Can anyone beat Scottie Scheffler?
Wait, is Scheffler even enjoying?
And did you see Rory McIlroy this previous week?
Scheffler, whose spouse was anticipating their first little one on the finish of April, has but to announce whether or not he’ll play this week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Membership. In the meantime, McIlroy, the winner the final time the PGA got here to the Louisville, Kentucky, structure, enters the yr’s second main on the heels of a five-shot victory over Xander Schauffele on the Wells Fargo Championship.
Scheffler and McIlroy actually match the profile for Valhalla. Each drive it lengthy and straight, hit greens at excessive charges, have the pace to get via some thick tough, and maybe most significantly, have received not less than a few these main championships.
With scattered storms and rain anticipated all through the week (a flood watch is in impact via Thursday morning), Valhalla ought to play longer and softer than initially anticipated, which received’t trouble Scheffler and McIlroy, both.
OK, so by now you realize that Scheffler and McIlroy are Nos. 1 and a couple of, respectively, on this rating. However the place do gamers stack up behind them?
Here’s a full rating of your entire 156-player PGA Championship area:
Nos. 141-156
156. John Daly
155. Shaun Micheel
154. Wealthy Beem
153. Josh Bevell
152. Ben Pollard
151. Tracy Phillips
150. Preston Cole
149. Zac Oakley
148. Kyle Mendoza
147. Jeremy Wells
146. Wyatt Worthington II
145. Josh Speight
144. Jeff Kellen
143. John Somers
142. Matt Dobyns
141. Larkin Gross
Largely membership professionals right here. Let’s be trustworthy, in case you’re betting on these guys, it’s attempting to foretell who will end final. The 58-year-old Daly, who hasn’t made a significant lower for the reason that 2012 PGA, is the perfect wager.
Nos. 131-140
140. Tyler Collet
139. Evan Bowser
138. Jared Jones
137. Braden Shattuck
136. Jesse Mueller
135. Y.E. Yang
134. Brad Marek
133. Michael Block
132. Andy Svoboda
131. Jason Dufner
Now we’re in low membership professional territory. It’s extremely unlikely Block – or anybody for that matter – will do what he did final yr at Oak Hill. Actually, Svoboda, a former touring professional who owns three profession Korn Ferry Tour wins, his final coming in 2016, might be the play over Block. Dufner is using a streak of 5 straight MCs on the PGA and can most certainly get eaten up by Valhalla’s size and tough.
Nos. 121-130
130. Luke Donald
129. Jimmy Walker
128. Francesco Molinari
127. Martin Kaymer
126. Camilo Villegas
125. Ryan van Velzen
124. Zac Blair
123. Brice Garnett
122. Phil Mickelson
121. Ben Kohles
Some previous champs with not a lot sport left, and sure, that features Mickelson, who crazily received this championship three years in the past. … Villegas’ tee-to-green sport has actually fallen aside this yr … Van Velzen has three straight top-11s – on the Sunshine Tour. … Garnett is a winner this yr, and Kohles nearly received final week, however these have been amongst few highlights for the 2.
Nos. 111-120
120. Padraig Harrington
119. Taylor Montgomery
118. Tiger Woods
117. Kazuma Kobori
116. Alexander Björk
115. Adrian Otaegui
114. Cameron Davis
113. Gary Woodland
112. Lucas Herbert
111. Tim Widing
Harrington made 3 of three main cuts a yr in the past and was T-4 on the PGA in 2021. He’s nonetheless received somewhat bit. … Montgomery is No. 1 in strokes gained placing, however he’s struggled attending to the inexperienced (No. 167 in strokes gained tee to inexperienced). … Woods and thick, major-championship tough don’t combine lately. … Woodland’s T-38 at Wells Fargo was nice to see, although he nonetheless doesn’t look 100% on the market. … Widing has received twice on the Korn Ferry Tour prior to now two weeks, however it is a main.
Nos. 101-110
110. Andy Ogletree
109. Ryan Fox
108. Jesper Svensson
107. Nick Dunlap
106. Rickie Fowler
105. Brendon Todd
104. Matt Wallace
103. Adam Svensson
102. Thriston Lawrence
101. Rasmus Højgaard
Ogletree earned his manner again onto LIV through the Asian Tour final yr, and he was T-3 a pair begins in the past in Adelaide. … Dunlap will get it going ultimately, however he isn’t driving it almost effectively sufficient to do it this week. … Fowler appeared to be turning issues round with a T-30 on the Masters adopted by a T-18 on the RBC Heritage, however he was T-43 on the 68-man Wells Fargo and is ranked outdoors the highest 130 in strokes gained placing and tee to inexperienced. … The opposite Hojgaard hasn’t performed since he shot 79 after which WD’d from the Hero Indian Open.
Nos. 91-100
100. Peter Malnati
99. Robert MacIntyre
98. Eric Cole
97. Alejandro Tosti
96. Ok.H. Lee
95. Justin Rose
94. Ryo Hisatsune
93. S.H. Kim
92. Beau Hossler
91. Thorbjorn Olesen
Malnati is the Tour’s second-best putter and in addition certainly one of its worst drivers (No. 172 in whole driving). He additionally beat simply two guys at Quail Hole. … It’s been a troublesome yr for MacIntyre, particularly hitting fairways. … Cole isn’t enjoying just like the man who received Rookie of the Yr proper now. He was useless final at Quail Hole, although is barely outdoors the highest 60 in strokes gained tee to inexperienced. … Tosti can transfer it and ranks third in strokes gained off the tee, however he has had hassle stringing collectively good rounds and the errors might be amplified at Valhalla. … Lee has now gone 4 straight non-team occasions with no top-30 end. Iron play has damage him. … Rose is a giant identify who hits fairways, however he’s No. 161 in strokes gained tee to inexperienced. … Hisatsune had a top-15 on the Byron Nelson earlier than MC’ing in Myrtle Seashore. Cast-iron participant, although. … Kim received in off the alternate listing. He’s received a pair top-15s within the final couple months and is No. 15 in strokes gained placing, however the driving is a giant query. … Hossler stays a top-25 putter, and he’s gotten his GIR stat to No. 51, however he’s nonetheless No. 166 in whole driving and hadn’t cracked the highest 50 in a Tour occasion till his T-4 in Myrtle Seashore. … Olesen nice from the tough, which is able to assist, however he want a final-round 61 in Myrtle to keep away from one other end outdoors the highest 35.
Nos. 81-90
90. Sami Valimaki
89. Lee Hodges
88. Tom Kim
87. Ben Griffin
86. Charley Hoffman
85. Vincent Norrman
84. Nick Taylor
83. Luke Checklist
82. Emiliano Grillo
81. Alex Smalley
Valimaki has been slumping, together with MC’in in Myrtle Seashore. However he’s a top-50 whole driver nonetheless. … Hodges ranks almost outdoors the highest 150 in strokes gained tee to inexperienced. … Kim is overrated contemplating he’s ranked No. 132 in strokes gained tee to inexperienced and No. 102 in placing. His main file may save him – 5 top-30s in his final seven begins – however he’s 0 for 3 in making cuts on the PGA. … Griffin is a top-35 putter and chipper, and he’s been T-16 or higher in three of final 4 begins. Driver may give him points in a significant, although. … Like Griffin, Hoffman’s quick sport must be clutch. … Norrman can drive the ball – and much. Plus, he’s No. 14 in greens in regulation. However he’s additionally useless final in strokes gained placing. … I used to be so, so excessive on Taylor coming into the Masters, and he MC’d. He’s seventh in proximity from fairway heart and No. 17 in strokes gained placing, however I’m not biting this time. … Checklist is No. 96 in strokes gained tee to inexperienced; that’s all you want to know. … Grillo has missed 4 of his final 5 main cuts and is coming off a T-64 at Wells Fargo. He’s additionally No. 117 in whole driving. … Smalley received in when Steve Stricker withdrew; his quick sport received’t bail him out, however he’s received three top-20s in his final 4 Tour begins.
Nos. 71-80
80. David Puig
79. Jordan Smith
78. Adrian Meronk
77. J.T. Poston
76. Adam Hadwin
75. Mark Hubbard
74. Takumi Kanaya
73. Sepp Straka
72. Mackenzie Hughes
71. Brian Harman
Puig hasn’t fared effectively in his LIV begins, however he does have 5 straight top-10s in Asian Tour occasions, together with a win in February in Malaysia. … Smith has 4 top-25s in his final 5 begins on the DPWT. … Meronk MC’d at Masters however was T-10 at LIV Singapore. … A T-5 at Harbour City has been certainly one of few brilliant spots lately for Poston, who’s outdoors the highest 40 in strokes gained placing. … Maybe extra shockingly, Hadwin is outdoors the highest 70 in strokes gained placing. … Hubbard has made 12 straight cuts on Tour, although he’s No. 104 in whole driving and No. 156 in tough proximity. … Kanaya received in Japan a number of begins in the past, however he’s additionally missed every of his final eight main cuts. … Straka’s T-8 at Wells Fargo was his fourth straight top-16, a streak that began on the Masters. He’s ranked right here just because if he begins lacking fairways, it may go south fast. … Hughes is No. 169 in whole driving, although if he putts like he did at Wells Fargo, the place he was T-6 on the leaderboard, he ought to make lower. … Harman is a regarding No. 119 in whole driving, however he’s additionally high 15 in strokes gained placing and proximity from the middle of fairway. Additionally has only one end higher than T-40 in his PGA profession.
Nos. 61-70
70. Tom Hoge
69. Chris Gotterup
68. Keegan Bradley
67. Thomas Detry
66. Sebastian Soderberg
65. Maverick McNealy
64. Taylor Pendrith
63. Denny McCarthy
62. Jake Knapp
61. Grayson Murray
Hoge is second in strokes gained method however No. 122 off the tee. … Gotterup has the recent hand after convincing win in Myrtle Seashore. May very well be simply what the gifted bomber wants. … Tosti is third in strokes gained off the tee, and although … Bradley is high 50 in strokes gained tee to inexperienced and whole driving, and he has a pair of top-25s in his final three begins, on the Masters and Wells Fargo. … Most of his strokes-gained numbers don’t look nice, however Detry is No. 16 in placing and high 25 in clubhead pace. … By no means heard of Soderberg? Nicely, he’s received three straight top-3s on the DP World Tour. … It’s good to see McNealy wholesome once more. He’s high 25 in strokes gained off the tee and is No. 37 in placing after main the Tour final season. … One thing has clicked with Pendrith’s driving. After he received the Byron Nelson, he was fifth in strokes gained off the tee at Wells Fargo, the place he was T-10 on the leaderboard. … McCarthy additionally performed effectively at Quail Hole (T-6), however laborious to swallow his No. 126 total-driving rank. … Sturdy and almost high 10 in strokes gained method, Knapp might be a well-liked decide. Nevertheless, he’s been T-45 or worse in 5 of his final six begins. … I appreciated Murray earlier than his T-10 at Wells Fargo. The outcomes hadn’t been there, however he’s fourth in each whole driving and tough proximity.
Nos. 51-60
60. Doug Ghim
59. Andrew Putnam
58. Keita Nakajima
57. Christiaan Bezuidenhout
56. Lucas Glover
55. Victor Perez
54. Dustin Johnson
53. Taylor Moore
52. Patrick Cantlay
51. Tommy Fleetwood
Ghim received within the area as an alternate, and although he’s not lengthy and has a number of MCs of late, he’s extraordinarily well-rounded and tends to play laborious golf programs effectively. … Putnam is correct off the tee and has been T-55 or higher in three of final 4 majors; not dangerous on this spot. … After a win on the Hero Indian Open and T-11 on the ISPS Handa, don’t sleep on Nakajima. … Bezuidenhout may drive his option to an MC, however he’s additionally spectacular on and across the greens and has been stringing collectively top-25s on the PGA and DP World excursions. … Glover nonetheless splits fairways and flushes irons. Good to not less than make the lower. … Perez hasn’t been fairly poor at majors aside from his T-12 final yr on the PGA. Will hit greens, although. … Johnson has only one top-10 in his final 5 main begins and has gone MC, MC, T-55 in his final three PGAs. However maybe a T-7 in Singapore can revive him. … Moore has cooled off since his Masters T-20, however he’s almost high 50 in whole driving and surprisingly No. 35 in clubhead pace. … 4 straight top-30s now for Cantlay, however he nonetheless misplaced strokes off the tee and on method at Wells Fargo. Not but again. … Fleetwood made me look silly along with his T-3 on the Masters, however even with a high 15 at Wells Fargo, I’m not totally on board but. He’s No. 119 in strokes gained tee to inexperienced, although that’s largely as a result of poor iron play; he’s high 25 in whole driving.
ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 07: Viktor Hovland of Norway seems to be on on the eleventh gap through the first spherical of the Arnold Palmer Invitational introduced by Mastercard at Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Golf Course on March 07, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. (Photograph by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photographs)
Icon Sportswire through Getty Photographs
Nos. 41-50
50. Patrick Rodgers
49. Aaron Rai
48. Viktor Hovland
47. Russell Henley
46. Erik van Rooyen
45. Harris English
44. Dean Burmester
43. Nicolai Højgaard
42. Patrick Reed
41. Sungjae Im
Rodgers hasn’t achieved a lot aside from a T-5 at RBC Heritage, however he’s decently lengthy, and has hit greens at a top-12 clip this yr. … Moist golf course will damage the man with two rain gloves, go determine. However Rai is high 20 in strokes gained tee to inexperienced this yr. … Hovland is the most important thriller within the area, however he has been round Zoysia fairly a bit since school. … Henley has 4 top-12s in his final six begins, however he additionally only one top-20 in 10 PGA appearances. Ought to discover loads of fairways. … Can’t put a ton of inventory in a T-4 in Myrtle Seashore, but it surely’s higher than a MC in Myrtle Seashore. Van Rooyen isn’t an awesome tough participant, however he’s stable sufficient throughout the board to beat it. … English is No. 16 in whole driving and has been on this territory on Tour leaderboards regularly in current months. … Imply Dean has 5 straight top-15 on LIV, together with his win in Miami. Arduous to disregard Imply Dean. … Favoring Hojgaard as a top-10 whole driver greater than a man who has missed back-to-back cuts since his T-16 on the Masters. … Reed has cracked the highest 20 at three of his previous 4 PGAs. … A win in Korea after which T-4 at Wells Fargo; Im may be again.
Nos. 31-40
40. Max Homa
39. Will Zalatoris
38. Stephan Jaeger
37. Adam Schenk
36. Jason Day
35. Austin Eckroat
34. Talor Gooch
33. Justin Thomas
32. Ben An
31. Collin Morikawa
That T-3 on the Masters will do lots for Homa’s confidence, as will a top-10 at Quail Hole, however he’s additionally outdoors the highest 50 in whole driving. … Purely an damage concern for Zalatoris. Although his again appears superb, this tough scares me. … Jaeger retains banking top-20s (three straight), good tough participant and high 25 in whole driving. … Schenk is high 20 in whole driving and high 25 in clubhead pace, however he was additionally backside 4 on the Wells Fargo leaderboard. … Day is No. 13 in whole driving and high 25 in strokes gained placing, plus he was T-4 at Wells Fargo. … My Eckroat rating on the Masters backfired, and he didn’t look good at Quail Hole, however he’s No. 16 in strokes gained tee to inexperienced and might be enjoying off Zoysia. … Similar pondering for Gooch, one other Cowboy and Zoysia man. My solely concern is that if the stress might be an excessive amount of as he seems to be to show himself to the non-LIV crowd. … I actually wish to imagine in Thomas, particularly with this being a house sport. The iron play is there, and he’s high 10 in proximity from the tough, however I have to see the entire sport in a significant once more first. … An is heating up as he received the non-Rory/Xander flight on the Wells Fargo. High 15 in whole driving and greens in regulation. … Morikawa has top-10’d in three of 4 begins, together with his T-3 on the Masters. He’s third in proximity from the middle of the golf green. He’ll have longer golf equipment in than most guys, although, and I all the time fear if the putter will damage him.
Nos. 21-30
30. Matthieu Pavon
29. Billy Horschel
28. Jordan Spieth
27. Tyrrell Hatton
26. Adam Scott
25. Cam Smith
24. Kurt Kitayama
23. Cameron Younger
22. Min Woo Lee
21. Hideki Matsuyama
Didn’t assume Pavon’s stellar play this yr would proceed at a significant? He was T-12 on the Masters. He’s high 20 in whole driving, strokes gained method and strokes gained placing. I knocked him down a number of spots after his next-to-DFL end at Quail Hole. … Coming into Wells Fargo, Horschel was No. 11 in true strokes gained in his final 20 rounds. He is also high 15 in strokes gained placing and greens in regulation. I’m banking on a very good driving week right here. … Ought to Spieth be decrease? He’s missed three of his final 5 cuts, together with at Augusta Nationwide, and I’m already envisioning him hacking circus photographs out of Valhalla’s tough. However he’s just about high 30 in a number of stats I’m right here. He may shock. … Hatton has top-15’d in two straight PGAs. He was T-9 at Masters, and he’s received two top-5s in his final three LIV begins. … Scott is ninth in whole driving and high 30 in strokes gained placing. In six of his final seven main begins, he’s been high 40, too. … Smith is coming off his greatest PGA end a yr in the past (T-9) and was simply T-2 in Singapore. Possibly he must be greater. … The truth that Kitayama has shed his driving struggles this yr is one optimistic; one other is that he’s fifth in tough proximity. … Almost high 10 in true driving stands out for Younger, however so does his 5 top-10s in his final eight main begins. … Lee ranks behind solely McIlroy in whole driving and has cracked the highest 30 in six of his previous 9 main begins, together with a T-18 final yr at Oak Hill. … Matsuyama withdrew from the Wells Fargo with a again damage. Due to that, we’ll knock down Matsuyama a pair tiers, although if he performs, it’s price noting that he’s second in true strokes gained in his final 20 rounds whereas additionally rating second on Tour in strokes gained tee to inexperienced.
Nos. 11-20
20. Matthew Fitzpatrick
19. Chris Kirk
18. Sam Burns
17. Keith Mitchell
16. Si Woo Kim
15. Shane Lowry
14. Tony Finau
13. Sahith Theegala
12. Corey Conners
11. Akshay Bhatia
In his previous 9 main begins, Fitzpatrick has seven top-25s, together with a T-5 on the PGA in 2022. Has added pace lately and drives the ball on a string (eighth in proximity from heart of fairway, No. 12 in whole driving). … Kirk’s Wells Fargo play wasn’t nice, however he was coming off top-16s at Augusta and Harbour City. He additionally was T-5 on the PGA in 2022 and ranks sixth on Tour in strokes gained tee to inexperienced. … Why is Burns this excessive contemplating he’s by no means top-10’d in a significant and has missed three of his final 5 main cuts? Belief the information. He’s basically a top-30 putter who’s high 20 in whole driving. By no means been an elite iron participant, however after a while off to be a first-time dad, he has a pleasant week. … Mitchell most likely isn’t going to make many putts, however he’s high 10 in each strokes gained off the tee and greens in regulation. Half of his six main cuts made have come on the PGA. … One other man who doesn’t wow on the greens, however I beloved Kim on the Masters, and he turned in a T-30, his worst end in his previous six begins. He doesn’t have a ton of size, however nobody besides Scheffler is best at discovering the middle of the golf green than him. … Lowry leads the Tour in proximity out of the tough and is third in strokes gained method whereas he’s posted top-12s in 4 of his final six PGA begins. … Lengthy and moist golf course? I’ll take my probabilities with Finau, who’s seventh in whole driving, sixth in clubhead pace and greens in regulation, and fifth in strokes gained method. That’s a number of stats! … Theegala has been rolling it so effectively this yr whereas additionally being high 25 in strokes gained tee to inexperienced. His demeanor in these large occasions make his ground very excessive. And if the participant who was second to Scheffler in Hilton Head exhibits up, he may win. … Conners burned me on the Masters (T-34), however he’s a top-5 method participant from no matter lie you give him and he’s completed within the high 15 in three of his previous 4 Tour begins. … Too excessive for the child? Nah. Bhatia was T-35 on the Masters regardless of nursing an damage sustained in that Valero playoff, which he received. High 20 in whole driving, sixth in strokes gained method and a depraved quick sport when he does miss the inexperienced.
Nos. 1-10
10. Alex Noren
9. Wyndham Clark
8. Joaquin Niemann
7. Bryson DeChambeau
6. Jon Rahm
5. Ludvig Åberg
4. Brooks Koepka
3. Xander Schauffele
2. Rory McIlroy
1. Scottie Scheffler
Noren?! Hear me out: He’s ninth in strokes gained tee to inexperienced, is the Tour’s greatest scrambler from the tough and has seven straight top-25s on Tour. The one blemish is his main file (two top-10s in 36 begins). … Accuracy off the tee isn’t Clark’s forte, however he’s stable out of the tough and a top-10 putter. He’s not been good in PGAs (T-75 is his greatest end) and he’s been up and down of late, together with a MC at Masters, however our metrics love him, so he stays in high 10. … Niemann owns no profession top-10s in PGAs, however he’s continued to be certainly one of LIV’s high performers and his T-22 on the Masters proves that interprets to the massive occasions. … On an extended and moist golf course with thick tough all over the place, this could play proper into DeChambeau’s arms. … Rahm might be nonetheless seething over his Masters T-45. His driver leads him again into main rivalry this week. … Clearly, we’re listening to the knee challenge, but when wholesome, Åberg ought to ship as he’s third in whole driving and is above common from the tough on method and across the greens. And his runner-up on the Masters exhibits he’s able to win majors. … We don’t have the stats for Koepka like we do the Tour guys, however we do know he’s received three Wanamakers to his identify and received his final outing on LIV. … Regardless of only one profession PGA top-10, Schauffele matches the Valhalla profile, rating sixth in whole driving and ninth in clubhead pace. He’s additionally the second-best putter out of the highest 10 in whole driving. … McIlroy is No. 1 on Tour in whole driving, plus he’s received a PGA at Valhalla and simply lapped the sector by 5 at Quail Hole, subsequent yr’s PGA venue. … So long as he’s enjoying, Scheffler, winner of 4 of his previous 5 occasions, is the unquestioned favourite because the Tour’s chief in strokes gained tee to inexperienced and method, greens in regulation and common distance from the middle of the golf green.
