Three majors are complete, and only one remains. The Open Championship, the final major tournament of the men`s professional golf calendar, is set to take place from July 17-20 at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, Northern Ireland.
Before that, golfers will compete in the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois, and the Genesis Scottish Open in North Berwick, Scotland. Many of the world`s top players are heading to Scotland a week early to experience links style golf.
Questions linger: Can world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler secure the third step of his career grand slam? Can Masters champion Rory McIlroy overcome his past struggles at Royal Portrush, where he missed the cut six years ago? Can defending Open champion Xander Schauffele find his peak performance?
With the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Ryder Cup nominations approaching, opportunities for golfers to impress U.S. captain Keegan Bradley and European captain Luke Donald are dwindling.
Here is the latest power ranking of the top 25 players on the PGA Tour:
1. Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler took a break for a couple of weeks before traveling across the Atlantic for the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open. Remarkably, he has finished no worse than 25th in all 14 of his starts this season. He`s been in the top eight in his last nine tournaments, including wins at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, PGA Championship, and the Memorial Tournament. In his most recent appearance at the Renaissance Club in 2023, he finished tied for third, five strokes behind Rory McIlroy.
2. Rory McIlroy
Perhaps a few weeks in the United Kingdom will help McIlroy regain form after a challenging period following the Masters. He planned to spend time with his family at his new London home before focusing on an important two-week stretch of golf. He won the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open with a dramatic one-shot victory over Robert MacIntyre. He tied for fourth at the same event last season, four strokes behind MacIntyre.
3. Russell Henley
The 36-year-old is currently playing some of the best golf of his career, with eight top-10 finishes in 14 starts. He secured his fifth PGA Tour win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and came close to another victory at the Travelers Championship. Henley finished solo fifth at last year`s Open Championship at Royal Troon, his best performance in that major.
4. J.J. Spaun
The unexpected U.S. Open champion followed his major victory with a tie for 14th at the Travelers Championship. Earlier this season, he was a runner-up twice at the Cognizant Classic and the Players Championship, indicating another win could be on the horizon. Spaun has climbed to third in the U.S. Ryder Cup team standings, trailing only Scheffler and Schauffele, making him a strong candidate for the squad.
(Note: Original content included a video of Spaun`s U.S. Open win, which is omitted as per instructions to remove complex video embeds and excess tags.)
5. Sepp Straka
Straka, who hails from Austria, has already won twice on the PGA Tour this season at the American Express and Truist Championship. Despite surprisingly missing the cut in the first three majors, his play has otherwise been spectacular. He is currently sixth in the European Ryder Cup standings and is likely a strong consideration for Luke Donald`s captain`s picks, even if he doesn`t qualify automatically. A good finish at The Open would significantly improve his major season performance, especially after tying for second at Royal Liverpool in 2023.
6. Justin Thomas
Justin Thomas` performance in the first three majors—tying for 36th at the Masters and missing the cut at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open—somewhat overshadows what has otherwise been a solid rebound season. He ended a nearly three-year win drought by winning the RBC Heritage in a playoff and was runner-up at the American Express, Valspar Championship, and Truist Championship. His place on the U.S. Ryder Cup team appears secure.
7. Keegan Bradley
Known as `Captain America`, Bradley had previously stated he would only participate in the upcoming Ryder Cup if he automatically qualified for the U.S. team. His victory at the Travelers Championship boosted him to ninth in the points standings, following top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship (tied eighth) and the Memorial (tied seventh). Now ranked seventh in the Official World Golf Ranking, Bradley is clearly playing like one of the top American golfers. Depending on results over the next seven weeks, he might be in a position where he has to pick himself.
8. Ben Griffin
Griffin`s impressive run has escalated into a scorching summer. Now ranked 17th globally, Griffin teamed up with Andrew Novak to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event and then clinched his first individual stroke-play title at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He has two top-10 finishes in majors this year, tying for eighth at the PGA Championship and 10th at the U.S. Open. Griffin also finished second at the Memorial against a strong field. He ranks eighth in Ryder Cup points, suggesting it would take a significant downturn in form for him to miss the team.
9. Collin Morikawa
The past couple of months presented challenges for the two-time major champion, but he showed improvement with a tie for eighth at the Rocket Classic. Although Morikawa hasn`t won since the Zozo Championship in October 2023, he has two runner-up finishes this season and 10 top-25s in 14 starts. He is seeking a new caddie after parting ways 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 quieter summer due to a rib injury that sidelined him for about two months. He performed reasonably well in the majors he played: tied 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 seems close to regaining his best form and remains second in Ryder Cup points after winning two majors in 2024.
11. Tommy Fleetwood
Another frustrating near-miss at the Travelers Championship means the English golfer is still seeking his first PGA Tour victory. He has played like one of the world`s elite this year with five top-10s and 11 top-25s in 14 starts. He ranks second in the European Ryder Cup standings, only behind McIlroy. Statistically, he is third in strokes gained: total (1.414) and ninth in approach (.622).
12. Harris English
English has performed consistently well this season, particularly in significant events. He earned his fifth PGA Tour win at the Farmers Insurance Open and finished 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 putting skills likely put him firmly in contention for a spot on 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, a day after shooting a 7-under 63. Hovland is scheduled to compete in the Scottish Open.
14. Maverick McNealy
The 29-year-old former Stanford standout may need a strong finish to the FedEx Cup season to secure his first spot on a Ryder Cup team. After winning his first PGA Tour title at the RSM Classic in November, he was runner-up at the Genesis Invitational and had top-five finishes at the Valero Texas Open, RBC Heritage, and the Memorial. He finished outside the top 30 in the first three majors this year.
15. Ludvig Åberg
It`s 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 hasn`t recorded a top-10 finish in his last seven starts. While he has been effective off the tee, he ranks much 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 exceptional this season, ranking second in strokes gained: approach (.932). However, his performance on the greens has been less consistent, placing him 122nd in strokes gained: putting (-.138). He is now returning to familiar territory, including Royal Portrush, where he lifted the Claret Jug in 2019.
17. Andrew Novak
Following a hot streak that included a tie for third at the Texas Open, a playoff loss to Justin Thomas at the RBC Heritage, and a win with Ben Griffin at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Novak`s form has cooled slightly in recent months. However, he tied for 17th at the Truist Championship and 11th at the Charles Schwab Challenge, indicating his game is still solid.
18. Corey Conners
Conners was playing very well until a wrist injury forced him to withdraw before the final round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont. He has not competed in a PGA Tour event since then. Before the injury, Conners had five top-10s and 10 top-25s in 16 starts this season.
19. Brian Harman
Harman, the 2023 Open Championship winner, needs another strong run to break into the top six of the U.S. Ryder Cup points standings or at least make Captain Bradley`s selections more challenging. He is currently 12th 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 may be returning.
20. Robert MacIntyre
MacIntyre has been gaining momentum recently, finishing solo second at the U.S. Open and tying for 17th at the Travelers Championship. The Scottish golfer now heads home for the Scottish Open, where he is the defending champion and was runner-up in 2023. He also tied for sixth at the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush as a 22-year-old.
21. Sam Burns
Burns` late struggles on the back nine during the final round of the U.S. Open`s difficult conditions somewhat overshadowed his otherwise strong performance at Oakmont. His game has been improving for several weeks. He lost in a playoff to Ryan Fox at the RBC Canadian Open and tied for seventh at the U.S. Open. He has four top-10s and 10 top-25s in 18 starts this season.
22. Patrick Cantlay
It seems highly likely that Cantlay will be on the U.S. Ryder Cup team, but he needs to demonstrate stronger form 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 impressive—10th in approach (.598), eighth tee-to-green (1.028), and 12th total (1.122)—suggesting his results should be better.
23. Ryan Fox
After securing his first PGA Tour victory in a playoff at the OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic, Fox didn`t wait long for his second, winning another playoff at the RBC Canadian Open. He now has two wins in his last four starts and has climbed to 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
24. Hideki Matsuyama
When the former Masters champion won the season-opening Sentry in Hawaii in January, it appeared he was poised for a strong year. Surprisingly, 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 seemed like a strong candidate for the Ryder Cup team earlier in the season, but he needs to reverse his recent downturn in form. He has missed two cuts and tied 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
Jasper Hawthorne