Power Ranking the Top 20 Golfers After the 2013 PGA Championship

A truly unpredictable 2013 PGA Championship produced surprise contenders, dramatic performances and lackluster efforts from some of the sport's premier stars. The action at Oak Hill shook up our golfing hierarchy and raised significant questions about the prowess of several members in our previous power ranking.

Now that the Wannamaker Trophy has been handed out, major tournament action in 2013 is officially over. In the aftermath of the season's final major, here's how we rank the globe's 20 top golfers.

20. Rickie Fowler

OWGR: 35

Previous Rank: N/A

Why he's here: The 24-year-old owned four top-10 finishes in 19 PGA Tour starts this year. Rickie Fowler has yet to finish higher than third place at any tournament in 2013.

His PGA victory total holds tight at one, which he notched last year. Fowler has placed among the top 25 in six of his past seven starts, including a tie for 10th place at the U.S. Open.

Final PGA Championship analysis: Fowler finished tied for 19th, shooting over par just once in four rounds. It's by far his best final placement at the PGA Championship.

19. Ernie Els

OWGR: 16

Previous Rank: 13

Why he's here: Ernie Els' play has tapered off lately. Since finishing fourth at the U.S. Open and winning the European Tour BMW International Open, momentum has faded.

Els tied for 26th at the British open and has managed just five top-25 finishes in 15 PGA starts.

Final PGA Championship analysis: He went down in flames at Oak Hill, missing the cut (3 over) by three strokes.

18. Dustin Johnson

OWGR: 22

Previous Rank: N/A

Why he's here: Dustin Johnson has five top-10 finishes this season, including a second-place performance at the Canadian Open last month.

Final PGA Championship analysis: After narrowly surviving the cut, he settled in for a string weekend. Johnson was six under during the final two rounds to earn a share of eighth place.

17. Jim Furyk

OWGR: 21

Previous Rank: N/A

Why he's here: Furyk has endured a season of peaks and valleys. The veteran finished outside of the cut at both the British Open and U.S. Open, signaling a significant drop-off in his performance.

He responded to critics with ninth-place efforts at consecutive tournaments—the Bridgestone Invitational and Canadian Open.

Final PGA Championship analysis: Furyk battled for first place throughout the weekend at Oak Hill, first with Adam Scott then with Jason Dufner. He ultimately settled for second but it was a sign that Furyk has regained his stroke late in the season.

16. Rory McIlroy

OWGR: 3

Previous Rank: N/A

Why he's here: The former world No. 1 has fallen off remarkably in 2013. He didn't come close to making the cut at the Open Championship, tied for 27th place at the Bridgestone Invitational and has yet to win a title this year.

Final PGA Championship analysis: By his 2013 standards, McIlroy rebound quite nicely at Oak Hill. Was he the 2012 Rory who set a record for widest margin of victory in PGA Championship history (eight strokes)? Heck no. Was he much better than the guy who looked lost at Muirfield? Absolutely.

McIlroy finished at three under, tied for eighth place and perhaps regained a little momentum for next year's major tournaments.

15. Bill Haas

OWGR: 24

Previous Rank: 9

Why he's here: Bill Haas has been one of the most competitive players on the Tour this year. He owns five top-10 finishes, including a seventh-place performance at the Bridgestone Invitational.

Final PGA Championship analysis: Hass tied for 25th at Oak Hill. Unable to build off a two-under opening-round 68, he settled for scores in the 70s during each of the final three rounds.

14. Hunter Mahan

OWGR: 27

Previous Ranking: 11

Why he's here: Hunter Mahan, who took time off before the PGA championship to be with his new baby, entered the tournament playing well. He placed among the top at the U.S. Open and Open Championship.

Mahan led the Canadian Open early in the third round before withdrawing to be at his baby's birth in Texas.

Final PGA Championship analysis: Mahan was two under through two rounds but his score blew up with a 78 on Saturday. He finished at seven over, tied for 57th.

13. Steve Stricker

OWGR: 13

Previous Rank: 14

Why he's here: The veteran finished second at the Cadillac Championship and tied for eighth at the U.S. Open. Those are two of his top-10 finishes on the 2013 tour.

Final PGA Championship analysis: Stricker tied for 12th at Oak Hill, falling shy of his best PGA Championship performance (two seventh-place finishes) but it was certainly an admirable effort. He wrapped up Friday at five under par but fell back to the pack during the weekend and finished at two over.

12. Keegan Bradley

OWGR: 12

Previous Rank: 10

Why he's here: Keegan Bradley began to really heat up in midsummer. He tied for 15th place at the Open Championship and played well in Tiger Wood's shadow at Firestone, where he finishing in second place at the Bridgestone Memorial.

Final PGA Championship analysis: Bradley salvaged an otherwise lackluster performance with a four-under 66 on Sunday. That effort vaulted him into a 19th-place tie.

11. Zach Johnson

OWGR: 25

Previous Rank: 16

Why he's here: Quietly, Zach Johnson has become one of the most regular contenders on the Tour. He has six top-10 finishes and two top-three efforts.

Final PGA Championship analysis: Johnson was once again in the mix at the PGA Championship. He never hit for over par during any round and completed the weekend at three under, locked in an eighth-place tie.

10. Graeme McDowell

OWGR: 9

Previous Rank: 8

Why he's here: Grame McDowell fell short of the cut at the U.S. Open and Open Championship but owns thee worldwide tournament victories this year, including the RBC Heritage. That was his first PGA win in three years.

Final PGA Championship analysis: A 66 on Sunday sent McDowell shooting up the leaderboard. He finished two-under and tied for 12th place.

9. Justin Rose

OWGR: 5

Previous Rank: 7

Why he's here: The 2013 U.S. Open champion made history at Merion, becoming the first Englishman to win the title since 1970. It's one of his five top-10 finishes in 12 Tour starts this season, a high success rate.

Final PGA Championship analysis: Rose started Saturday in title contention, six under and just three strokes back of leader Jason Dufner. However, a third-round 77 derailed his chances and Rose ended up in a tie for 33rd place.

8. Jason Day

OWGR: 20

Previous Rank: 6

Why he's here: The 26-year-old has flirted with major titles all year. Jason Day finished tied for second at the U.S. Open and wrapped up the Masters in sole possession of second place.

Final PGA Championship analysis: An opening-round 67 set the stage for another solid showing from Day. He tied for eighth place, his third top-10 finish at a major this season.

7. Brandt Snedeker

OWGR: 7

Previous Rank: 5

Why he's here: Brandt Snedeker has a pair of PGA titles this season and eight top-10 finishes, both totals ranking highly on the tour.

Final PGA Championship analysis: This tournament was a step backward for Snedeker, who finished tied for 66th at nine over. He capped it off with a 76 on Sunday.

He's one of a few players who own multiple PGA victories this season and owns eight top-10 finishes in 17 events.

6. Henrik Stenson

OWGR: 10

Previous Rank: N/A

Why he's here: The Swede has six top-10 finishes in 14 PGA Tour events, including three runner-up efforts. Henrik Stenson has been knocking on the door of a title all year.

Final PGA Championship analysis: Stenson finished in sole possession of third place, completing the tournament at seven under. It's his fourth top-three placement in 2013.

5. Jason Dufner

OWGR: 8

Previous Rank: 17

Why he's here: Jason Dufner, one of the most likeable players on the PGA Tour, now own three top-10 finishes and a major title. He finished fourth at the U.S. Open.

Final PGA Championship analysis: His second-round 63 tied a majors record and ultimately propelled him to the first major title in his career. A two-stroke victory avenged Dufner's late collapse at the 2011 PGA Championship and puts him on the map as a premier performer right now.

4. Matt Kuchar

OWGR: 6

Previous Rank: 4

Why he's here: Matt Kuchar has ascended up the PGA ladder this year with two victories and two runner-up performances.

Final PGA Championship analysis: Kuchar was seven under through two rounds but wound up breaking even after a rough weekend. He went from title contention to a tie for a 22nd place.

3. Phil Mickelson

OWGR: 2

Previous Rank: 2

Why he's here: Mickelson roared back to win the Open Championship one week after claiming victory at the Scottish Open. 2013 has been a bit of a renaissance for Lefty.

Final PGA Championship analysis: This was an absolute debacle for Phil Mickelson, who finished tied for 72nd place at 12 over. It's a forgettable finish to his majors season.

2. Adam Scott

OWGR: 4

Previous Rank: 3

Why he's here: Adam Scott has enjoyed a breakout season, becoming one of the sport's true starts and rising up to fourth in world rankings. He won a green jacket at the Masters in April.

Final PGA Championship analysis: Scott tied for fifth place at five under, providing another indication that we should get used to seeing the Aussie among major title contenders at every tournament.

1.Tiger Woods

OWGR: 1

Previous Rank: 1

Why he's here: Tiger leads the PGA Tour in titles this season (five) and claimed an eight-stroke win at the Bridgestone Invitational. He has reclaimed his spot as top-ranked player in world rankings.

Final PGA Championship analysis: Another year with not title for Tiger, who was never in contention at Oak Hil. He finished at four over and tied for 40th and it has now been more than five years since his last major victory.