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The PGA Tour appears to belong to Scottie Scheffler during the current season. With the Masters set to tee off in Augusta, Georgia next week, Scheffler is the favorite when players tee off April 11. Scheffler's ball striking has been at the top of the rankings for a long time, but his putting has improved to the point that it allows him to dominate when he hits a couple of key putts early in a tournament.
Scheffler is at the top of the rankings in terms of earnings and FedEx Cup points. He has won nearly $11.5 million already this season and he has 2,465 FedEx points.
As a result of a season that has seen Scheffler record two victories, seven top 10 finishes and eight more in the top 25, it's clear that Scheffler is a man with a target on his back. He is listed at +450 by DraftKings to win the first major tournament of the year.
Masters has a powerful field once again
But as strong a player as Scheffler has been, it is no sure thing that he is going to run away with the Masters. This tournament brings out the best in some players and the worst in others, and there are no guarantees that Scheffler will be able to respond with a huge showing when players like Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland and Brooks Koepka will be charging at him.
Names like Rahm and Koepka are not a mistake. Even though they are playing on the LIV Golf Tour, they are still allowed to play in the Masters. The game's biggest tournament has its own set of qualifications and it invites the players that have met its qualifications.
Rahm and Koepka appear to be the most dangerous of the LIV golfers, but some of the others on that tour who will compete include Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Bubba Watson.
McIlroy, Hovland, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Wyndham Clark, Cameron Smith, Patrick Cantlay, will Zalatoris, Tony Finau, Max Homa and Tiger Woods represent some of the top PGA competitors.
In this piece, we power rank the top competitors going into the Masters.
Scheffler sits at the top of the power rankings
1. Scott Scheffler — He is not the strongest or longest off the tee, but he is the best player in the field. If Scheffler can keep his cool and is not overwhelmed by playing in the most prestigious tournament with the whole world watching, he has an excellent chance to win.
Scheffler is a player who has come into his own through hard work and consistency. He has spent hours on the practice tee becoming a sensational player and his confidence level has also risen dramatically in recent seasons.
2. Jon Rahm — When Rahm announced he was leaving the PGA Tour to join the rival circuit, it was quite a surprise. He was the best player on the tour for the majority of the 2023 season and it appeared that playing in the biggest and most visible tournaments would be enough to satisfy him. Apparently, it was not and he will clearly want to show the golf world he still has it.
Rahm has not dominated the LIV tour this year. He has listed earning of $3.7 million on the LIV tour, and he ranks seventh in that category. He has a third-place finish to this point and four top-10 finishes. Rahm is listed with odds of +1200 to win the Masters
Can McIlroy step up?
3. Rory McIlroy — Based on the way he has played to this point in the season, McIlroy probably would not be in the top 5 of the power rankings. But he has become the face of the PGA Tour and he is the golfer who has regularly stood up and faced the music when asked about the PGA's stance vs. the LIV tour. While there has been some inconsistency in his play, he is perhaps the most powerful hitter on the tour and he could rise to the occasion at Augusta National.
McIlroy is listed at +1100 to win the Masters, but he ranks 56th on the PGA money list with just under $800,000 in earnings.
4. Viktor Hovland — The Norwegian phenom appears poised for a strong showing at the Masters despite his +3500 odds.
He has performed well in the Majors as he finished 7th in last year's Masters, second in the 2023 PGA Championship, 12th in the 2019 U.S. Open and fourth in The 2022 Open Championship.
Hovland had three PGA Tour wins in 2023, including the Memorial Tournament, BMW Championship and the Tour Championship.
5. Brooks Koepka — Like Rahm, Koepka has not dominated on the LIV Tour to this point. He ranks 14th in earnings with just over $2.4 million. Koepka is listed at +1800 to win the Masters.
Koepka has five major championships to his credit including 3 PGA Championships and 2 U.S. Open titles. He tied for second in the 2019 and 2023 Masters and tied for fourth in The 2019 Open Championship.
