For a golf offseason, there has not been much off about it. In the month since the PGA Tour season wrapped up, the following players have made their way into the winner’s circle around the world: Shane Lowry, J.J. Spaun, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tom Kim and Jacob Bridgeman.
That is before considering the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club, the marquee event in this portion of the calendar. With big names continuing to play well and big tournaments having transpired and still in the pipeline for the DP World Tour and PGA Tour, golf has continued to showcase the skill and quality of many of the world’s best.
When that is mentioned, of course, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has to be involved. Although the American compiled a 3-1-0 record at the Presidents Cup, Scheffler did not sizzle as most are accustomed to given his play on the PGA Tour and in major championships.
He is not in jeopardy of losing his top spot in The Power 18 or anything like that, but it is a hole in the résumé that will only be discussed further since there aren’t too many others to point. While he did not take full flight, other Americans like Cameron Young and Chris Gotterup did.
The two teamed up effectively, going 2-0-0 in team sessions. They were countered by Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim for the International team; they continued to serve as the catalysts for the black and gold with another stellar performance in the Presidents Cup.
All of those players mentioned are on the move as two-time major champion Jon Rahm drops from the rankings entirely for the first time since I have been at the helm. The Spaniard last teed it up at the BMW PGA Championship, where he finished dead last at 11 over after rounds of 78-77.
The Power 18 provides insight into how golfers are currently performing, based on their play in recent events. It is a wider lens than simply what happened at the last tournament, but narrower than the Official World Golf Rankings, which take into account how more than 2,000 golfers perform across an entire season.