PGA Power Rankings: Rating the Top 15 Golfers After the Barclays
With the Barclays finished, a few things are clear. Tiger Woods is continuing his downward spiral, but the United States also showed they will be ready for the coming Ryder Cup, with U.S. team member Matt Kuchar taking first place this past weekend.
As far as rankings are considered: Although Woods has struggled mightily since his return, he still remains on top, one spot ahead of Phil Mickelson.
Here's how the top 15 looks at the moment.
15. Zach Johnson
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A fan favorite who has had success over the past several years, American Zach Johnson has continued his solid play thus far this year. Though he did struggle at the Barclays, finishing in 21st, Johnson still ranks 16th in the FedEx Cup standings.
He also managed to come in third at this year's PGA Championship.
At 11th in the US Ryder Cup team standings, Johnson must have some good showings before the Cup begins on October 1st if he wants to solidify himself as a member of the American team.
14. Anthony Kim
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Coming in at No. 14 is American Anthony Kim.
Since finishing third at this year's Masters, Kim's performances have gone downhill to say the least. He missed the cut at the Barclays this past weekend, making that his third-straight cut missed.
While Kim finds himself currently at nine on the US team standings, he too needs to step up his game if he wants to represent the U.S. come October. If his play doesn't improve, don't expect to see Kim putting on the red, white, and blue.
13. Graeme McDowell
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The 13 spot belongs to Northern Ireland native Graeme McDowell.
McDowell has been rather inconsistent so far this year, with his performances looking something like a roller coaster. He did manage to win a major at this year's U.S. Open Championship, but outside of that, he has only finished in the top 10 one other time this year.
He's missed three cuts, his latest being the PGA Championship.
McDowell will be looking to turn things around and get back to winning the next time he steps on the course.
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12. Hunter Mahan
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At No. 12 is American Hunter Mahan. The California native has had an active year so far, taking part in 22 tournaments, but winning just two.
He's missed four cuts, including the U.S. Open. Although he's had his share of missed cuts and won just two tournaments this year, his play has been overall solid. In fact, he's currently second on the U.S. Ryder Cup standings.
Mahan finished 28th this past weekend at the Barclays.
11. Ian Poulter
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No. 11 is the lively Ian Poulter out of England.
Poulter has had a decent year, with a recent solid finish of 15th at the Barclays. He also finished in the top 10 at the Masters and won a World Golf Championship tournament earlier this year, the Accenture Match.
Poulter has always been a competitor since his PGA tour debut a decade ago, and a satisfying finish this year wouldn't surprise anyone.
10. Luke Donald
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The first to crack the top 10 is England native Luke Donald.
Donald's year has been quite inconsistent, as he has five top-10 finishes, yet he's also missed four cuts, including two majors. None of his top-10 finishes were in Majors.
If Donald wants to keep his lofty ranking, he's going to have to start showing up when it matters. And with all of the Majors already passed, Donald must play well in the remaining playoff tournaments.
9. Paul Casey
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Paul Casey, another native of England, holds the ninth spot.
Casey has had a very impressive year thus far, finishing in the top 10 five times with three missed cuts. In every tournament except the three in which he failed to make the cut, Casey hasn't finished lower than 40th.
In fact, he made a strong push at the Open Championship, coming in third. He also had an impressive showing at the PGA Championship, finishing 12th.
However, Casey needs to find a win sometime between now and the end of the playoffs if he wants to finish off a great year.
8. Ernie Els
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At No. 8, we find South African Ernie Els, who every golf fan knows is a very consistent player.
Els has had a typical year for his standards, with six top-10 finishes including two wins. He's missed just three cuts, although one was the Open Championship.
He's also currently ranked first on this year's PGA Money List, having amassed over $4 million.
Els will be looking to finish the year strong with solid performances down the stretch of the PGA playoffs.
7. Rory McIlroy
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Not too many people knew about No. 7 on the list before this year.
Rory McIlroy, the youngster out of Northern Ireland, has made a lot of noise this season.
He has five top-10 finishes, most notable of which was his incredible third-place finish at this year's Open Championship at Saint Andrews.
When you're just 21 years old and you shoot a 63 to tie a major-championship record, you're going to get the attention McIlroy has.
6. Jim Furyk
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American Jim Furyk, 40, is no stranger to high rankings.
This year, he's finished in the top-10 five times, including two wins. However, he has struggled at times, as he missed both cuts for the Open Championship and the Masters.
Furyk looks to be a major contributor in this year's Ryder Cup. He's currently fourth in the team standings.
5. Martin Kaymer
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Martin Kaymer, the Germany native, comes in ranked fifth.
Kaymer's year has been extremely impressive, as he has finished in the top 10 in four out of the 10 events he has competed in, including three majors.
One of those top-10 finishes was his recent winning of the PGA Championship in August.
Kaymer is relatively young and should be a force for years to come on the tour.
4. Steve Stricker
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Ranked fourth is American Steve Stricker.
Stricker's year has been relatively decent, as he has finished in the top 10 in six out of 16 events. However, none of those were in Major Championships.
He does have two wins, his most recent being the John Deere Classic in July.
However, Stricker has done enough to put himself in very good position for the FedEx Cup, as he currently stands at second place.
3. Lee Westwood
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The third-ranked player in the world is a man out of England by the name of Lee Westwood.
Westwood's year has been both solid, yet at the same time frustrating. He has six top-10 finishes, two of which were Majors. In both of those Majors he fell just short, coming in second place each time.
Since he is not taking part in the FedEx Cup, it can be assumed Westwood is channeling all of his energy towards preparing for the Ryder Cup, in which he needs to be a major factor for the European team.
2. Phil Mickelson
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At No. 2 is another familiar face, Phil Mickelson.
Mickelson has had a very successful year, finishing in five top 10s, including winning a major championship at the Masters.
Mickelson has had several chances lately to jump up to the top spot in the golf world, yet he has come up short every time. However, most feel as though it's only a matter of time before the 40-year-old San Diego native is crowned the new No. 1 of the golf world.
1. Tiger Woods
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As strange as it is with his seemingly endless struggles, Tiger Woods still holds the top spot in the PGA rankings.
Life on the course has been pretty rough for Woods this year, as he has just two top-10 finishes. On the bright side, both of those were in Major Championships.
And while many feel Woods is undeserving of the top spot at this point, he has only missed one cut this year. He's also Tiger Woods and has accomplished many things that many golfers can only dream of, so he has to be given the benefit of the doubt.
However, if Woods doesn't start winning soon, he won't be getting that benefit anymore.
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