Power Ranking the Top 20 Golfers After the 2013 British Open

The 2013 Open Championship shook things up tremendously in our power rankings. The British Open was brimming with unpredictability, fascinating failures and late drama.

From Rory McIlroy's wreck and Phil Mickelson's rally to Sunday letdowns for Lee Westwood and Tiger Woods, the tournament left us with plenty to talk about. With the results fresh in our mind, here's how we rank golf's top 20 players. 

20. Jason Dufner

OWGR: 23

Previous Rank: 22

Final British Open Analysis: Jason Dufner jumped up the standings with a 4-under 67 on Sunday. The late charge landed him among the top 30 finishers. Despite a tough start, Dufner salvaged a 26th-place tie.

PGA Championship Outlook: Dufner is developing a penchant for impressive final rounds. He posted a 67 at Merion to finish fourth in U.S. Open action and again rallied on Sunday at Muirfield. If he can put four rounds of quality golf together, there's reason to believe he could contend at the PGA Championship.

19. Rory McIlroy

OWGR: 3

Previous Rank: 16

Final British Open Analysis: The Open Championship was treacherous for golf's struggling golden boy. Rory McIlroy was a disaster and saw his score balloon to 15 over through 26 holes. He ultimately finished at 12 over after two rounds and didn't come close to making the cut.

PGA Championship Outlook: The overall outlook is quite murky right now for McIlroy. The abysmal effort at Muirfield is the latest disappointment in what is shaping up as a lost season. McIlroy began the year ranked No. 1 in the world but has since slid to No. 3. The PGA Championship presents a chance for him to right the ship.

18. Zach Johnson

OWGR: 26

Previous Rank: 25

Final British Open Analysis: It was another excellent effort by Zach Johnson at a tournament he's really enjoyed. He made the British Open cut for the seventh straight season and improved on a ninth-place finish in 2012. Johnson opened with a scintillating 66 but finished tied for sixth after tapering off a bit.

PGA Championship Outlook: Johnson should have plenty of confidence after the Open Championship. With 18 tournaments under his belt this year, he is beginning to look like his 2012 self (the one that had six top-10 finishes). That bodes well for his chances at the PGA Championship.

17. Keegan Bradley

OWGR: 17

Previous Rank: 20

Final British Open Analysis: Keegan Bradley battled admirably at Muirfield. After narrowly making the cut, he settled down to deliver excellent efforts on Saturday and Sunday. Bradley posted a score of one under on the final 36 holes. He finished tied for 15th in his second Open Championship appearance. 

PGA Championship Outlook: Bradley is building a reputation as an improving young golfer, and he's backing it up with his performances. The British Open was a big step. His maturity faces another test at the PGA Championship.

16. Steve Stricker

OWGR: 11

Previous Rank: 12

Final British Open Analysis: Steve Stricker sat out of the Open Championship.

PGA Championship Outlook: The veteran should be well rested when he returns to action. It's been a light season for Stricker, who has just seven PGA starts in 2013, but he's been predominantly impressive. He has four top-10 finishes, and an eighth-place showing at Augusta is a sign he could contend in the final major tourney of the year. 

15. Billy Horschel

OWGR: 38

Previous Rank: 9

Final British Open Analysis: Billy Horschel missed the cut and opportunity to gain more legitimacy. A second-round 80 doomed his chances. 

PGA Championship Outlook: Horschel, who has seven top-10 efforts and his first tour victory this season, must shake off a poor British Open performance. The 27-year-old has been on the rise, and this was only his second missed cut in 19 starts. We'll learn more about his mental makeup by how he reacts at the PGA Championship.

14. Charl Schwartzel

OWGR: 13

Previous Rank: 15

Final British Open Analysis: Charl Schwartzel endured an up-and-down Open Championship. He opened with a 75 on Thursday, which featured a club toss out of frustration. Then he sandwiched a third-round 76 with quality scores of 68 and 71 on Friday and Sunday, respectively. The result was a tie for 15th place.

PGA Championship Outlook: Schwartzel has made the cut in 11 of 12 starts, consistently competing in the top tier of players on a weekly basis. His four top-10 finishes show he may be on the verge of breaking through, and the PGA Championship is the perfect stage to do just that.

13. Sergio Garcia

OWGR: 16

Previous Rank: 13

Final British Open Analysis: Although it looked like Sergio Garcia could miss the cut, he managed to sneak into the weekend, and he made the most of it. He shot a three-under 68 on Saturday and tied for 21st place. 

PGA Championship Outlook: Garcia has four top-10 finishes in 10 PGA Tour starts, proving he's all the way back from a career-threatening slump. His effort at the British Open was inspired, and he heads into the PGA Championship aiming for an elusive title.

12. Hunter Mahan

OWGR: 22

Previous Rank: 17

Final British Open Analysis: Hunter Mahan headed into Sunday tied for second place with Tiger Woods, two shots back of leader Lee Westwood. It turns out the entire trio was no match for Phil Mickelson but Mahan's three-over tournament was good enough for a ninth-place tie.

PGA Championship Outlook: With 12 top-25 finishes this season, Mahan has been one of the more consistent men on the PGA Tour. He made strides at the British Open after struggling with that tournament in recent years. Look for him to carry over momentum into PGA Championship competition.

11. Bill Haas

OWGR: 24

Previous Rank: 6

Final British Open Analysis: Bill Haas couldn't clear the cut at Muirfield. A first-round 77 set the stage for a nine-over performance. It's a far cry from his career-best finish (19th) at the 2012 British Open.

PGA Championship Outlook: Haas was hot in June, claiming a title at the AT&T National, along with top-10 finishes at the Greenbrier Classic and the Memorial. The Open Championship result certainly takes some wind out of his sails, but he should spend the PGA Championship in the mix.

10. Ernie Els

OWGR: 15

Previous Rank: 11

Final British Open Analysis: Ernie Els scored a 74 in three of four rounds at the British Open, where he finished tied for 26th. A third-round 70 highlighted a predominately pedestrian performance for the reigning tournament champion.

PGA Championship Outlook: Els is playing quality golf these days. Although his effort at Muirfield didn't turn many heads, take a look at what he's accomplished lately. Els owns four top-six finishes in his past seven starts. There's no reason to think he won't contend at the PGA Championship.

9. Justin Rose

OWGR: 5

Previous Rank: 3

Final British Open Analysis: Justin Rose missed the cut at Muirfield. A 10-over effort through 36 holes ensured he would not make it to Saturday at the Open Championship for the third time in four years. It's a disappointing follow-up to his U.S. Open victory.

PGA Championship Outlook: Rose owns five top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this season and must quickly wipe the taste of a bad British Open out of his mouth. He finished tied for third at the 2012 PGA Championship after missing the cut three consecutive years.

8. Graeme McDowell

OWGR: 8

Previous Rank: 8

Final British Open Analysis: With a 75 and 77 serving as bookends for his weekend performance, Graeme McDowell finished tied for 58th at the Open Championship. After missing the cut at the U.S. Open and the Masters, it's still a step in the right direction.

PGA Championship Outlook: McDowell has been stunningly inconsistent this season. He owns three victories in his last nine starts but is susceptible to missing cuts, something he's done five times in that span. With four top-10 finishes this year, the PGA Championship is an opportunity for McDowell to salvage a disappointing 2013 major circuit.

7. Lee Westwood

OWGR: 10

Previous Rank: 14

Final British Open Analysis: It was a disheartening dose of deja vu for Lee Westwood at Muirfield, as Phil Mickelson charged ahead of him to take the title. Westwood, who led by two strokes at the start of Sunday. He posted a final-round 75 to fall back into a third-place tie. When Westwood carried a 54-hole lead into Sunday at the 2010 Masters, it was Mickelson who ultimately took the green jacket.

PGA Championship Outlook: Although he'll say all the right things leading up to the PGA Championship, it's hard not to think Westwood may be set up to suffer some "hangover" effects from the British Open. He was looking to become the first Englishman to win the tournament in 21 years but instead settled for his eighth top-three finish at a major event. 

6. Jason Day

OWGR: 19

Previous Rank: 4

Final British Open Analysis: A final-round 77 dropped Jason Day into a tie for 32nd place, his worst performance at a major tournament this year. The Open Championship has been an obstacle for Day during his career, as he has never finished better than 30th in three tries.

PGA Championship Outlook: Day opened the season with consecutive top-three finishes at the Masters and U.S. Open. The British Open was a bump in the road, but he should contend for a title at the PGA Championship. He tied for 10th at the event in 2010 but missed the cut in each of the past two years.

5. Brandt Snedeker

OWGR: 7

Previous Rank: 10

Final British Open Analysis: Brandt Snedeker overcame a disastrous Saturday to finish tied for 11th. A second-round 79 ruined his chances to compete for a title, but it was really just a major blemish on an otherwise solid performance. He was multiple strokes under par on both Thursday and Saturday, wrapping up with a final-round 72.

PGA Championship Outlook: Snedeker has seven top-10 finishes this season and narrowly missed adding another one to the list at the British Open. The PGA Championship has not been kind to him. He missed the cut in 2011 and 2012 and has never finished better than 18th at the tournament. 

4. Matt Kuchar

OWGR: 6

Previous Rank: 2

Final British Open Analysis: Matt Kuchar finished in a six-way tie for 15th place at Muirfield. After shooting three over on Thursday, he improved by one stroke each day. Although he never challenged for the title, it was a fine showing for a player with five top-10 finishes and two tournament wins this season.

PGA Championship Outlook: Kuchar's comeback story has been captivating, providing the PGA Tour with an uplifting storyline throughout the season. What better way to cap it off than vying for a title at the PGA Championship. Kuchar has never finished better than tied for 10th at the event (2010).

3. Adam Scott

OWGR: 4

Previous Rank: 5

Final British Open Analysis: Disaster struck again for Adam Scott on the final stretch of the Open Championship. The Aussie seized a lead on Sunday only to stumble with putting issues and a flurry of bogeys on the back nine at Muirfield. He settled for a third-place tie but proved again he's capable of competing for titles on a routine basis.

PGA Championship Outlook: With three top-three finishes in the past five major tournaments, Scott should be considered a top title contender. His major season started with a green jacket at Augusta, and another win here would do wonders for Scott's reputation and marketability. He has three top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship since 2004.

2. Tiger Woods

OWGR: 1

Previous Rank: 1

Final British Open Analysis: Tiger Woods was in the title picture throughout the weekend, but a final-round 74 sent him sinking on the leaderboard. The three-over effort on Sunday dropped him to two over for the tournament. He tied for sixth place, a respectable outcome but not exactly what he was looking for after being in sole possession of the lead for a span on Saturday.

PGA Championship Outlook: Woods is a four-time champion at this event (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007). It's his final opportunity of the season to snap a frustrating drought in major play. Woods hasn't won a major title in five years. Despite reclaiming his ranking as world's No. 1 and finishing in the top 10 at two major tournaments this year, his comeback won't be complete without a 15th championship. 

1. Phil Mickelson

OWGR: 2

Previous Rank: 7

Final British Open Analysis: Phil Mickelson made it look easy on Sunday at Muirfield, tying for the tournament's low round with a 66 (five under). He surged ahead to claim the claret jug by three strokes. Mickelson won his first Open Championship and now owns five major titles in his Hall of Fame career. He was the only player under par at the British Open.

PGA Championship Outlook: Mickelson comes off consecutive tournament wins (British Open, Scottish Open). It seems like a long time since he missed the cut at both the Players Championship and Greenbrier Classic, as his momentum is tremendously positive these days. Since taking the title at the 2005 PGA Championship, Mickelson has made the top 10 just once.