25. Billy Horschel
As of Oct. 18, 2021, Horschel was 20th in the World Golf Ranking. He won the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in 2021. Later in the season, Horschel went on to win the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship and tied for ninth in 2021 FedEx Cup standings. In terms of major play this year, Horschel’s best finish came with a tied for 23rd at the PGA Championship. He has long been a golfer with plenty of potential, and we might be seeing the 34-year-old Horschel taking the next step in his career progression.
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24. Tyrrell Hatton
Casual golf fans in the United States still might not know a lot about the Englishman – even though he’s spent quality time playing in America over the years. He resides within the top 20 of the World Golf Ranking, and tied for 18th at the 2021 Masters. Hatton’s lone 2021 victory, to date, came in January at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. He was also part of a second straight European Ryder Cup team in 2021.
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23. Max Homa
The 2021 calendar year was been a good one for Homa. In February, he won the Genesis Invitational. Then, in September, was victorious at the Fortinet Championship. Before the year is up, Homa will be just 31 years old and, perhaps, rounding into form as one of the PGA Tour’s up-and-coming talents. Now, Homa needs to get his act together on the major front. He’s made just two cuts in nine major-tournament starts.
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22. Marc Leishman
Leishman has been one of the world’s best golfers for some time. He’s had six wins on the PGA Tour, most recently while teaming with fellow Australian Cameron Smith to claim the Zurich Classic title earlier in 2021. Leishman also played well at the 2021 Masters, tying for fifth place. He’s still searching for that first major, and there’s reason to believe – based on his rather consistently solid play of late – that his time will come sooner than later.
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21. Kevin Na
A five-time winner on the PGA Tour, Na finished third in the FedEx Cup standings for 2021. Much of that had to do with his January victory at the Sony Open. He also tied for 12th at the Masters – which happened to be the only major tournament in 2021 where Na made the cut. The 38-year-old Na is still trying for his first major victory, but he’s done enough to remain consistently productive on the PGA Tour.
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20. Patrick Reed
Reed might still be sore about being left off the United States Ryder Cup team. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact he’s among the elite golfers in the world. Sure, Reed can rub fans and his fellow PGA Tour-mates the wrong way, but he’s won nine times on Tour and donned the green jacket in 2018 as Masters champion. Reed also won more than $4 million during the 2021 season. It’s only a matter of time until he begins to regain momentum.
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19. Sungjae Im
Im is coming off his second career PGA Tour victory with the Shriners Children’s Open title from early October. Ranked 21st in the world (as of Oct. 18, 2021), the South Korean has been on the radar of the world golf scene for the past few seasons. He was the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2019. Then in 2020, Im took another step in his progression with a tie for second at the Masters. It would not be a surprise to see Im capture a major championship in the next year or so.
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18. Hideki Matsuyama
Another golfer who has enjoyed a magnificent year. Matsuyama finally earned his first major win during his memorable run at the 2021 Masters. That was Matsuyama’s sixth, and most recent, PGA Tour victory. He’s been nothing but solid during his career. Especially when it comes to the big-time events. In addition to his Masters win, Matsuyama has placed inside the top 10 another seven times during major competition.
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17. Daniel Berger
It’s probably safe to say that 2021 was a breakout season for Berger. He won at Pebble Beach in February, then posted top-10 finishes at the U.S. Open and the Open Championship. If that wasn’t enough, Berger was part of the victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team. That solid play made Berger more than $4.2 million in earnings on the season. As of Oct. 18, 2021, Berger sat No. 16 in the World Golf Ranking.
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16. Sam Burns
Talk about an up-and-coming talent. Burns just might be the next big thing on the PGA Tour thanks to a stellar 2021 calendar year. In May, Burns claimed his first Tour title at the Valspar Championship. Then in early October, he won the Sanderson Farms Championship. The 25-year-old Burns sat second on the PGA Tour Money List after his first three tournaments of the 2021-22 run. Once the ’22 season gets in full gear, keep an eye on Burns as he looks to stay hot.
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15. Abraham Ancer
Ranked among the top 15 golfers in the world, Ancer recorded his first PGA Tour victory back in August, at the St. Jude Invitational. The talented Mexican-American has been talked about as a breakout star for a little while now. However, Ancer may have finally found his stride with some impressive performances this year. Ancer finished 10th on the PGA Tour Money List for the 2021 season with more than $5.8 million in earnings. Pundits knew he had the capability to be one of the top golfers in the world and it’s all starting to come together.
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14. Louis Oosthuizen
The veteran South African has been among the world’s best golfers for years. As of Oct. 18, Oosthuizen ranked ninth in the world. Though he did not win a tournament during the official 2021 season, Oosthuizen really played well – especially when it came to major competition. After tying for 26th at the Masters, Oosthuizen truly took things up a notch. He tied for second at the PGA Championship, and followed that up with another second-place finish after challenging for the lead in the U.S. Open. He then tied for third at the Open Championship.
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13. Jordan Spieth
It’s safe to say that Spieth is back. At the moment, he’s undoubtedly one of the game’s best. Spieth won his first PGA Tour event since 2017, at April’s Texas Open. Spieth also tied for third at the Masters and was second at the Open Championship. Spieth crowned his resurgent 2021 comeback season by helping the Americans win the Ryder Cup on their home soil in Wisconsin. Will Spieth be able to complete his Grand Slam in 2021?
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12. Tony Finau
Finau is vying for the title of current “Best Golfer Yet to Win a Major.” He’s getting closer, but has failed to breakthrough thus far. After tying for 10th at the 2021 Masters and eighth at the PGA Championship. Finau has 10 finishes top-10 finishes at majors during his career. Finau, who currently sits just outside the top 10 of the World Golf Ranking, did post his first victory since 2016 with his run at The Northern Trust in August. He was also part of the U.S. Ryder Cup triumph.
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11. Brooks Koepka
While it might be fun to dwell on Koepka’s reported issues with fellow PGA Tour member Bryson DeChambeau or his inconsistencies on the course, Koepka is still a top-10 golfer on the world’s stage. He won the popular Phoenix Open in February, then turned up his game during major play after missing the cut at the 2021 Masters. Koepka tied for second at the PGA Championship, fourth at the U.S. Open and sixth at the Open Championship. He even celebrated with DeChambeau after the Ryder Cup victory.
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10. Viktor Hovland
The consensus among golf pundits is that Hovland should be golf’s next big name. The 24-year-old Norwegian is projected to enjoy sustained success within the sport. After recording two wins in 2020, Hovland won the European Tour’s BMW International Open. He might not have fared as well as hoped during major competition in 2021. Though, a T12 at the Open Championship was a solid outcome. Hovland did earn some valuable experience with his Ryder Cup debut for Team Europe in 2021.
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9. Harris English
English certainly made a name for himself in 2021. In January, he won the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Then, over the summer, took home some hardware after winning the Travelers Championship. English, ranked 14th in the world as of Oct. 18, posted a career-best third-place major finish at the 2021 U.S. Open. Also a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2021, English is expected to build on all of his current success. In 2022 we could see English take the next step in his career.
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8. Xander Schauffele
It’s hard to believe that Schauffele hasn’t won a PGA Tour event since January 2019. However, that’s the case. Still, Schauffele won more than $5.2 million during the official 2021 season and posted a tie for third at the Masters and a T7 at the U.S. Open. Yet another member of the U.S. Ryder Cup squad, Schauffele is still looking for that first major victory. But, perhaps we’re not seeing that pressure to finally win one heaped as much on Schauffele’s shoulders than some other golfers.
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7. Dustin Johnson
DJ is currently ranked as the No. 2 golfer in the world. Oddsmakers continuously rank Johnson among the favorites at every major tournament. Yet, the overrated tag has been associated with Johnson in recent years. Yes, he silenced some critics by winning the 2020 Masters. But, he also missed the cut at the event in 2021 and failed to make the weekend at the PGA Championship this year. He remains a threat to win any tournament he plays, but Johnson’s results haven’t exactly lined up with his (deserved) reputation recently.
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6. Rory McIlroy
At, 32-years-old, it just seems like Rory has dominated the game of golf forever. The four-time major champ just claimed PGA Tour victory No. 20 at October’s CJ Cup. He also won the Wells Fargo Championship in May 2021 and is currently ranked within the world’s top 10. McIlroy hasn’t won a major since 2014, and is still a Masters’ victory shy of his grand slam. However, when it comes to consistent contenders and guys we don’t want to bet against, Rory is still among the elite.
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5. Justin Thomas
Thomas won The PLAYERS Championship in March 2021, but that proved to be the individual highlight of his season. His best ’21 major finish was a tie for 19th at the U.S. Open. However, he played well enough overall to finish fifth on the PGA Tour Money List with more than $6.5 million in earnings. The Ryder Cup was also a special moment for Thomas, who remains a consistent contender at just about every tournament he enters. Maybe, we just expect too much for a golfer of his talent.
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4. Bryson DeChambeau
Regardless how one feels about DeChambeau, the talent and drive he possesses is still worthy of respect. Currently the sixth-ranked golfer in the world, DeChambeau won the 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational and finished third on the season’s PGA Tour Money List ($7.4 million). We can grouse about his lackluster play at the 2021 majors (season-best T26 at the U.S. Open) or his continued issues with Brooks Koepka. But, DeChambeau is more than just a big hitter with a strong mind. He might be the most complete player in the game of golf – at the moment.
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3. Patrick Cantlay
Golf fans have been hearing for years how Cantlay should be considered among the game’s current elite. In 2021, he finally proved those claims right. Cantlay won three times in ’21, starting with the Memorial Tournament in June, then dominating the FexEx Cup playoffs with victories at the BMW Championship and Tour Championship. By winning the FedEx Cup and earning PGA Tour Player of the Year honors, Cantlay seemed to finally back up the hype. He was also part of the victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team. Now, it’s matter of claiming that first major championship.
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2. Collin Morikawa
Morikawa won’t turn 25 until February 2022, but he’s already established himself as a bonafide star. He won twice in 2021, including his second career major with that triumph at the Open Championship. Not to mention, he also tied for eighth at the PGA Championship and fourth at the U.S. Open. Morikawa, another Ryder Cup victor, is filled with confidence. He’s expected to contend at every event he enters, and plays with a swagger not seen since, dare we say, Tiger Woods.
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1. Jon Rahm
The No. 1 player in the world. Some were surprised that the Spaniard was not named PGA Tour Player of the Year for 2021, considering he topped the Money List with more than $7.7 million in earnings. Or the fact he finally won a major – the 2021 U.S. Open. Additionally, Rahm tied for fifth at the Masters, eighth at the PGA Championship and third at the Open Championship this season. Not to mention 26-year-old overcoming his ordeals with COVID-19 this past season and becoming a father. All said, and until proven otherwise, Rahm still sits atop the professional golf world.
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