The PGA has been gaining traction and is heating up more than ever. A sport that was once dominated by few is now becoming more competitive and entertaining. Below are the 15 PGA Tour players that we think will be the most successful and entertaining.
Cameron Champ
Current World Ranking: 81
Cameron Champ might be one of the most exciting young players to enter the game, after putting on several shows at the end of the 2018 season. He has the most distance from anyone on tour. Not to mention that he might have the coolest name in the game. To put the Champ’s potential into perspective, he managed to hit a ball out of bounds and STILL manage to make par at Kapalua.
Hideki Matsuyama
Current World Ranking: 28
We believe 2019 will be a big year for Hideki. He had a great start to 2018 and kind of started to drop off, but he’s made some promising steps towards a stronger 2019. We’ve seen some more consistent drives and better approach shots, which will be sure to up his changes for future competitions.
Jordan Spieth
Current World Ranking: 17
After what many would call a disappointing 2018, Jordan Spieth is coming into 2019 hot. To be fair, Spieth is playing at very high standards after winning 3 majors and a Fedex Cup in 3 years. Having a bit of a dry spell after such success can lead people to ask questions, but it happens. Many believe the mental portion of his game was affected after the 2016 Masters loss, though that was a time away now. This is his time to rise.
Tony Finau
Current World Ranking: 10
Arguably the most consistent player on tour last year, Tony Finau amazed fans with 19 top 10 finishes in the last two seasons. He’s still looking for his second PGA Tour victory, but we have as much confidence in Finau as anyone for being a major contender in the 2019 season. His golf mechanics are next to none as result.
Tommy Fleetwood
Current World Ranking: 13
We saw a tremendous rookie year from the English sensation in 2018 and we expect even more! Tommy made the European Ryder Cup Team in just his first season and wowed spectators with his fairway drives and consistent short game.
Henrik Stenson
Current World Ranking: 27
We were surprised to see that Henrik Stenson entered 2019 as ranked only 27th in the world. Despite a slight decline in performance, Stenson finished the 2018 season on a high note, finishing back-to-back top 5s and having a prominent role in winning the Ryder Cup for Team Europe. There’s no doubt that Stenson is one of the best players in the world and should never be counted out.
Bryson DeChambeau
Current World Ranking: 5
What can we say about Bryson DeChambeau’s breakout 2018 season? Bryson has made headlines that transcend his scorecard – he’s an active thought-leader of the game who introduces ideas that are inspired by physics, bringing science to the game. Using his sharp calculations with his precision swing has yielded him some excellent results. He finished the season with 4 victories and a second place finish for the FedEx Cup! He’s had a lot to say about the new rules implemented this year, so it will be fun to see how he and the rest of the tour adapts.
Thorbjorn Olesen
Current World Ranking: 43
Are you noticing a trend? Young players are making a greater impact than ever before. Olesen made a splash on the European Tour and might make a transition to the USA. While he’s had plenty of success with Links Golf, he’s proven himself elsewhere. We think Olesen will make a run for a top 25 world ranking spot in 2019.
Dustin Johnson
Current World Ranking: 3
We couldn’t make a list of people to watch for without Dustin Johnson! He’s arguably the best player in the world and will be looking to retake the world number one ranking this season. In 2018, DJ has a Tour-leading 12 top-10 finishes in only 20 starts. The most success was found earlier in the season, where he dominated the field with 3 top 4 finishes in the first month of the season, including an opening win at the Tournament of Champions;. With some of the issues in his personal life seeming to be behind him, look for DJ to make a charge as top dog again.
Xander Schauffele
Current World Ranking: 6
Xander Schauffele is one of the most promising young golfers on the planet. He’s already had 12 top 5 finishes in the past 3 seasons, including 4 tour victories. He won the Sentry Tournament of Champions to start the 2019 season and isn’t showing any signs of looking back.
Billy Horschel
Current World Ranking: 36
Nothing defines Billy Horschel more than an overall solid player. He has an arsenal of tools that allow him to stay competitive. He missed a string of cuts in 2018, but has shown promise in the past 6 months. We see Horschel as a dark horse of the PGA Tour.
Brooks Koepka
Current World Ranking: 2
The man that one back-to-back US Opens is bound to have a big 2019. Big Brooks has shown immense poise on the big stage and has resulted in a world number 1 ranking (now 2), but we have no reason to doubt he won’t one day return.
Justin Rose
Current World Ranking: 1
The current world number 1 is one of the most complete players in the world. After his tremendous efforts in The Open Championship really propelled the end of this season. He was a major component of Team Europe’s impressive Ryder Cup win and will be a force for years to come.
Justin Thomas
Current World Ranking: 4
There’s a reason why Justin Thomas has been a top 6 ranked player since the 2017 Bridgestone Invitational. He’s consistent and lacks a clear weakness. Look for Thomas to win at least 2-3 tournaments in 2019!
Tiger Woods
Current World Ranking: 14
The man is back! Tiger Woods’ 2018 season was his best since 2013 and his health has shown to be consistent since getting his spinal fusion surgery. Woods will most likely win a major this year (we’re guessing he’ll come up big in Augusta) and we map these projections from his performance in the Open Championship and PGA Championship. In addition to surgery, his performance is likely attributed to his healthy lifestyle.
