PGA Power Rankings: Breaking Down the Top 25 Players Post-British Open
The longest British Open in history is in the books, and Zach Johnson is now a two-time major winner, having outlasted Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in a four-hole playoff.
We considered three things in putting together a power ranking of the best players teeing it up on the PGA Tour:
- A subjective assessment of a player’s prospects for the rest of the season.
- A player's Sagarin ranking (a measure of quality of play over the past year)
- A player's Official World Golf Ranking (a measure of quality of play over the past two years)
Since Rory McIlroy is still out with an injured ankle, he's excluded, as are players who compete primarily on the European Tour.
Also, we’re assigning a five-spot maximum to player jumps in the ranking lest we get too caught up in week-to-week enthusiasm or despair and forget the larger purpose of this ranking: assigning forward-looking value (sorry, Zach Johnson, who was on the bubble and didn’t make the pre-Open ranking and likely isn't getting the bump many would like to see).
Click through for the top 25.
25. Kevin Kisner
1 of 25
OWGR: 34
Previous ranking: 23
Why he's here: Entering the tournament, Kevin Kisner had recorded top-10 finishes in three of his last five starts. His scoring average, 70.17, is 21st on the tour. He falls two positions in the ranking after his missed cut at the Old Course.
How he fared at St. Andrews: Missed cut (+1). Kisner missed the cut by a stroke in his first British Open campaign. He putted atrociously, taking 38 putts in his second round.
24. Ian Poulter
2 of 25
OWGR: 31
Previous ranking: 22
Why he's here: Entering the tournament, Ian Poulter had the putter working this season (19th on tour, strokes gained: putting). Unfortunately, the trend didn't continue at the Old Course, and he falls two spots accordingly. Still, Poulter's consistency places him among the top 25 golfers: He's made 12 of 14 PGA Tour cuts with eight top-25 finishes.
How he fared at St. Andrews: Missed cut (+3). Poulter was disappointing at St. Andrews, where he missed the cut by three strokes. The Englishman made just three birdies in two days as he struggled with his putting.
23. Lee Westwood
3 of 25
OWGR: 35
Previous ranking: 25
Why he's here: 24th on tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green, Lee Westwood is perennially among the game's best ball-strikers. His form hasn't been brilliant this season, as the Englishman's only top-10 finish came at the WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship. The pedestrian showing only moves him up in the ranking thanks to the poorer play of Poulter and Kisner.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -4 (T49). Westwood was undone by a balky putter at St. Andrews, predictably. He didn't use fewer than 30 putts in any of the four rounds and only broke 70 once.
22. Francesco Molinari
4 of 25
OWGR: 41
Previous ranking: 24
Why he's here: Molinari entered St. Andrews with a top-20 finish in his most recent Open and a top-10 in his start immediately prior to the Open. He's one of the best on the tour in greens in regulation, hitting 72.5 percent this year.
How he fared at St. Andrews: T40 (-5). The Italian closed with a 67 to finish at five under par and hit every fairway but one. A third-round 73 didn't help his efforts.
21. Brandt Snedeker
5 of 25
OWGR: 26
Previous ranking: 19
Why he's here: Brandt Snedeker slides after his missed cut. Still, the Vanderbilt alum has recorded top-10 finishes in four of his last five starts. Always deadly with the flatstick, Snedeker is fifth on tour in strokes gained: putting.
How he fared at St. Andrews: +2 (Missed cut). Using 66 putts over two days, Snedeker fired a pair of one-over 73s to miss the cut by two strokes.
20. Zach Johnson
6 of 25
OWGR: 25
Previous ranking: N/A
Why he's here: Well, he won one of the most grueling British Opens in recent memory. ZJ now has 12 top-25 finishes in 18 starts and is certainly peaking at the moment with top-10 finishes in four of his last five starts. Unfortunately, given the conditions laid out, Johnson is given the maximum five-spot bump to the 20th position. If he continues his cresting (as opposed to his early-season stop-start pattern) he’ll continue to rise.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -15 (Win). Johnson birdied the first two holes of a four-hole playoff with Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman to capture the second major of his career (along with the 2007 Masters).
19. Branden Grace
7 of 25
OWGR: 29
Previous ranking: 20
Why he's here: After a good week at St. Andrews, Branden Grace moves up a spot. Grace tied for fourth at the U.S. Open and has made seven of nine cuts on the PGA Tour. Additionally, he’s won twice on the European Tour this season.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -7 (T20). Grace closed with an impressive final-round 67 to move into a tie for 20th at St. Andrews. Lackluster play in the second and third rounds and an uncooperative putter kept the South African from finishing inside the top 10.
18. Matt Kuchar
8 of 25
OWGR: 15
Previous ranking: 15
Why he's here: Matt Kuchar falls a couple of spots after an uninspired week in Scotland. He’s passed by players who did better work at the Old Course. Still, Kuchar came into the tournament on the heels of a second-place finish at the Scottish Open. He’s made 17 of 18 cuts with nine top-25 finishes on the PGA Tour this season. Kuchar has putted well this season and is 21st in strokes gained: total.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -3 (T58). Kuch wasn’t particularly impressive at St. Andrews, where he never broke 70 and took more than 30 putts each day.
17. Patrick Reed
9 of 25
OWGR: 16
Previous ranking: 17
Why he's here: Reed tied for 14th at the U.S. Open, which suggested growing comfort with links golf. He's 14th on the tour in strokes gained: total and 11th in birdie average. The brash young golfer has won once on tour this season and now has 12 top-25 finishes in 20 starts, all good enough to maintain his No. 17 ranking.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -7 (T20). Reed did his best work on Saturday when he fired a third-round 67. He never shot worse than even par and closed with 72 for his career-best finish in a British Open.
16. Paul Casey
10 of 25
OWGR: 24
Previous ranking: 13
Why he's here: Steady all season long, Paul Casey has to be less than thrilled with his play at St. Andrews, especially considering his tie-for-third finish the last time the Open was contested at the Old Course. Still he’s finishing inside the top 10 in better than 30 percent of his PGA Tour starts.
How he fared at St. Andrews: Even (T74). Well, he made the cut. There's not much more you can say about Casey’s week.
15. Jimmy Walker
11 of 25
OWGR: 12
Previous ranking: 14
Why he's here: Walker headed to Scotland early, competing in the Scottish Open, where he didn’t do particularly well. Still, he’s won twice this season with seven top-25 finishes, so he can’t fall too far here.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -6 (T30). Walker didn’t do too poorly for himself at St. Andrews. He finished nine strokes off the pace, as a pair of weekend 71s allowed the competition to pass him by.
14. Brooks Koepka
12 of 25
OWGR: 22
Previous ranking: 18
Why he's here: Brooks Koepka followed up an 18th-place finish at the season’s second major (the U.S. Open) with a 10th-place finish at St. Andrews. Twelfth on tour in strokes gained: total, the previous facts plus the fact that he’s a winner this season earn Koepka a four-spot jump, in light of less impressive work from those ahead of him in the previous edition of this ranking.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -10 (T10). Koepka closed with rounds of 69 and 68 to finish five strokes off the lead. Not bad for a guy who’d never played St. Andrews before.
13. Louis Oosthuizen
13 of 25
OWGR: 17
Previous ranking: 16
Why he's here: Louis Oosthuizen earns a three-spot bump thanks to his impressive work this week. The 2010 Open Champion again played well at St. Andrews and has now recorded six top-10 finishes in 15 PGA Tour starts this season.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -15 (T2). A member of the three-man playoff to decide the British Open, Oosthuizen obviously played very well at St. Andrews, losing to champion Zach Johnson by just a stroke over the four extra holes.
12. Jim Furyk
14 of 25
OWGR: 6
Previous ranking: 12
Why he's here: Jim Furyk entered the Open having made five of his last six cuts. One of the most accurate drivers in the game (10th on tour), the veteran is perennially prepared to plod around the tour’s toughest tracks. He has another decent showing under his belt and maintains his No. 12 position.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -6 (T30). Furyk broke par twice at St. Andrews this year, most notably with a third-round 66. A pedestrian final round led to a pedestrian finish, however.
11. Phil Mickelson
15 of 25
OWGR: 21
Previous ranking: 11
Why he's here: Phil Mickelson has made 10 of 13 cuts this season with a second- and third-place finish. The 2013 Champion Golfer of the Year, Mickelson did decent work at the Old Course this week. He’s eighth on tour in birdies, lest you forget that Lefty can still light it up. You can’t demote a guy for a top-25 finish, but it’s not necessarily reason to move him up, either.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -7 (T20). Mickelson closed with a three-under 69. The Road Hole was his undoing this week, as he went five over at the 17th for the tournament.
10. Bubba Watson
16 of 25
OWGR: 3
Previous ranking: 7
Why he's here: Twice a winner on tour this season, Bubba Watson and the Open haven't exactly seen eye-to-eye. He falls due to an uninspired showing at St. Andrews, but the performance shouldn't mar an otherwise excellent season. Watson is third on the tour in strokes gained: total.
How he fared at St. Andrews: +3 (Missed cut). Watson's struggles at links venues continued at the Home of Golf. A second-round 76 that saw him triple-bogey the Road Hole was his undoing.
9. Rickie Fowler
17 of 25
OWGR: 5
Previous ranking: 9
Why he's here: Rickie Fowler holds steady a No. 9. He’s won twice this year, including two weeks ago at the Scottish Open, and just missed out on his sixth top-25 finish of the season.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -6 (T30). Fowler’s third-round 66 suggested he could make a run at the Claret Jug. Instead, he limped home with a final-round 73 and a ho-hum finish.
8. Sergio Garcia
18 of 25
OWGR: 10
Previous ranking: 10
Why he's here: Sergio Garcia rises two spots after a strong showing at St. Andrews. He hasn’t missed a cut on the PGA Tour this season and has totaled four top-10 finishes. Garcia is third on the tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -11 (T6). After going out in 32 on Sunday, Sergio Garcia ran out of steam on the back nine, where he came in on 38 strokes. The final-round 70 was good for yet another major top-10.
7. Hideki Matsuyama
19 of 25
OWGR: 14
Previous ranking: 8
Why he's here: Hideki Matsuyama is second on tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green, which indicates his quality ball-striking week in and week out. He moves up a spot this week thanks to a top-25 finish. He’s made 17 of 18 cuts with eight top-10 finishes.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -8 (T18). Matsuyama didn’t do enough on the weekend to raise the Claret Jug. Still, he was under par in three rounds at St. Andrews this week and has added another good showing in a major to his name.
6. Henrik Stenson
20 of 25
OWGR: 7
Previous ranking: 3
Why he's here: As mentioned in the pre-Open power rankings, Henrik Stenson’s putting this season has been uncharacteristically good. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case at the Open Championship, and he falls accordingly. He’s made 10 of 10 PGA Tour cuts this season with three top-10 finishes. Stenson is third on the tour in strokes gained: total.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -5 (T40). As one of the tournament favorites, Stenson's failure to contend was disappointing. The Swede didn't break 70 until the final round and used more than 30 putts in three rounds.
5. Dustin Johnson
21 of 25
OWGR: 4
Previous ranking: 2
Why he's here: With a win and two second-place finishes among his 11 PGA Tour starts this season, Dustin Johnson was playing quality golf entering the Open. While he faded at St. Andrews, it shouldn't diminish the caliber of golf the bomber is playing. The tour's distance leader is seventh in strokes gained: tee-to-green.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -4 (T49). If Chambers Bay featured a Johnson final-hole meltdown, the Old Course showcased a weekend blowup. Leading the tournament after two rounds, Johnson carded weekend rounds of 75 to plummet down the leaderboard.
4. Adam Scott
22 of 25
OWGR: 11
Previous ranking: 5
Why he's here: Adam Scott has now recorded top-10 finishes in the last two majors. The steady flusher of the golf ball has made nine of 11 cuts this season with five top-25 finishes. Scott is sixth on the tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green.
How he fared at St. Andrews: 10 (T10). Scott was in the thick of things Sunday at St. Andrews but sprung a leak down the stretch, going five-over across his final five holes to fall into a tie for 10th. On paper, though, it’s another top-10 in a major for the Australian.
3. Justin Rose
23 of 25
OWGR: 8
Previous ranking: 4
Why he's here: Justin Rose moves up a spot both on the strength of his British Open play and the weakness of Henrik Stenson’s. He’s made eight of 12 cuts this season with a win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Rose is third on the tour in birdies.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -11 (T6). While he didn’t garner a great deal of TV time, Rose was impressive at St. Andrews. Weekend rounds of 68 and 70 earned him a sixth-place finish, and it was only a bit of loose driving that kept him from being a factor on Sunday.
2. Jason Day
24 of 25
OWGR: 9
Previous ranking: 6
Why he's here: Jason Day jumps into the second spot, as he’s now finished inside the top 10 in the last two majors. Outside of an anomalous pair of missed cuts amid a battle with vertigo, Day made 11 cuts and totaled six top-10 finishes. He leads the tour in birdie average.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -14 (T4). Like the gentleman in the top spot, Day finished one stroke out of the Oosthuizen/Johnson/Leishman playoff. The two-under final-round 70 just didn’t get the job done for the Australian, as his birdie effort at the 72nd hole came up just short.
1. Jordan Spieth
25 of 25
OWGR: 2
Previous ranking: 1
Why he's here: Who could knock Jordan Spieth off his perch? He won the first two majors of the season and came within a stroke of winning the third. As this is a measure of the best players on tour at this moment, the man who has made 17 of 19 cuts with 11 top-10 finishes is the only choice.
How he fared at St. Andrews: -14 (T4). Spieth came up one stroke short of the playoff at St. Andrews. He was undone by a final-round four-putt.
Stats via PGATour.com
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