Ranking Top Golfers Ahead of the 2017 Masters
With the ceremonial opening tee shots drawing near (sadly without Arnold Palmer), it's time for our annual pre-Masters ranking. Jason Day topped the 2016 edition.
What goes into the breakdown? A look at recent play at Augusta, key statistical indicators, a golfer's last five starts and a glance at his Official World Golf Ranking are all considered.
How do we factor in Day's recent unfortunate news? How do we rank the Dustin Johnson-Jordan Spieth-Rory McIlroy trio? Who fills out our top 10 before the April 6 event?
Click through for the answers.
25. Brooks Koepka
1 of 25
OWGR: 25
Best of 2016-17: Brooks Koepka finished second at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in November. Outside of that, he's missed four cuts in nine starts. He's made just one cut in his last four stroke-play events.
Why He's Here: While Koepka's form isn't tops at the moment, the combination of his pedigree and respectable showings in his two turns at Augusta National earns him the No. 25 spot in this ranking.
Masters History: In two Masters starts (2015, 2016) Koepka finished tied for 33rd and tied for 21st respectively.
24. Jimmy Walker
2 of 25
OWGR: 24
Best of 2016-17: Jimmy Walker's only top-10 finish of 2017 came at the SBS Tournament of Champions. He's made seven of 10 cuts, tying for 25th at the WGC-Mexico Championship in his most recent stroke-play action.
Why He's Here: Walker hasn't put together the top-class showings this year. Still, as one of the 25 best golfers in the world over the past two years and with a T8 finish at Augusta under his belt, he belongs here.
Masters History: Walker tied for eighth in 2014 and tied for 29th last year.
23. Matt Kuchar
3 of 25
OWGR: 21
Best of 2016-17: Matt Kuchar missed the cut at the Shell Houston Open in his most recent action. Prior to that, however, he had recorded three top-25 finishes in a row. He tied for third at the Hero World Challenge and tied for ninth at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Why He's Here: If Kuchar hadn't missed the cut at the Shell Houston Open, everything else was adding up for him to place in the Nos. 16-20 range in this ranking. As it is, he slides to No. 23, though a top-15 finish wouldn't surprise at all.
Masters History: Kuchar has made nine of 10 cuts at the Masters, tallying six top-25 finishes. He tied for third in 2012 and finished tied for 24th last year.
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22. Charl Schwartzel
4 of 25
OWGR: 29
Best of 2016-17: In six PGA Tour starts this season, Charl Schwartzel has made five cuts. His best finish, sixth, came at the Valspar Championship. He tied for 45th in his most recent stroke-play event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Why He's Here: Respectable form recently and past winner status see Schwartzel sitting ahead of Matt Kuchar, but not by a wide margin.
Masters History: A winner in 2011, Schwartzel has failed to tally another top-10 finish at Augusta. He's made the cut five of seven times, missing out on the weekend last year.
21. Brandt Snedeker
5 of 25
OWGR: 22
Best of 2016-17: Brandt Snedeker has missed the cut just twice in nine starts and tallied three top-10 finishes. Sneds' best finish this year was a fourth-place showing at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. He tied for 28th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in his last stroke-play event.
Why He's Here: Snedeker did good work at Augusta last year and has consistently cracked the top 25 on tour this season. The combination of recent form and recent ANGC play sees him edging out Charl Schwartzel.
Masters History: In nine appearances at the Masters, Snedeker's best finish came in 2008, when he tied for third. He has totaled five top-25 finishes, tying for 10th last year.
20. Matthew Fitzpatrick
6 of 25
OWGR: 31
Best of 2016-17: In limited PGA Tour action this year, Matthew Fitzpatrick has four top-25 finishes. He tied for 13th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and tied for fifth at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour.
Why He's Here: Fitz is an under-the-radar candidate for a strong Masters campaign. Considering his T7 finish in his second Augusta experience last year and his more than respectable recent form, notching him in the No. 20 spot may not be generous enough.
Masters History: In his only turn at Augusta National as a professional, Fitzpatrick put in an impressive performance and landed a top-10 finish.
19. Patrick Reed
7 of 25
OWGR: 13
Best of 2016-17: Patrick Reed's only missed cut this season came in his most recent start at the Shell Houston Open. His only official top-10 finish came at the SBS Tournament of Champions. He also tied for 12th at the Career Builder Challenge.
Why He's Here: Reed's poor showing in Houston is a bit of a concern. But he's still a solid bet for the 10th- to 20th-place range, however. The recent form issue sees him on the low end of that spectrum.
Masters History: Reed has made the cut twice in three Masters starts. His best finish? A tie for 22nd in 2015.
18. Marc Leishman
8 of 25
OWGR: 27
Best of 2016-17: A winner at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Marc Leishman has made eight of nine cuts in his PGA Tour work this season. He's totaled three top-10 finishes.
Why He's Here: His ceiling at Augusta (tied for fourth place) and a win in his most recent stroke-play action earn Leish the No. 18 spot...even if he's made a Masters mess in three of his four tries.
Masters History: The Masters has been a mixed bag for Leishman: In four appearances, he's missed three cuts, with the aforementioned tie for fourth place his only trip into weekend play.
17. Justin Thomas
9 of 25
OWGR: 7
Best of 2016-17: Thrice a winner on the PGA Tour this season (CIMB Classic, SBS Tournament of Champions, Sony Open), Thomas has missed just three cuts in 11 starts. Unfortunately, he's missed the cut in two of his last three stroke-play starts.
Why He's Here: JT's lack of Masters experience keeps him out of the top 15. His recent downturn in form after a torrid start to the year doesn't help, either.
Masters History: Thomas tied for 39th last year, his only Masters start.
16. Bubba Watson
10 of 25
OWGR: 19
Best of 2016-17: Bubba Watson has a pair of top-25 finishes in eight PGA Tour starts this season. He tied for 34th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational the last time he teed it up in a stroke-play event.
Why He's Here: Watson's form wouldn't suggest anything better than a top-25 finish is coming this week. However, his maestro-like work at ANGC in the past demands a slightly better ranking.
Masters History: A two-time Masters winner (2012, 2014), Watson hasn't missed the cut at Augusta National in eight appearances. He tied for 37th last year.
15. Tyrrell Hatton
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OWGR: 15
Best of 2016-17: Tyrrell Hatton hasn't finished outside the top 15 in his last six starts worldwide. Most recently, he cracked the top 10 at the Honda Classic, the WGC-Mexico and the Arnold Palmer Invitational in successive weeks. The Englishman is on a run of superlative form.
Why He's Here: While Hatton's play has been brilliant, there's arguably no course on the PGA Tour that places such a premium on experience as Augusta National. That limits his ceiling here.
Masters History: None.
14. Jason Day
12 of 25
OWGR: 3
Best of 2016-17: Jason Day's 2016 has been more trying than we knew. While he's made five of six cuts, the year hasn't been up to his standards. Injury and familial issues haven't made anything easier. He walked off the course at the WGC-Dell Match Play in his most recent start, and his mere presence at Augusta National is dependent on his mother's continued recovery from cancer surgery.
Why He's Here: It's difficult to figure out what to do with J. Day this week. He hasn't been practicing much. It's tough to think the No. 3 golfer in the world is going to be sharp.
Masters History: Day has made the cut in five of his six Masters starts (he withdrew with an ankle injury in 2012). He tied for second in 2011 and finished third in 2013. He tied for 10th last year.
13. Louis Oosthuizen
13 of 25
OWGR: 28
Best of 2016-17: Without a missed cut in his most recent 10 starts in combined play, Louis Oosthuizen cracked the top five at the Waste Management Phoenix Open for his best work of the season.
Why He's Here: King Louis hasn't been brilliant at ANGC outside of his 2012 showing. He is, however, in strong cut-making form. Thus, something similar to his T15 outing last year wouldn't be surprising.
Masters History: Runner-up to Bubba Watson in 2012, Oosthuizen has made four of eight cuts at Augusta National.
12. Paul Casey
14 of 25
OWGR: 16
Best of 2016-17: Paul Casey has missed just one cut in 11 PGA Tour starts this season. He's finished inside the top 10 two times. He tied for 41st at the Arnold Palmer Invitational following a tie for 16th at the WGC-Mexico Championship.
Why He's Here: Casey goes before Louis Oosthuizen here on account of better work at Augusta National overall. The two are relatively similar with regard to recent form and pedigree.
Masters History: Casey has finished inside the top 10 four times at ANGC. Making a total of seven cuts in 10 appearances, Casey's best finish was a pair of ties for sixth (2004, 2015) until he tied for fourth last year.
11. Sergio Garcia
15 of 25
OWGR: 11
Best of 2016-17: Sergio Garcia raised a trophy at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour in early February. The Spaniard recorded top-15 finishes in his two most recent PGA Tour starts (Honda Classic, WGC-Mexico Championship). Garcia hasn't missed a cut in six starts on the PGA Tour this season.
Why He's Here: Garcia, Garcia. It's incredible this man hasn't won a major. Unfortunately, the steepness of his swing makes Augusta National, with its bevy of uphill, downhill and sidehill lies, a difficult proposition. No matter how good he's playing entering the Masters, forecasting anything better than a top-15 showing is wildly optimistic.
Masters History: The 37-year-old has made 18 Masters appearances, making the cut 13 times. He tied for eighth in 2013.
10. Phil Mickelson
16 of 25
OWGR: 18
Best of 2016-17: In nine starts this season, Phil Mickelson hasn't missed a cut and has finished inside the top 25 six times. He tied for seventh at the WGC-Mexico Championship and tied for eighth at the Safeway Open.
Why He's Here: Mickelson has doubtless been playing good, if not great, golf this year. However, he entered Augusta on a pair of top-20 finishes and was horrific last year. Mickelson's inconsistency at a course that penalizes the slightest lack of precision makes it difficult to imagine he'll finish inside the top 10.
Masters History: While Mickelson missed the cut at ANGC last year, he finished second in 2015. Lefty is thrice a green jacket winner, with 15 top-10s in 24 starts.
9. Adam Scott
17 of 25
OWGR: 9
Best of 2016-17: Adam Scott's best work this season is a tie for ninth at the ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf, an unofficial PGA event. He tied for 10th at the CIMB Classic and tied for 11th at the Genesis Open. Scott tied for 45th at the WGC-Mexico Championship his last time out.
Why He's Here: Scotty isn't putting together the top-tier performances this season. Still, he's one of the 10 best golfers in the world, isn't on a run of bad form and has a stellar Augusta resume. A ho-hum performance last year holds him back a bit, however.
Masters History: He has made the cut in 13 of 15 starts at Augusta National with eight top-25 finishes, including a win in 2013. He tied for 42nd last year.
8. Jon Rahm
18 of 25
OWGR: 12
Best of 2016-17: In 10 starts on the PGA Tour, Jon Rahm not only hasn't missed a cut, but he's also finished outside the top 25 just two times. He won the Farmers Insurance Open and tied for third at the WGC-Mexico Championship.
Why He's Here: What a wild card. What do you do with a guy who is absolutely on fire, has shown he has the game to compete with the top 10 golfers in the world but has never competed at Augusta National, a course that places a massive premium on experience? We'll place him in the No. 8 slot, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him win...or miss the cut.
Masters History: None.
7. Rickie Fowler
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OWGR: 8
Best of 2016-17: Rickie Fowler won the Honda Classic in late February. He's finished inside the top 16 in his last four starts with only one missed cut this season.
Why He's Here: No doubt Fowler is hot. However, his missed cut at Augusta last year (amid a run of decent form heading in) is concerning. Realistically, there's a thin margin between the Nos. 5, 6 and 7 players in this ranking, and Fowler is playing well at the moment, but the aforementioned missed cut at Augusta last year looms large.
Masters History: He tied for fifth at Augusta National in 2014 and made the cut in five of his six Masters appearances.
6. Henrik Stenson
20 of 25
OWGR: 5
Best of 2016-17: Henrik Stenson missed the cut at the Shell Houston Open in his most recent action. Prior to that, he tied for seventh at the Valspar Championship before missing the Arnold Palmer Invitational cut. Stenson also finished second at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour in February.
Why He's Here: Yes, that Stenson missed the cut at the SHO (and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, for that matter) gives pause, but given his pedigree, we'll bank on his making the appropriate adjustments to put together a respectable showing at Augusta National.
Masters History: Stenson has made eight of 11 Masters cuts with six top-25 finishes. He tied for 24th last year.
5. Hideki Matsuyama
21 of 25
OWGR: 4
Best of 2016-17: Hideki Matsuyama has won twice on the PGA Tour this season (WGC-HSBC Champions, Waste Management Phoenix Open). In total, Matsuyama has made nine of 10 cuts with five top-25 finishes.
Why He's Here: A higher ceiling this year and superior record at the Masters pushes Matsuyama ahead of Henrik Stenson in this ranking.
Masters History: Matsuyama was the low amateur in his first Masters in 2011. He finished fifth in 2015 and tied for seventh last year.
4. Justin Rose
22 of 25
OWGR: 14
Best of 2016-17: Justin Rose hasn't missed a cut in seven starts on the PGA Tour this season. He finished second at the Sony Open in Hawaii and tied for fourth at both the Farmers Insurance Open and the Genesis Open.
Why He's Here: Rosey is quietly having an excellent season, and his work in 2015 shows he's capable of taking on Augusta National. If you're looking for an under-the-radar bet for a top-10 finish (if not a win), the well-rounded Rose looks as sure as any.
Masters History: His 2015 showing (T2) was his best finish in 11 Masters starts. Rose has never missed the cut at the season's first major. He's recorded nine top-25 finishes.
3. Jordan Spieth
23 of 25
OWGR: 6
Best of 2016-17: A winner at Pebble Beach, Jordan Spieth has missed only one cut in eight PGA Tour starts. Spieth has tallied four top-10 finishes and tied for 12th in his most recent stroke-play event (WGC-Mexico) prior to the missed cut at the Shell Houston Open.
Why He's Here: One round shouldn't massively raise or lower anyone in this ranking, but Spieth's second-round 77 to miss the cut at the Shell Houston Open isn't encouraging. Outside of that, though, his recent work is respectable, and his Masters resume is superb.
Masters History: The 2015 Masters champion, Spieth finished tied for second both last year and in 2014.
2. Rory McIlroy
24 of 25
OWGR: 2
Best of 2016-17: Rory McIlroy enters the Masters flying somewhat under the radar. He hasn't finished outside the top 10 in a PGA Tour or European Tour start in 2016. He finished fourth in both the WGC-HSBC Champions and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Why He's Here: McIlroy has been more consistent with his form than Jordan Spieth in recent weeks. While Spieth is a "horse for the course" at ANGC, McIlroy has no problem racking up strong finishes. And his overall pedigree is superior.
Masters History: McIlroy tied for 10th at Augusta last year. He's made seven of eight cuts and has six top-25 finishes. A fourth-place finish in 2015 is his best work.
1. Dustin Johnson
25 of 25
OWGR: 1
Best of 2016-17: Dustin Johnson heads into the season's first major with the best form of any player in recent memory. He's won his last three starts and finished third at Pebble Beach three starts ago.
Why He's Here: Johnson is the hottest golfer in the game by a wide margin. Plus, with his retooled power fade, he could carve up Augusta National with a similar ball flight to the controlled draw Bubba Watson dismantled the Georgia course with.
Masters History: Johnson has missed the cut just once in seven starts at Augusta National. He recorded his best finish last year, tying for fourth.
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