Three majors are complete, with only one remaining. The Open Championship, serving as the final major event of the men`s professional golf calendar, is scheduled for July 17-20 at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, Northern Ireland.
Before heading to the final major, players will compete in events like this week`s John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois, and the Genesis Scottish Open in North Berwick, Scotland. Many of the world`s elite golfers are traveling to Scotland a week early to familiarize themselves with links-style conditions.
Numerous questions surround the top players: Can World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler secure the third leg of his career grand slam? Can Rory McIlroy, the reigning Masters champion, overcome his previous struggles at Royal Portrush where he missed the cut six years ago? Will Xander Schauffele, the defending Open champion, find his best form?
With the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Ryder Cup rapidly approaching, there are limited opportunities left for players to impress U.S. captain Keegan Bradley and European captain Luke Donald.
Here are the latest PGA Tour Power Rankings:
Top 25 PGA Tour Players
1. Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler took a couple of weeks off before heading across the Atlantic for the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open. Impressively, he has not finished outside the top 25 in any of his 14 starts this season. He secured a top-eight finish in his last nine events, including victories at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, PGA Championship, and the Memorial Tournament. In his previous appearance at the Renaissance Club in 2023, he tied for third place, five strokes behind Rory McIlroy.
2. Rory McIlroy
Perhaps spending some time in the United Kingdom will help McIlroy move past his post-Masters slump. He reportedly planned to spend time with his family at their new London home before a crucial two-week stretch of golf. He dramatically won the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open by a single stroke over Robert MacIntyre. McIlroy finished tied for fourth in the same event last season, four strokes behind the winner.
3. Russell Henley
The 36-year-old is currently playing arguably the best golf of his career, with eight top-10 finishes in 14 starts this season. He claimed his fifth PGA Tour victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and was close to winning again at the Travelers Championship. Henley finished solo fifth at last year`s Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland, marking his best performance in that major.
4. J.J. Spaun
The surprising U.S. Open champion followed his major win with a tie for 14th at the Travelers Championship. He was a runner-up twice earlier this season at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches and the Players Championship, suggesting another victory is well within reach. Spaun has risen to third in the U.S. Ryder Cup team points standings, trailing only Scheffler and Schauffele, making him a near certainty for the team.
5. Sepp Straka
Austrian-born Straka has already won twice on the PGA Tour this season at the American Express and Truist Championship. Despite missing the cut in the first three majors, his play has otherwise been spectacular. He is sixth in the European Ryder Cup team standings and is likely a captain`s pick even if he falls below the automatic qualification spots. A strong finish at The Open would redeem his major season; he tied for second at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in England in 2023.
6. Justin Thomas
JT`s results in the first three majors—a tie for 36th at the Masters and missed cuts at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open—somewhat overshadow what has otherwise been a significant turnaround season for him. He ended a nearly three-year winless drought by winning the RBC Heritage in a playoff and finished as a runner-up at the American Express, Valspar Championship, and Truist Championship. His strong form makes him a strong candidate for the U.S. Ryder Cup team with no second-guessing expected.
7. Keegan Bradley
`Captain America` previously stated he would only play in the upcoming Ryder Cup if he automatically qualified for the U.S. team. He is currently ninth in points after winning the Travelers Championship, following ties for eighth at the PGA Championship and seventh at the Memorial. Now ranked seventh in the Official World Golf Ranking, Bradley is clearly performing like one of the top 12 American golfers. Depending on results over the next seven weeks, Bradley may find himself in a position where he has to select himself.
8. Ben Griffin
Griffin`s recent hot streak has continued into a red-hot summer. Now ranked 17th in the world, Griffin teamed up with Andrew Novak to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event and then secured his first individual stroke-play title on tour at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He has two top-10 finishes in majors, tying for eighth at the PGA Championship and 10th at the U.S. Open. Griffin also finished runner-up at the Memorial against a strong field. He`s eighth in Ryder Cup points and would likely need a significant drop in form to be left off the roster.
9. Collin Morikawa
The past few months were somewhat challenging for the two-time major champion, but he bounced back with a tie for eighth at the Rocket Classic. Although Morikawa hasn`t won since the Zozo Championship in October 2023, he has been a runner-up twice this season and has 10 top-25 finishes in 14 starts. He is currently seeking a new caddie for the second time this season after splitting with Joe Greiner before the Rocket Classic. He has not announced who will carry his bag for The Open.
10. Xander Schauffele
The reigning Open Championship winner gets some leeway for a modest summer performance after missing about two months due to a rib injury. He performed reasonably well in the majors, tying for eighth at the Masters, 28th at the PGA Championship, and 12th at the U.S. Open. He has one top-10 finish and six top-25s in 11 starts this season. Schauffele appears close to rediscovering his peak form and remains second in Ryder Cup points after winning two majors in 2024.
11. Tommy Fleetwood
Another heartbreaking near-miss at the Travelers Championship leaves the English golfer still pursuing his first PGA Tour victory. He has played like one of the world`s best this year with five top-10s and 11 top-25s in 14 starts. He is second in the European Ryder Cup points standings, behind only McIlroy. He ranks third in strokes gained: total (1.414) and ninth in approach (.622).
12. Harris English
English has performed exceptionally well this season, particularly in the tour`s most significant events. He earned his fifth PGA Tour victory at the Farmers Insurance Open and tied for second at the PGA Championship. He also recorded top-25 finishes at the Genesis Invitational, Truist Championship, Memorial Tournament, and Travelers Championship. He is 10th in Ryder Cup points, and his strong putting skills position him well for consideration for the U.S. team.
13. Viktor Hovland
Hovland continues to work on his swing, but he won the Valspar Championship earlier this season and finished solo third at the U.S. Open. He withdrew from the final round of the Travelers Championship due to a neck injury, the day after shooting a superb 7-under 63. Hovland is scheduled to compete in the Scottish Open.
14. Maverick McNealy
The 29-year-old former Stanford player may need a strong finish in the FedEx Cup season to earn his first spot on a Ryder Cup team. After securing his first PGA Tour win at the RSM Classic in November, he was a runner-up at the Genesis Invitational and achieved top-five finishes at the Valero Texas Open, RBC Heritage, and the Memorial. However, he finished outside the top 30 in the first three majors.
15. Ludvig Åberg
It has been a surprisingly inconsistent FedEx Cup season for the Swedish golfer. After winning for the second time on tour at the Genesis Invitational and finishing seventh at the Masters, Åberg has not recorded a top-10 finish in his subsequent seven starts. While Åberg is efficient off the tee, he ranks lower in strokes gained: around the green (147th, -.255) and putting (125th, -.141).
16. Shane Lowry
The Irish golfer likely benefited from a break after missing the cut at the U.S. Open and tying for 45th at the Travelers Championship. His iron play has been outstanding this season, ranking second in strokes gained: approach (.932). However, his performance on the greens has struggled, placing 122nd in strokes gained: putting (-.138). He is now returning to his preferred venues, including Royal Portrush Golf Club, where he famously lifted the Claret Jug in 2019.
17. Andrew Novak
Following a stellar run that included tying for third at the Texas Open, losing in a playoff to Thomas at the RBC Heritage, and winning the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Griffin, Novak`s form has cooled slightly in the past couple of months. However, he tied for 17th at the Truist Championship and 11th at the Charles Schwab Challenge, indicating his game remains strong.
18. Corey Conners
Conners was playing exceptionally well until a wrist injury forced him to withdraw before the final round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. He has not competed in a PGA Tour event since then. Prior to the injury, Conners had five top-10s and 10 top-25s in 16 starts.
19. Brian Harman
Harman, the 2023 Open Championship winner, needs another strong performance to crack the top six of the U.S. Ryder Cup points standings or at least make Captain Bradley`s selections more challenging. He currently sits in 12th place after winning the Valero Texas Open and tying for third at the RBC Heritage. Harman`s solo eighth finish at the Travelers Championship suggests his form might be returning.
20. Robert MacIntyre
MacIntyre has been heating up recently, finishing solo second at the U.S. Open and tying for 17th at the Travelers Championship. The Scottish golfer now returns home for the Scottish Open as the defending champion and also the runner-up in 2023. He tied for sixth place at the 2019 Open Championship held at Royal Portrush when he was just 22 years old.
21. Sam Burns
Burns` late struggles in difficult conditions on the back nine of the U.S. Open`s final round somewhat overshadowed his otherwise spectacular performance at Oakmont. His game has been trending positively for several weeks. He lost to Ryan Fox in a playoff at the RBC Canadian Open and tied for seventh at the U.S. Open. He has four top-10 finishes and 10 top-25s in 18 starts this season.
22. Patrick Cantlay
It`s difficult to imagine Cantlay not making the U.S. Ryder Cup team, but he needs to improve his results to solidify his position. His tie for fourth at the Truist Championship is his only top-10 finish since mid-February. His ball-striking statistics are strong—10th in approach (.598), eighth tee to green (1.028), and 12th total (1.122)—suggesting his overall performance should be better.
23. Ryan Fox
After claiming his first PGA Tour victory in a playoff at the OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic, Fox quickly secured his second. He won another playoff at the RBC Canadian Open, giving him two wins in four starts. He has climbed to 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
24. Hideki Matsuyama
When the former Masters champion won the season-opening Sentry in Hawai`i in January, it appeared he was set for another strong season. However, that remains his only top-10 finish in 17 starts this season. He tied for 21st at Augusta National, missed the cut at the PGA Championship, and tied for 42nd at the U.S. Open. Matsuyama`s struggles have primarily been with his driver, ranking 128th in strokes gained: off the tee (-.166) and 127th in driving accuracy (56.2% of fairways hit).
25. Daniel Berger
Berger looked like a serious contender for the Ryder Cup team, but he needs to regain form after a recent slump that included two missed cuts and ties for 46th at the U.S. Open and 42nd at the Travelers Championship. He is currently 18th in the Ryder Cup points standings.
Just Missed the Cut:
Sungjae Im, Nick Taylor, Jason Day, Thomas Detry, Aldrich Potgieter, Cameron Young, Michael Kim, Jacob Bridgeman
Wesley Dunham