettors trying to distract him on the links.
Rahm has every right to gripe about live spectators trying vainly, and crudely to affect million-dollar sweepstakes with "Miss it, Noonan!" shenanigans. Rahm is wrong, though, to think legal sports betting is the scourge when it comes to motivating golf fans to act up. So many live golf spectators have wagered on so many matches, tournaments, and exhibitions over the last 100 years that the lack of Rahm's fan-incident awareness is a testament to how well-behaved golf's gamblers have been throughout the ages. Many of a tournament's golfers themselves are known to gamble during the event, on their scores in practice rounds, or occasionally on the leaderboard after missing a cut. In reality, it's the rivalries and hated opponents of golf that prompt live-action fans to try to impact the round. When Arnold Palmer was the most popular man in American sports in the 1960s, his live cheering section often taunted Jack Nicklaus with signs in the rough, "Hit It Here, Jack."
Rahm was discovered to be negotiating a full-time move to LIV Golf prior to last year's shocking deal. If so, Jay Monahan's sudden reversal helps to show how much the PGA Tour still values Rahm's profit value following his come-from-behind Masters Tournament win. Rahm bombed out early in the 2023 PGA Championship, snapped at a camera crew while hacking around Oak Hill, and even smashed his putter into a sponsor's sign at the United States Open in June. But the Spaniard's terrific eagle that buoyed an even-par finish at breezy Muirfield Village showed that Rahm still has an unlikely flair for the dramatic.
To the PGA Tour's dismay, Rahm has chosen to tack toward LIV Golf and DP World Tour events for the time being, ruling himself out of events like this week's PGA Tour showdown at Sawgrass until the tours can collaborate on how to include top players in every major (if not "major" as in "major championship") golf event broadcast from a legendary links.
#4 - Rory McIlroy
Rory roared over the winter, too, in spite of a thin schedule that could prohibit a rise to the World Golf Rankings #1 spot even if McIlroy outplays Scheffler in March. With irony, it was none other than the Middle East business ethics critic Rory McIlroy who reigned over Dubai this January, lifting hardware at the Dubai Desert Classic after losing to Fleetwood by a stroke at the also-merged DP World Tour's previous Dubai Invitational. Rory's major championship losing streak has now reached decade-long status, and his cautious 7-iron shot for a pointless par to finish the 2023 U.S. Open, another title that McIlroy lost by a solitary stroke, might serve to haunt a less confident player for a long time. But in the overall picture, Rory was thundering throughout major-championship season after just missing the cut line at Augusta, and boasts short odds to win the 2024 U.S. Masters.
McIlroy shot +4 over par on the final day of Arnie's tournament, finishing well out of the top 10, and goes into The Players Championship as a 12-to-1 underdog below Scheffler.
#5 - Viktor Hovland
Last season's WGR amounted to a sham until professional golf began sewing itself back together, but Viktor Hovland has climbed from #10 to #4 in those rankings since the start of 2023, making him a natural fit for our top 5 with so many iconic players laboring.
#6 - Patrick Cantlay
Patrick Cantlay has hired ex-Tiger Woods caddy Joe LeCava after getting pegged for slow play in PGA events. It's not necessarily an unwise move for Cantlay to hire a caddy who's experienced in helping a more meticulous player get around the course in time, though Cantlay could always utilize the old trick of walking faster and then taking more time addressing the ball. Cantlay had 2 bright performances in last year's majors, but has relinquished all leads since winning the BMW Championship in August of 2022.
#7 - Xander Schauffele
Matt Fitzpatrick surged back up the World Golf Rankings after winning the 2023 RBC Heritage in a playoff over defending champ Jordan Spieth. But behind Fitzpatrick by only a couple of strokes was Xander Schauffele, whose top-10 finish at the Masters Tournament also helps to solidify an up-and-comer's place on the game's international totem pole.
Schauffele struggled to make birdies at the 2023 PGA Championship and never played his way into serious contention, but another top-20 finish won't hurt his gaming prices. His catastrophic sand-bunker effort in the 2023 U.S. Open might have hurt his odds worse.
Schauffele is still drawing solid Players Championship odds of (+2200) this week.
#8 - Cameron Smith
Cameron Smith remains a "Palmer-like" force of birdie charges and low numbers on the weekend, but Australia's alternative-tour rebel has fallen several slots in our PGA contenders' rankings, due to failing to contend for any of the 4 majors in 2023.
#9 - Wyndham Clark
The reigning U.S. Open champion's propensity for shooting low scores is bound to please Daily Fantasy Golf gamers at FanDuel, and yet sportsbook bettors shouldn't overlook the fact that Clark would have coasted to his third 72-hole PGA Tour win at Pebble Beach if storms hadn't canceled the last round of this year's AT&T. Wyndham Clark remains longer than a 50-to-1 underdog to win the 2024 Masters Tournament, surely an enticing pick.
#10 - Max Homa
Max Homa hasn't had a banner silly season, at least not since winning the unheralded Nedbank Golf Challenge by 4 strokes in November. However, his top 10 standing among players who stayed with the PGA Tour all of last season is a handy reminder not to undervalue the Californian's 44-to-1 odds to win the 2024 Masters Tournament
PGA Power Rankings: Season Recaps and Changes in Pro Golf
The Calm Before COVID: Looking Back at the 2019 Golf Season
2019 had no global pandemic to keep golfers from winning titles. But a trio of players – Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, and Rory McIlroy – proved to be almost as effective in thwarting the field’s hopes for victory.
Spring started out with what may have been Tiger’s greatest win. At 43 years old and following half a dozen major surgeries, the legendary power of Woods’ game has been reduced to average PGA Tour shot distances while Augusta's length, ironically, remained stouter due to Woods' own long-drive heroics in early spring. In 2019, Tiger played well for 3 straight days at the Masters Tournament. But when Woods remained 2 shots behind leader Francisco Molinari to begin the 4th round, golf journalists were quick to point-out that Tiger had never come back from a 54-hole deficit to win a major tournament.
Woods was 3 shots behind going into the back-9 on Sunday. That’s when Molinari made his fatal error, shooting at the pin on the watery 12th hole and winding up in the water. The leaders Molinari, Koepka, Tony Finau, and Ian Poulter took a combined 20 strokes on the 12th as wind swirled around Rae’s Creek. Sensing the chance to take over, Tiger attacked the course with 3 birdies in 4 holes, hitting a classic tee to green shot on the 16th.
Tiger Woods 2019 #TheMasters 16th Hole Tee Shot vs. Jack Nicklaus 1986 #TheMasters 16th Hole Tee Shot. Different approach chosen by both 40+ year old legendary golfers, but both shots magically ended up at the identical place (2 feet from the hole)!! A thing of beauty!! ⛳️🐅🏆 pic.twitter.com/jKDM3lhVhP
— Brad ⚾️ (@Brad518L) April 15, 2019
Tiger went on to capture his 5th green jacket and 15th major title.
Next, it was Koepka’s turn in the limelight. The 30 year-old won his 2nd-straight PGA Championship with an -8 performance over 4 rounds at Bethpage Black in May and finished 2nd in the United State Open at Pebble Beach. He finished second only to Gary Woodland in strokes gained at Pebble Beach. His 4th-place finish at the Open Championship gave Koepka a stunning record of 4 victories and 9 Top-10 finishes in a span of 13 major tournaments dating back to the 2016 PGA Championship.
Brooks enjoyed a #1 World Ranking for much of 2019, but it was Rory who took over late in the season. Despite cold performances in the majors, McIlroy won the Players’ Championship, Canadian Open, and the Tour Championship, earning his 2nd FedEx Cup at the World Golf Championships-Fedex St. Jude Invitational (but where Koepka still led the pack in strokes gained) and his 3rd Player of the Year award.
But it wasn’t all superstars coming in the top 10s. Shane Lowry, a 50-to-1 betting underdog, won the British Open at Royal Portrush by a whopping 6 strokes. However, there’s no question that the PGA Tour rankings and corresponding major tournaments are once again dominated by a small group of top players, much like the 1970s, when Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Lee Trevino took turns in the limelight.
Who knew back in 2019 that the top names would sit-out a season, before splitting-up into separate golf tours a couple of years later?
PGA Tour Golf in the 2020s: COVID-19 and a Contentious New Rival
Woods, Koepka, and McIlroy may have each been on a first-name basis with PGA Tour fans of the 2010s, but the sports world would soon become all-too-familiar with the specter of COVID-19. The global pandemic knocked-out basketball, soccer, hockey, and other professional leagues around the world starting with the first outbreak in March 2020, and forced the postponement or cancellation of each of golf's major championships.
It was natural that golf would be among the first sports to begin again during the outbreak's long aftermath. Golfers play alone, surrounded by lots of space, and in a free-air outdoor environment. Dustin Johnson won a memorable fall edition of the Masters Tournament in 2020 prior to the majors (and the PGA Tour) resuming in 2021.
The resumption of year-round PGA Tour events, and the stubbornly held 2020 Tokyo Olympics in which Xander Schauffele won a gold medal in Men's Golf, helped give rise to another set of long-hitting youngsters who could challenge the established names at major tournaments. Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns, Joaquin Niemann, and Schauffele are just 4 of the upstarts who've taken turns in the headlines since the turn of the decade. Cameron Smith, an exciting young player from Australia, won the 2022 British Open with a memorable shot around the Valley of Sin on the 72nd hole at St. Andrews.
But the golf landscape was soon shocked by nearly unthinkable news. Greg Norman, the former PGA Tour star known more for winning in boardrooms than on major-championship layouts, produced the LIV Golf tour concept in 2022. Funded by big-oil bucks from Saudi Arabia and hosted on luxurious North American courses, the new tour began to draw huge names such as Johnson, Koepka, Phil Mickelson, and Smith, still the most-recent major winner. The PGA Tour has played hardball in response, essentially banning LIV Golf's participants from competing in PGA tournaments and related sponsor-events.
American sports media has largely taken the PGA Tour's side, and top-name golfers loyal to the old brand like McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and others can be found sniping at LIV Golf in headlines throughout 2023. Players from the rival tours who're forced into playing rounds together have been found shooting dirty-looks across the green, making rude remarks at press conferences, and even stepping on each other's lines when putting.
The PGA Tour's premise in attacking LIV Golf as a "threat" is that the game of golf itself is defined by its top professional tour and its traditions. FanDuel's blog would counter that golf is defined by the USGA and the Royal & Ancient Club, organizations that put on 2 of the 4 golf majors each year. The Masters Tournament and PGA Championship are also not directly sanctioned by the PGA Tour, putting the dilemma of what to do with LIV Golf players in the hands of 4 event committees.
So far, none of the major tournaments' officials have blinked at including Norman's athletes in the U.S. Open, British Open, Masters Tournament, or PGA Championship. As a result, the LIV vs PGA Tour vinegar between commissioners, fans, players, and volunteers from each tour is likely to abide a bitter rivalry atmosphere at each of the majors this decade
PGA Tour and PGA Championship Betting Odds at FanDuel Sportsbook
Speculators can choose from a wide variety of PGA betting markets at FanDuel. Here’s just a sample of the bets available prior to most Tour events and all major championships.
Futures bets are made against “moneyline” style odds-to-win a given tournament or points chase, with every market calculated to reflect $100 or $1.00 wagers. Showing (+500) odds means that payoff is 5-to-1 on a winning bet, while a bet made at (-500) means that $5.00 or $500 must be risked to gain a potential reward of $1.00 or $100, respectively.
Golf gamblers who would like a bet to play-out more quickly can indulge in 3-balls bets, or wagering on which of 3 players in a group tee-time will finish with the best score through 18 or 36 holes. Top 20 players like Dustin Johnson are often (-150) or shorter bets to prevail among a group’s 3 scorecards, while streaky veterans like Sergio Garcia make popular underdog lines at (+300) or (+500).
Head-to-head match-up bets are even simpler, asking which of 2 golfers will finish with a lower score in the rounds-to-complete. How does a “72-hole” head-to-head bet play-out if 1 or both golfers miss the cut? If only 1 player completes 72 holes, that player’s market wins the bet even if their 72-hole score is higher relative to par than the 36-hole score of the missed-cut player. If both players miss the cut, the lower 36-hole score prevails.
Drafting a PGA Tour DFS Team at FanDuel
Finally, avid Fantasy GMs can indulge in DFS, or Daily Fantasy Sports golf games at FanDuel. The site’s PGA Tour gaming rules include a “salary cap” draft system similar to Fantasy football or soccer. GMs compete with teams of 6 players each.
Surf to our DFS tutorial for a closer look at Fantasy golf competition or check out a quick fantasy golf tutorial on how to select your fantasy golf picks!
PGA Tour Power Rankings FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How Do PGA Power Rankings Differ From World Golf Rankings?
Our golf Power Rankings attempt to be a little more timely than the World Golf Rankings. For instance, a PGA Tour pro who is firmly ranked #1 in the World Golf Rankings can falter for an entire season, miss several cuts, and still hold onto the #1 ranking, at least for a while. Power Rankings are more-realistic judgements of where golfers currently stand on the PGA totem pole. In addition, we try to give readers a sense of which players could be most valuable as wagers-to-win or Daily Fantasy draft choices.
Do You Offer Daily Fantasy Golf During Major Championships?
Of course we do! FanDuel expects more golf traffic on major championship weekends than any other. Fantasy scoring does not change during major tournaments, and the calendar works in a similar fashion with opening rounds on Thursday and Friday, a 36-hole cut, and a champion crowned after 72 holes or in a playoff if need be.
Be cautious, however, and don't expect to apply your regular PGA Tour DFS strategy and have success. Fantasy Golf strategy changes when birdies are scarce and eagles unlikely during arduous major tournaments.
Are Major Tournaments Part of the PGA Tour Schedule?
No, and the PGA Tour does not directly sanction any of the game's Grand Slam tournaments. Golf's annual majors are hosted by the Masters Tournament committee at Augusta National Golf Club, the Royal & Ancient Club (British Open), the Professional Golfers of America, also known as the "PGA" in "PGA Championship," and the United States Golf Association (United States Open).
Where Do I Find PGA Tour Odds at FanDuel Sportsbook?
Those looking to place a wager can find odds on golf's major championships by clicking "Golf" on the left-hand menu, then toggling the top menu-boxes between "PGA Tour," "The Majors," "Tournament Match-Ups," and other categories of gambling markets.
What is the Biggest Event on the PGA Tour?
There are contrasting views as to the PGA Tour's host "Major," or which of the PGA Tour's marquee events stands as the organization's most prestigious championship. There are good arguments for the Tour Championship and Players' Championship, but it may be simply a matter of time before Jack Nicklaus' and Arnold Palmer's signature events, The Memorial and the Bay Hill Invitational respectively, come to greater prominence.