Power Ranking the Top 25 Golfers Heading into the 2015 Masters
Golf fans rejoice. The azaleas are blooming, and the Shell Houston Open is over. What does that mean? It’s Masters week.
It also means it’s time for our annual pre-Masters power rankings.
What goes into the breakdown? A look at recent play at Augusta as well as an evaluation of a player’s overall talent.
Sound highly scientific? You can bet on it…err, count on it.
Does Tiger Woods crack the top 25? Does Rory McIlroy top the list? What do we make of the surging Jordan Spieth prior to Thursday's first round?
Click through to find out.
25. Brooks Koepka
1 of 25
Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR): 19
Best of 2015: Brooks Koepka won the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February. He's recorded four top-25 finishes in seven starts. The Florida native is currently 15th in the FedEx Cup standings. He tied for 17th in his last finish.
Why He's Here: Concerns over Koepka’s health (rib injury), and the fact that he’s an Augusta rookie, keep the rising star from earning a better position here. He has the power (fourth in driving distance) and touch (22nd in strokes gained: putting) to play well in Georgia.
Ultimately, it's difficult to place a player who is yet to tackle Augusta National too high on this list as it's a track that usually makes mincemeat of first-timers.
Masters History: This will be Koepka's first Masters start.
24. Jim Furyk
2 of 25
OWGR: 8
Best of 2015: Jim Furyk has made the cut in all five of his PGA Tour starts this season. He’s recorded three top-25 finishes, including a tie for seventh at Pebble Beach.
Why He's Here: The Pennsylvania native hasn’t been on form lately, with T40 and T58 finishes his last two times out.
We'd rank him higher if not for those struggles.
His putter is also a concern. Never known to be particularly adept with the flatstick, Furyk has been abysmal this year. He's currently 179th in strokes gained: putting and is losing nearly a half stroke to the field on the greens.
It's primarily his track record at Augusta that earns him the 24th spot.
Masters History: Furyk’s best finishes at Augusta came in 1998 and 2003 when he placed fourth. He finished tied for 14th last year and has finished inside the top 25 12 times in 18 starts.
23. Tiger Woods
3 of 25
OWGR: 111
Best of 2015: In short, not much. Woods missed the cut badly at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, firing an 82 in the process. He then withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open and hasn't played since.
Why He's Here: He's still Tiger Woods, for what that's worth. Forget about the wins, since 2005 this guy has only finished outside the top 10 once at Augusta. Simply, this is a course Tiger Woods has historically owned.
More importantly, he's been practicing diligently since early February.
If he's truly healthy, how could he not at least play like the 23rd-best player in the field?
Really, if a theoretically healthy Tiger Woods can't get it together with nearly two months of practice uninterrupted by tournament play for the Masters, then he truly ought to hang up his Nikes.
Masters History: Woods is a four-time Masters winner: 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005. He’s totaled 13 top-10 finishes in 18 starts at the Georgia course.
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22. Bill Haas
4 of 25
OWGR: 26
Best of 2015: In January, Bill Haas won the Humana Challenge. He's made six of eight cuts and totaled four top-25 finishes.
Why He's Here: Haas edges out Woods due to substantially better play this season and his top-25 finish at Augusta last year.
Jay Haas' son is a no-nonsense, under-the-radar type of player who is adept at sneaking up the Masters leaderboard. Past quality play at the event plus a career full of class golf give the North Carolina native some clout here.
He narrowly missed the cut at the Shell Houston Open and finished tied for seventh at Doral before that, so his game is in decent shape entering the first major of the season.
Masters History: Haas tied for 20th at Augusta last year. He's made the cut all five times he's teed it up in Georgia.
21. Lee Westwood
5 of 25
OWGR: 30
Best of 2015: Lee Westwood has made six of seven cuts and has finished in the top 25 six times as well. His best finish: a tie for 12th to start the season at the Frys.com Open. He also finished tied for 12th at the World Golf Championships in March.
Why He's Here: Westy has done everything but win the Masters. The Englishman hasn't finished outside the top 15 at Augusta since 2009.
Westwood's combination of power off the tee and quality ballstriking traditionally places him on the short list of Masters contenders. Even better, his putting has been uncharacteristically good this season. He's 28th in strokes gained: putting.
If he hadn't missed the cut at the Shell Houston Open last week, he’d place in the teens in this ranking.
Masters History: Westwood has recorded three straight top-10 finishes at Augusta. He’s made the cut at the Masters in 12 out of 15 appearances.
20. Ian Poulter
6 of 25
OWGR: 31
Best of 2015: The Englishman has made six of seven cuts and recorded two top-10 finishes. He most recently tied for 21st at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Why He's Here: Ian Poulter is a perennial Masters favorite. Rightfully so. Poults seems to get fired up for two things: the Ryder Cup and the Masters (three, if you count Ferraris). He's placed in the top 10 twice in the last five years at Augusta despite shaky play through major portions of that time period.
He’s shown just enough good form this year to place him here with five top-25 finishes.
Masters History: Poulter has made the cut nine times at Augusta National. His best finish there: seventh place in 2012. He tied for 20th last year.
19. Paul Casey
7 of 25
OWGR: 44
Best of 2015: Paul Casey has three top-10 finishes in six starts, including a ninth-place finish his last time out.
Why He's Here: Casey has found himself again this season. A top-10 finish at the Shell Houston Open and Augusta veteran status earn him this relatively high billing. He's made six of nine cuts this season, but has played well at two tough tournaments: the Northern Trust Open and the Honda Classic. Thus, he should be in shape to take on Augusta National.
Once thought of as one of the better golfers in the world, Casey has to be itching to put a peg in the ground at Augusta to prove he's still relevant.
Casey edges out his countrymen thanks to a better showing in his most recent start.
Masters History: Casey has two top-10 finishes at Augusta, although he hasn’t placed in the top 40 since 2011.
18. Justin Rose
8 of 25
OWGR: 11
Best of 2015: Justin Rose has made four of seven cuts this season.
Why He's Here: Rose is generously placed just ahead of Paul Casey due to better play recently at Augusta. He's finished tied for 25th or better in his last five starts at Augusta.
And as a major winner, Rose's talent would have him among the favorites were it not for an indifferent start to the season and uncooperative putter; the TaylorMade staffer is presently 182nd in strokes gained: putting.
Masters History: Rose tied for eighth at the Masters in 2012. He's notched seven top-25 finishes in nine starts.
17. Rickie Fowler
9 of 25
OWGR: 13
Best of 2015: Rickie Fowler has made the cut in all eight of his PGA Tour starts this season. The California native has recorded two top-10 finishes.
Why He's Here: Fowler earns the 17th spot, owing more to his talent and strong showing at Augusta last year and less to his play in 2015, which has been substandard.
The aptitude the young Californian showed for the majors last season, and Augusta in particular, suggests that he's now able to take his game to another level in the most significant tournaments.
His fans will be banking on this hypothesis, at least, as the last two competitive rounds he signed for were 77, 76 at the Shell Houston Open.
Masters History: Fowler has finished inside the top 40 in all four of his Masters starts. He tied for fifth last year.
16. Keegan Bradley
10 of 25
OWGR: 33
Best of 2015: Keegan Bradley has made nine of 10 cuts this season. He's recorded three top-10 finishes, including one at the Shell Houston Open.
Why He's Here: Bradley’s play is improving in time for the Masters. He shot no worse than 70 in Houston and managed to pick up .246 strokes on the field with his putter: a tremendous boost of confidence as he heads to Augusta without his beloved long putter.
Still, consistency is a concern and he's leapfrogged by players who have either been more predictable or have played better golf recently.
Masters History: In three Masters appearances, Bradley has made two cuts. His best finish: a tie for 27th in 2012.
15. Hideki Matsuyama
11 of 25
OWGR: 17
Best of 2015: Hideki Matsuyama has made the cut in 11 of his 12 starts on the PGA Tour. He tied for second at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and has four top-four finishes.
Why He's Here: Matsuyama has netted top-25 finishes in his last two starts and has a nose for Augusta.
Significant weight is given to the fact that the young Japanese golfer handled Augusta National as an amateur and top-25 showings in three of his last four PGA Tour starts. The extra measure of consistency helps him edge out Keegan Bradley.
He's currently eighth on tour in strokes gained: total, which is an indication of just how healthy his game is.
Masters History: Matsuyama tied for 27th at Augusta in 2011 as an amateur. He missed the cut last year.
14. Brandt Snedeker
12 of 25
OWGR: 35
Best of 2015: Brandt Snedeker won at Pebble Beach in February. In 11 starts this season, Snedeker has made 10 cuts and totaled four top-10 finishes.
Why He's Here: He’s done well at Augusta in the past and is a winner this season. These facts alone earn Brandt Snedeker a long look.
It's his tie for 13th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in his last start and the couple of weeks off he took for rest and practice, though, that suggest he's poised to play like the 14th-best player in the field or better this week.
Masters History: Snedeker tied for third at Augusta in 2008. He's made six of seven Masters cuts and tied for 37th last year.
13. Sergio Garcia
13 of 25
OWGR: 9
Best of 2015: The Spaniard has made the cut in all six of his PGA Tour starts. He's recorded two top-10 finishes, including a tie for second at the CIMB Classic.
Why He's Here: Sergio Garcia's ability always earns him serious consideration entering a major.
Things like this, however, give us pause: His final-round scores in his last two PGA Tour starts were 78 and 74. Those figures smack of the sort of indifference that has hovered like a cloud over the obscenely talented Spaniard's career.
Still, he showed something at the Open Championship last year. Namely, that he still wants to win a major. If he wants it this week, you have to believe he has the talent and experience at this point to contend.
Masters History: Garcia missed the cut at Augusta last year. His best finish: a tie for fourth in 2004. Garcia has made a total of 11 cuts in 16 Masters starts.
12. Matt Kuchar
14 of 25
OWGR: 16
Best of 2015: Matt Kuchar has recorded eight top-25 finishes in 11 starts. He finished tied for second at the Humana Challenge.
Why He's Here: Kuchar's consistency, both this season and in his past Masters performances, earns him the 12th spot.
We're getting to a point in the list where the golfers are either past Masters champions or are playing great golf. Kuchar is not a Masters winner, and while he was on a stretch of good form, his 70th-place finish at the Shell Houston Open (and Sunday 78) have given pause.
If he'd notched a top-10 in Houston, Kuchar would have been a lock for a top-10 spot in this ranking.
Masters History: Kuchar tied for fifth at Augusta last year. He's made the cut seven of eight times at the tournament with five top-25 finishes.
11. Phil Mickelson
15 of 25
OWGR: 22
Best of 2015: Phil Mickelson has made five of seven cuts in his starts on the PGA Tour this season. His best finish: a tie for 17th at the Honda Classic.
Why He's Here: Mickelson has been shaky lately. Still, he looks to have sorted some things out in Houston and is a three-time champ.
Obviously, Mickelson has the experience and the ability to play well at Augusta. The question this season, however, has been the integrity of the 44-year-old's short game. And as that element looked pretty good in Houston, where he picked up 1.3 strokes on the field with his putter and was excellent around the greens, he's booked the 11th spot.
Masters History: Mickelson has won the Masters three times: 2004, 2006, 2010. He missed the cut at Augusta last year and tied for 54th in 2013.
10. J.B. Holmes
16 of 25
OWGR: 12
Best of 2015: J.B. Holmes has made nine of 11 cuts on tour this season. The Kentucky native has totaled four top-10 finishes, including his win at Shell Houston Open.
Why He's Here: What he'll do at Augusta is a mystery, but what he just did isn't: beat Jordan Spieth in a playoff. That alone books him passage into the top 10.
Further, it's never good policy to bet against the guy with the hot hand. Especially when he has the length off the tee to overpower Augusta National like the guy who's won two out of the last three Masters.
Masters History: In his only appearance at Augusta (2008), Holmes finished tied for 25th.
9. Adam Scott
17 of 25
OWGR: 6
Best of 2015: The Australian's best finish this season is a tie for fourth at the WGC-Cadillac Championship. He's made three of four cuts.
Why He's Here: A winner at Augusta in 2013, Scott gets a bump, even with a mediocre showing his last time out.
Also, it seems Scott's experiment with a conventional-length putter is over and he'll have the sweeper at Augusta National. That fact alone should save him a couple of strokes this week.
He lands just ahead of the tour's most recent winner thanks to his past success at Augusta and J.B. Holmes' lack of experience at the course.
Masters History: He won the green jacket in 2013. He's made 11 of 13 cuts at Augusta with a total of four top-10 finishes.
8. Henrik Stenson
18 of 25
OWGR: 2
Best of 2015: Henrik Stenson has made the cut in all five of his PGA Tour starts. He's finished inside the top 10 four times, including finishing second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in his most recent start.
Why He's Here: The Swede just hasn't played enough to place higher. When he has played, however, he's been very, very good. Check out these recent finishes 2, T4, 4, 2.
A few more of the above, and Stenson would place inside the top five. Further, he's putting remarkably well this year (second in strokes gained: putting), which is a scary thought given his prodigious ball striking.
Masters History: In nine starts at Augusta, Stenson has made six cuts. He tied for 14th last year and has totaled four top-25 finishes.
7. Patrick Reed
19 of 25
OWGR: 15
Best of 2015: Patrick Reed has made the cut in all 11 of his PGA Tour starts this season. With his win at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, he has notched four top-10 finishes and hasn't finished outside the top 25 in his last four starts.
Why He's Here: Reed's play this season has placed him among the best in the game. His missing the cut badly at Augusta last year diminishes his power though, since we're factoring in a player's past Masters performances.
If he'd given any indication that he can handle Augusta National last year, instead of shooting 73-79 to miss the weekend, he'd be fourth or fifth on this list.
Masters History: Last year, in his first career start at the Masters, Reed missed the cut.
6. Jason Day
20 of 25
OWGR: 5
Best of 2015: Jason Day has made the cut in all seven of his starts on tour this season. He won the Farmers Insurance Open and finished third at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
Why He's Here: Day is a horse for Augusta National and has been both healthy and consistent this year.
If we remove the outlier of his tie for 20th at the Masters last year and chalk it up to injury, he looks a lot like he really has the Alister Mackenzie design's number. If he'd played a bit better in his last start, he'd likely usurp the gentleman in the fifth spot.
Masters History: The Australian tied for second in his first Masters appearance (2011). He finished third two years later and tied for 20th in 2014.
5. Dustin Johnson
21 of 25
OWGR: 7
Best of 2015: In his return to competition after a leave of absence, Dustin Johnson has been solid. He won the WGC-Cadillac Championship and notched another three top-10 finishes.
Why He's Here: DJ has been solid in his return. The flashes of brilliance he's shown, highlighted by his win, suggest he'll have no problem bringing Augusta to its knees this week. And as a winner in early Marh, Johnson has to be given serious consideration.
It's two missed cuts that keep him from placing higher here as the golfers in front of him have been rock steady.
Masters History: Johnson missed the cut at the Masters last year. Prior to that, he made the cut in all four of his starts at Augusta.
4. Bubba Watson
22 of 25
OWGR: 3
Best of 2015: Bubba Watson won the WGC-HSBC Champions in November. He has four top-10 finishes in six starts and placed third in the WGC-Cadillac Championship his last time out.
Why He's Here: Last year's Masters champ hasn't finished outside the top 15 this year. In other words, Bubba golf is being played at a high level right now.
If this were a ranking based solely on aptitude and past Masters performances, the Bagdad, Florida native would be perched in the top spot.
Unfortunately, the reigning Masters champion hasn't teed it up in a month and is passed by sharper players.
Masters History: Watson is the reigning Masters champ. He's made the cut in all six of his starts at Augusta and won in 2012 as well.
3. Jimmy Walker
23 of 25
OWGR: 10
Best of 2015: Walker has two wins, including the Valero Texas Open recently and five top-10 finishes in 11 starts. He is first in the FedEx Cup standings.
Why He's Here: Walker has been a force this season and won in his last start. From a momentum standpoint, only Jordan Spieth has more of it at the moment.
Unfortunately for Walker, he's stuck behind Spieth, who has been more consistent in recent weeks. He also finds himself behind a golfing wunderkind who has been the presumptive favorite to win this tournament since the PGA Championship last year.
Masters History: Walker tied for eighth in the first Masters appearance of his career in 2014. A third-round 76 kept his finish from being even better.
2. Rory McIlroy
24 of 25
OWGR: 1
Best of 2015: Rory McIlroy has made the cut in two of three starts on the PGA Tour this season. His best finish: a tie for ninth at the WGC-Cadillac Championship.
Why He's Here: McIlroy is rightfully the favorite at Odds Shark based on his talent, past performances and the fact that he’s won the last two majors. Still his game hasn’t been razor-sharp lately, unlike the golfer in the top spot in this ranking, was also better than McIlroy at Augusta last year.
Masters History: McIlroy has made five cuts in six tries at Augusta. His best finish at Augusta came last year when he tied for eighth. The Ulsterman famously had a meltdown on the back nine on Sunday in 2011, ultimately tying for 15th.
1. Jordan Spieth
25 of 25
OWGR: 4
Best of 2015: No golfer has been hotter than Jordan Spieth lately. He won the Hero World Challenge and the Valspar Championship. He's recorded seven top-10 finishes in 10 starts and just finished tied for second after losing to J.B. Holmes in a playoff at the Shell Houston Open.
Why He's Here: While McIlroy may be the objectively better golfer, Spieth is surging at the moment. He could easily have won his three starts leading up to the Masters. Spieth is playing brilliant golf and can handle Augusta, as he proved last year.
Past Masters play and recent success on tour point to Jordan Spieth as the only choice for the top spot in this ranking.
Masters History: Last year, Spieth tied for second in his first Masters appearance.
Stats courtesy of PGATour.com.
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