Ranking the Top 10 Golfers Ahead of the 2018 Masters
With ceremonial opening tee shots drawing near, it's time for our annual pre-Masters ranking.
Dustin Johnson topped the 2017 edition.
What goes into the breakdown, you ask? A look at career play at Augusta National, a golfer's last several starts and a glance at the Official World Golf Ranking are all considered.
How do we factor in Tiger Woods' resurgence? Who is the best non-American contender? Does defending champion Sergio Garcia fit into the mix anywhere?
Who fills out our top 10 before the April 5 event?
Scroll through for the answers.
10. Jon Rahm
1 of 10
OWGR: 3
Best of 2018: Jon Rahm placed second and first in his initial two starts of 2018, at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the CareerBuilder Challenge, respectively. He's since made five cuts in five events but hasn't cracked a top 10.
Why He's Here: Had a list been assembled in mid-January, chances are good that Rahm would have been up a few more spots. The less-celebrated finishes since have impacted his ranking, but he is third in the world for a reason and warrants legitimate consideration this week.
Masters History: Rahm made his first professional trip to Augusta in 2017 and made the cut, ultimately finishing tied for 27th at three over par.
9. Jason Day
2 of 10
OWGR: 11
Best of 2018: A one-time major winner—at the 2015 PGA Championship—Jason Day broke from the gates quickly this year with a win at the Farmers Insurance Open and a second-place result two weeks later at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He's played two events since and finished tied for 22nd and tied for 36th.
Why He's Here: The world ranking might show him outside the top 10, but there's little doubt that Day is on the short list of top picks every time a major rolls around. In 29 career Grand Slam events, he's finished in the top 10 nearly half of the time—14.
Masters History: It's Day's eighth straight April at Augusta, where he's topped out with a tie for second in 2011 and a solo third in 2013. A tie for 10th in 2016 is his best result since those near misses.
8. Phil Mickelson
3 of 10
OWGR: 18
Best of 2018: Phil Mickelson is in fine pre-Augusta form, having racked up four top-10 finishes in eight events this year—including a win at the WGC-Mexico Championship in early March. In fact, he's only once been outside the top 20 since starting with a missed cut and a tie for 45th.
Why He's Here: He's 47 years old and outside the world's top 10, but he's playing as consistently as anyone and his track record makes his inclusion a no-brainer.
Masters History: Lefty's resume dwarfs nearly any at the Masters, thanks to victories in 2004, 2006 and 2010. He's made the cut in all but two years since the most recent victory, coming as close as a tie for second in 2015 and a tie for third in 2012.
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7. Bubba Watson
4 of 10
OWGR: 19
Best of 2018: Bubba Watson started the year in anonymous fashion, but he's won twice and taken a tie for ninth in his four most recent events. A rout of Kevin Kisner in the finals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play boosted his world ranking from 39th to 21st.
Why He's Here: See above. Watson was 117th in the world after a tie for 35th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but the subsequent surge makes him a favorite of those who base their picks on player momentum.
Masters History: When Watson is on at Augusta, he's on. He won the green jacket in 2012 and 2014 with scores of 10 under and eight under, respectively. In his other seven appearances, however, he's never broken par and never finished better than a tie for 20th.
6. Tiger Woods
5 of 10
OWGR: 103
Best of 2018: Unless you've been residing under a non-Wi-Fi-enabled rock, you probably know that Tiger Woods has returned from back-fusion surgery and regained relevance with a tie for second at the Valspar Championship and a tie for fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Why He's Here: Really? He's here because he's perhaps the greatest player ever, and any glimmer of positivity in his game—given the struggles since his most recent major win in 2008—is greeted with the sort of over-the-top reaction usually reserved for the Kardashians or the Royal Family.
Masters History: Woods has won four times at Augusta, including a historic 1997 breakthrough and a 2005 effort in which he bested Chris DiMarco on the first hole of a playoff. Wins in 2001 and 2002 were sandwiched in between, and he's also finished second (T-2007, 2008), third (T-2006), fourth (T-2010, T-2011, T-2013) and fifth (2000).
5. Jordan Spieth
6 of 10
OWGR: 4
Best of 2018: Jordan Spieth has leaned closer to lukewarm than red-hot this year, recording just three top-10 finishes in nine events. The third of those, however, came via a tie for third in the Houston Open, which is the final pre-Augusta tune-up event. Elsewhere, he was ninth at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January and tied for ninth at the Genesis Open in February.
Why He's Here: The Houston result—including a final-round 66—shows he's trending in the right direction, and his fourth-place world ranking certainly indicates he's a formidable force no matter where he plays. Add that to a Masters pedigree nearly any player would covet, and it's clear Spieth deserves serious consideration.
Masters History: It wasn't long ago that Spieth looked like the youngster who would succeed Woods as the American face of the sport. He tied for second as a 20-year-old in 2014 and then went wire-to-wire for a four-shot win over Mickelson and Justin Rose a year later. A second green jacket seemed certain in 2016 when he carried a five-shot lead to the 10th tee, but a three-hole meltdown cost him six shots to par and ultimately left him three shots behind eventual champion Danny Willett. He tied for 11th in 2017.
4. Rory McIlroy
7 of 10
OWGR: 7
Best of 2018: Rory McIlroy announced his pre-Masters presence with authority at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, shooting a final-round 64 that yielded a three-shot victory. He's added a second and a tie for third across seven other events so far this year.
Why He's Here: Any player with three-quarters of the career Grand Slam under his belt, particularly one who won't even be 30 years old until next year, is set to be a darling of the smart money. McIlroy may be ranked seventh in the world, but he's as close to being the non-Tiger face of the sport these days as anyone.
Masters History: It's the only major he's never won, and, in fact, McIlroy's nine appearances at the Masters have been pedestrian by his standards. A fourth in 2015 and a tie for seventh last year are his best showings on an Augusta resume otherwise dotted with two top-10s and three showings inside the top 25.
3. Justin Rose
8 of 10
OWGR: 5
Best of 2018: Justin Rose hasn't played a ton so far this year, but he's usually been good when he's shown up. The South African-born 37-year-old was third at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, tied for fifth at the Valspar Championship and tied for eighth at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Why He's Here: Not only is Rose ranked fifth in the world, but he's also got a resume with the all-important "major champion" bullet point. That came via the 2013 U.S. Open, and there have been five more major top-10s since as he aims to add a second Grand Slam trophy.
Masters History: Rose was tied with Sergio Garcia at the end of the third round in 2017 and again at the end of 72 holes but was relegated to second place after driving into the trees and missing a par putt on the initial playoff hole. In 11 other Masters appearances, Rose finished in the top-10 four times.
2. Justin Thomas
9 of 10
OWGR: 2
Best of 2018: Justin Thomas won't turn 25 years old until a few weeks after the Masters, but he's already played this year like he expects a green jacket as a present. Seven starts have yielded seven made cuts, including a win at the Honda Classic, a second at the WGC-Mexico Championship and a fourth at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
Why He's Here: Thomas was a four-time winner on the PGA Tour—including the PGA Championship—and earned Player of the Year honors while racking up more than $9.9 million for the 2016-17 season. His early surge this year indicates he's ready to continue the Grand Slam hunt.
Masters History: In two previous Masters starts, Thomas has been an inglorious 39th (tied) in 2016 and an equally anonymous 22nd (tied) in 2017, failing to break par either time.
1. Dustin Johnson
10 of 10
OWGR: 1
Best of 2018: Dustin Johnson began his year with an eight-shot victory over Rahm at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. He's had three top-10s and another top-20 in five subsequent events and even made news at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play—where he tied for 59th—with a ridiculous 489-yard drive on the 12th hole at the Austin Country Club.
Why He's Here: He's been ranked No. 1 in the world since winning the Genesis Open in February 2017 and broke out of the "best player to never win a major" doghouse a year earlier at the 2016 U.S. Open. Bottom line, if he's playing his best golf for 72 holes, he'll be awfully difficult to beat.
Masters History: Johnson was labeled a favorite last year but slipped down a staircase at an Augusta rental home the day before the first round and was forced to withdraw with a back injury. In seven actual appearances, he's reached the top-10 twice and the top-15 one other time.
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