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Tour Championship Power Rankings: Scheffler Looks Ready to Complete Historic Season

Jim stracka | aug 28, 2024.

Welcome to Power Rankings, a weekly feature on SI Golf from our partners at KeyCompete . This week the top 30 players in the regular-season points list head to the season and FedEx Cup finale, the Tour Championship at East Lake . Here’s how our model sees it shaping up.

Tour Championship Preview

Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club is historic and renowned for its challenging layout. Designed by Donald Ross in 1904 and renovated by Andrew Green in recent years, the course blends traditional charm with modern challenges. Green’s updates have lengthened the course and redesigned several putting surfaces, enhancing difficulty while preserving classic character. Players will face a new-look course this week , a par-71 that includes a fresh par 5. Here’s how our model sees it playing out.

KeyCompete’s Tour Championship Power Rankings (WITHOUT STARTING STROKES)

( Odds via DraftKings )

1. Scottie Scheffler (+400) - Combination of consistency and power (and a two-shot lead straight out of the gate) make him our favorite. His remarkable season, highlighted by six wins, would make him a worthy champion.

2. Xander Schauffele (+400) - Riding the wave of a historic, two-major season. He’s also a horse for the course, as he’s never finished worse than T7 in the Tour Championship, dating back to 2017.

3. Sam Burns (+1800) - Has flashed impressive form and aggressive play throughout the season. Enters the week hot, with two straight top-5 finishes.

4. Sungjae Im (+2200) - Steady and disciplined. Could surprise. 

5. Tony Finau (+2000) - Power and accuracy are a good match for East Lake.

6. Ludvig Åberg (+1600) - Continuing a breakout year that began Sunday at Augusta National. T2 last week.

7. Patrick Cantlay (+2000) - A previous Tour Championship winner, experience and skill set make him a strong bet once again.

8. Rory McIlroy (+1000) - Proven history at East Lake and a strong season overall despite a few near-misses. Blend of power and precision remain unmatched.

9. Wyndham Clark (+2000) - Regaining form after drifting a bit during summer majors.

10. Collin Morikawa (+2000) - Flashed at the majors this year with nothing to show for it. Strengths should be a good match for East Lake.

2024 BMW Championship Recap

Keegan Bradley scored a truly stunning victory at the BMW (pre-tournament odds had him at +10000). He moved from 50th to fourth in the FedEx and may have also played his way into consideration for a spot on the U.S. Presidents Cup team, where he’s already slated to be an assistant captain.

KeyCompete had a solid week and brought our season-long record to 156-83.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

JIM STRACKA

Jim Stracka is currently serving as the President of StrackaLine and Golf Intelligence. StrackaLine provides greens and yardage guides for every course in the world. Golf Intelligence provides GPS, elevation, and scorecard data for other golf technology companies. Stracka has also held executive roles in various companies in the golf industry.

2024 Tour Championship field: Players, rankings

The 2024 Tour Championship field is set with the passing of the PGA Tour tournament entry deadline . The field is set for this FedEx Cup playoffs event, played at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga., from Aug. 28 - Sept. 1, 2024.

The Tour Championship field is headlined by the likes of Rory McIlroy , Scottie Scheffler , Xander Schauffele and more.

This is set to be a 30-player field is played out over four days, with this event marking the final tournament of the 2024 FedEx Cup PGA Tour season and the final event of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

The tournament is being played in its originally intended slot, marking the final slot in the three-event playoff slate -- reserved for the top 30 players in the standings after the regular season and the two playoff events played so far.

Four players -- Keegan Bradley , Adam Scott , Tommy Fleetwood and Chris Kirk -- played their way into the top 30 at the BMW Championship.

Eligible players skipping the event are not replaced in the field. Players who are suspended from the PGA Tour but would have otherwise qualified are not in the field, replaced by the next eligible players in the rankings.

We do not have Monday qualifiers for this event, which will be played Thursday through Sunday.

The field will be playing for a $100 million purse, with 29 of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking among the top contenders.

2024 Tour Championship field

Top 50 players in 2024 tour championship field, about the author.

Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee is founder and editor of Golf News Net. He has been writing and broadcasting about golf for nearly 20 years. Ballengee lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family. He is currently a +2.6 USGA handicap, and he has covered dozens of major championships and professional golf tournaments. He likes writing about golf and making it more accessible by answering the complex questions fans have about the pro game or who want to understand how to play golf better.

Ryan talks about golf on various social platforms:

X or Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryanballengee Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryanballengeegolf Instagram: https://instagram.com/ryanballengee YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ryanballengeegolf

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Scottie Scheffler's FedEx Cup win cements one of golf's best seasons

Scottie Scheffler bounces back from a rough front nine with three straight birdies and an eagle to seal a Tour Championship win. (1:08)

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ATLANTA -- For a brief moment in the final round of the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club on Sunday, world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler looked like one of us.

With the FedEx Cup and a whopping $25 million bonus on the line, Scheffler had just carded a bogey on the par-4 seventh hole. He badly hooked his tee shot to the left, and his ball nearly went out of bounds before settling in pine straw.

Scheffler had to stand in a tree to hit his second shot, then his 4½-foot par putt lipped out -- his only miss inside 8 feet in 72 holes. Collin Morikawa made par, cutting Scheffler's lead to four shots.

It would get even smaller on the next hole.

On the driveable par-4 eighth, Scheffler's tee shot came up short, landing in a front greenside bunker, about 80 feet from the hole.

Somehow, the best golfer in the world shanked his bunker shot -- his ball went dead right and stopped about 36 yards below the hole. Scheffler chipped to 24 feet and needed two putts from there for another bogey -- his third in four holes.

Morikawa made an 8-foot birdie, trimming Scheffler's lead to only two. It had been seven after two holes.

"Yeah, honestly, very surprising," Morikawa said of Scheffler's shank. "Look, I made the putt and was two back, but he's not going to just start making bogeys after that. He's going to do the opposite and he's going to start hitting golf shots. It almost brought his focus back in for a half second, and that's something you can't teach. You just either have it or you don't."

After one of the worst shots of his career, Scheffler did what he has done so often the past three years -- he closed the door on Morikawa and everyone else.

He made birdies on each of the next three holes. On the par-3 ninth, he smacked a 4-iron shot to 5 feet, 2 inches. His approach on the par-4 10th stopped at 3 feet, then he drained a 15-footer for birdie on the par-3 11th.

Just like that, Scheffler's lead was five shots again. He added an eagle on the par-5 14th.

Scheffler captured his first FedEx Cup with a total score of 30 under (he started at 10 under as the season-long points leader in the staggered-scoring format), beating Morikawa by four strokes and Sahith Theegala by six.

It was the third straight year in which Scheffler started with a 2-stroke lead over everyone else in the Tour Championship. Two years ago, he squandered a six-stroke lead in the final round and lost to Rory McIlroy by one. Last year, he was 1 under over 72 holes (not including starting strokes) and tied for sixth.

"I try not to think too much about the past or think too much about the future, but I think two years ago was pretty tough, having a good lead going into the last round and not playing my best and then losing, and then last year I just had a pretty off week so was fairly disappointing," Scheffler said. "So to come in with a lead for the third time and be able to finish it off is definitely pretty sweet."

Scheffler joined Tiger Woods (1999 and 2007) and Dustin Johnson (2020) as the only golfers to win the Tour Championship while they were ranked No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

With his first FedEx Cup playoffs victory, Scheffler became only the fourth PGA Tour golfer since 1980 to win at least seven times with a major in a single season. Tom Watson (1980), Woods (1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007) and Vijay Singh (2004) were the others.

Following Scheffler's debacle on the eighth hole, his caddie, Ted Scott, pulled him aside for a pep talk before his tee shot on the ninth.

"Yeah, nine was a huge turnaround," Scheffler said. "Teddy gave me a nice pep talk there on the back of eight green because I kind of looked at him like, 'Man, I don't know about this. This isn't looking so hot right now.' He kind of gave me a little pep talk, and then I was able to hit a really nice iron shot in there and got things rolling."

Scheffler declined to reveal what Scott told him.

"I'm not going to give away all our secrets," Scheffler said. "Teddy has always been my biggest supporter. I think the results speak for themselves after he was able to pick up my bag and start helping me. He really is a huge part of the team. I don't know if I'd be able to do any of this without him on my bag. We've got a great relationship.

"He has a habit of saying the right thing at the right time to kind of keep me in the right frame of mind."

Scheffler's 2024 season will be remembered as one of the best in golf history. Each of his victories came against elite fields in four signature events (Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, Memorial Tournament and Travelers Championship), Players Championship, Masters and the Tour Championship.

Last month, the 28-year-old from Texas added a gold medal at the Olympics in Paris. Scheffler isn't sure why the Olympics isn't being counted in his victory total by the PGA Tour.

"I don't think people understand how hard that is to do, when you're expected to win, when you're the favorite to win, when every single thing you're doing is being looked at -- good and bad -- on the golf course, and how hard it is to get in your own little zone and own little world and truly just quiet the noise," said Justin Thomas , who tied for 14th at 14 under.

"It's something that is just as much of a skill as being able to hit a driver in the fairway or an iron on line. He's clearly figured that out very well."

Along the way, Scheffler collected about $62.2 million in on-course earnings and season-long bonuses.

Even better, Scheffler and his wife, Meredith, welcomed their first child, Bennett, on May 8.

"I feel like I've lived almost a full lifetime in this one year," Scheffler said. "It's been nuts."

Scheffler's seven victories came in only 19 starts. He was a runner-up twice and had top-10 finishes in all but three of his starts and no missed cuts.

Woods' 2000 season is considered one of the greatest in history -- he captured three of his 15 major championships by 24 shots combined and won nine times overall in 20 starts. He was runner-up four times. Tiger won about $9.2 million that year.

About the only thing that slowed Scheffler down over the past eight-plus months was the Louisville police officer who arrested him following a traffic incident outside the gates of Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky before the second round of the PGA Championship.

Remarkably, Scheffler posted a 5-under 66 a couple of hours after he was released from jail. He seemed to run out of gas on the weekend and tied for eighth. Louisville prosecutors dropped Scheffler's charges on May 29 .

"I think his consistency, his attitude," said McIlroy, who tied for ninth at 16 under. "I feel like he just sort of brings the same demeanor to the course every single day, no matter what position on the leaderboard he's in. He's just amazing to just watch the way he manages himself around the golf course. Yeah, we'll look back on 2024 and it's obviously one of the best individual years that a player has had for a long time."

Scheffler's victory at East Lake should end any debate about who's the PGA Tour player of the year. Xander Schauffele had an argument after winning his first two majors at the PGA Championship and The Open.

Even Schauffele admits everyone else is still chasing Scheffler.

"I think by the definition of dominance, I think that's literally where he's sitting," Schauffele said. "I don't know how many weeks he's been No. 1 player in the world. Since I've been out, I think Dustin had a run, Brooks [Koepka] had a run, Jon [Rahm] had a run, Rory had a run. They were kind of punching back and forth between 1, 2 and 3. Scottie has just been at the tip-top of the mountain for, what, two full years now it seems."

Scheffler doesn't seem ready to come down anytime soon, either.

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Scottie Scheffler leads Tour Championship by 5. How about without strokes?

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Collin Morikawa is leading the Tour Championship... without the starting strokes.

Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images

Collin Morikawa did what he could Saturday to keep pace with Scottie Scheffler, even closing within two shots of the World No. 1.

But when it felt like Morikawa took one step forward, Scheffler took two.

Scheffler birdied four out of the final five holes at East Lake to close out the third round of the Tour Championship five shots ahead of Morikawa and nine ahead of anyone else.

But that’s with starting strokes. Without them, Scheffler would be trailing Morikawa by one.

This is the sixth year of the Tour Championship’s starting strokes format which sees the FedEx Cup standings translated into starting scores for each of the 30 players to advance all the way to the season’s final event. If you want to see how everyone started the week, click here for the full breakdown.

Scottie Scheffler came into the week as the FedEx Cup leader for the third consecutive season and thus started the tournament with a two-stroke lead at 10 under, but he has yet to win the season-finale and FedEx Cup title.

‘It’s not a good thing’: Tour stars doubtful of halting Scottie Scheffler’s FedEx Cup waltz

In fact, in 2022 he held a larger lead (six strokes) over Rory McIlroy but shot 73 in the final round to allow McIlroy to pass him.

This year, it’s Collin Morikawa chasing him and without the starting strokes, it’s a much closer fight. Morikawa and Scheffler are 17 and 16 under for the week without their starting strokes, two shots better than anyone else in the field.

Coincidentally, Morikawa started the week at four under, the same place where McIlroy started his victorious week from in 2022. So anything is really possible. But as we’re all aware, this is a much different Scottie Scheffler than in 2022.

And the leaderboard without starting strokes isn’t completely meaningless. The Official World Golf Ranking will use it to distribute points from this week’s event. So while Scheffler could end up with the FedEx Cup title, and the $25 million that goes with it , while padding his massive lead in the ranking, Morikawa could end up with a bigger bump.

Keep reading below for what the entire Tour Championship leaderboard would look like without starting strokes.

Tour Championship leaderboard without strokes

(Official scores to par)

1. Collin Morikawa, (-17) 196 (-21)

2. Scottie Scheffler, (-16) 197 (-26)

3. Sahith Theegala, (-14) 199 (-17)

4. Adam Scott, ( -12) 201 (-15)

5. Wyndham Clark, (-11) 202 (-15)

T6. Sam Burns, (-10) 203 (-14) Shane Lowry (-13)

T8. Xander Schauffele, (-8) 205 (-16) Sungjae Im (-11) Viktor Hovland (-10) Russell Henley (-10) Taylor Pendrith (-9) Justin Thomas (-8)

14. Rory McIlroy, (-7) 206 (-11)

T15. Ludvig Aberg, (-6) 207 (-11) Matthieu Pavon (-7)

T17. Hideki Matsuyama, (-5) 208 (-12) Tommy Fleetwood (-6) Aaron Rai (-5)

T20. Byeong Hun An, (-4) 209 (-6) Sepp Straka (-5)

T22. Patrick Cantlay, (-3) 210 (-7) Tony Finau (-6) Akshay Bhatia (-5)

T25. Robert MacIntyre, (-2) 211 (-4) Chris Kirk (-2)

T27. Bill Horschel (E)213 (-1) Christiaan Bezuidenhout (E) Tom Hoge (E)

30. Keegan Bradley, (+1) 214 (-5)

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Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at [email protected] .

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How the final 2024 Tour Championship leaderboard looks without starting strokes

S cottie Scheffler walks away from East Lake this week with the FedEx Cup title and a cool $25 million bonus , but it will be Collin Morikawa, who officially lost to Scheffler by four shots, who gets the most Official World Golf Ranking points from this week.

That's because Morikawa actually beat Scottie Scheffler by two strokes this week. In fact, he wasn't the only one as Sahith Theegala also beat the FedEx Cup winner this week.

This was the sixth edition of the Tour Championship played under a unique staggered strokes format which saw Scheffler, the FedEx Cup leader for the the better part of the last six months, start the week at 10 under par with a two-shot lead.

Morikawa and Theegala, meanwhile started this week at four and three under, respectively, after strong seasons, but ones where both failed to win. The format was developed to help eliminate the confusion with following the points during the final event and remove the possibility of one player winning the Tour Championship and another winning the FedEx Cup title.

One could have made the argument Scheffler, after a historic regular season where he won the Masters, Players Championship and four other titles, could have deserved a greater head start. Ironically, Scheffler himself made an argument against the format just a few weeks ago at the first playoff event in Memphis.

"I talked about it the last few years, I think it's silly," he said ahead of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. "You can't call it a season-long race and have it come down to one tournament.

"Hypothetically, we get to East Lake and my neck flares up and it doesn't heal the way it did at the Players. I finish 30th in the FedEx Cup because I had to withdraw from the last tournament? Is that really the season-long race? No, it is what it is."

He ended up winning by four over Morikawa anyway.

But take away the starting strokes and the final leaderboard looks much different.

The top three players in the final standings, Scheffler, Morikawa and Theegala, still separated themselves from the rest of the field with Scheffler still three better than anyone else, but the order changes. Morikawa takes the "gross" title if you will and Theegala comes in second.

Of course, had Scheffler been looking at a leaderboard without strokes, he may have played several shots, including his conservative par on the par-5 18th, differently. But it's interesting to isolate who actually played well this week.

For example, Justin Thomas had the 7th best week of anyone at East Lake, going 14 under, but he started the week at even par and thus finished at 14 under, which was tied for 14th.

Keep reading below for the final Tour Championship leaderboard without starting strokes.

Tour Championship leaderboard without strokes

(Official scores to par)

1. Collin Morikawa,  -22   (-26)

2. Sahith Theegala,  -21  (-24)

3. Scottie Scheffler,  -20   (-30)

4. Russell Henley, -17 (-19)

5. Adam Scott, -16 (-19)

6. Sungjae Im, -15 (-18)

7. Justin Thomas, -14 (-14)

T8. Wyndham Clark, -13 (-17)

Shane Lowry (-16)

Viktor Hovland (-15)

Taylor Pendrith (-14)

12. Rory McIlroy, -12 (-16)

T13. Xander Schauffele, -11 (-19)

Sam Burns (-15)

15. Matthieu Pavon, -10 (-11)

T16. Hideki Matsuyama, -9 (-16)

Robert MacIntyre (-11)

Tommy Fleetwood (-10)

T19. Ludvig Aberg, -7 (-12)

Patrick Cantlay (-11)

T21. Byeong Hun An, -6 (-8)

Aaron Rai (-6)

23. Billy Horschel, -5 (-6)

T24. Tony Finau, -3 (-6)

Akshay Bhatia (-5)

Chris Kirk (-3)

T27. Keegan Bradley, -2 (-8)

Sepp Straka (-3)

T29. Christiaan Bezuidenhout, +3 (+3)

Tom Hoge (+3)

The post How the final 2024 Tour Championship leaderboard looks without starting strokes appeared first on Golf .

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Golfweek's 2024-25 men's college golf preseason team rankings, share this article.

Summer is over, the calendar has turned to September and college golf is back. That means it’s time to rank the teams heading into the season.

The chase to win the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship is on. Next spring, the championships will be held at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, the second year of a three-year contract.

Last year, Auburn captured its first national championship in school history, knocking off Florida State 3-2 in the match-play final to win the title. With plenty of players back, including the reigning player of the year, the Tigers find themselves in a familiar spot to begin the season.

Here’s a look at Golfweek’s 2024-25 men’s college golf preseason rankings.

The Auburn Tigers pose with the national champion trophy after defeating the Florida State Seminoles in the championship match during the Division I Men’s Golf Championship held at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa on May 29, 2024 in Carlsbad, California. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

The defending national champions take the top spot, and for good reason. Auburn returns consensus national Player of the Year Jackson Koivun, Brendan Valdes, Carson Bacha, Josiah Gilbert and Ryan Eshleman. Add in incoming freshman Billy Davis, the Tigers will again be one of college golf’s best.

2. Arizona State

Jose Luis Ballester poses with the Havemeyer trophy after winning the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (Chris Keane/USGA)

Last season was a disappointing finish for the Sun Devils, a top-seed at regionals that didn’t advance to NCAAs. This year, however, Arizona State has two of the best players in the country in U.S. Amateur champion Josele Ballester and PGA Tour University’s No. 1 Player for the Class of 2025 Preston Summerhays. Those two can do big things and lead ASU back into the national title conversation.

3. Vanderbilt

Gordon Sargent plays his second shot on the 11th hole during the round of 64 of the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (Chris Keane/USGA)

Gordon Sargent has a PGA Tour card in his future, but first, the 2022 NCAA individual champion has one more season of college golf. Along with Jackson Van Paris and Wells Williams, the Commodores may not have the depth of last year’s roster, but their top three can compete with any team on any day across the country.

4. Virginia

Benjamin James plays his second shot from a bunker on the third hole during the second round of stroke play of the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Chaska Town Course in Chaska, Minn. on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (Chris Keane/USGA)

Virginia is a team that is deep and experienced heading into the season. It begins with 2023 Phil Mickelson Award winner Ben James, who could content for the Haskins Award as the best player in college golf. Add in Bryan Lee, Deven Patel, Josh Duangmanee and Paul Chang, the Cavaliers’ lineup is stout 1-5 and is a strong contender to make it back to match play in the spring.

5. Florida State

Luke Clanton of the Florida State Seminoles celebrates with teammate Tyler Weaver of the Florida State Seminoles after winning his match against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the semifinals during the Division I Men’s Golf Championship held at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa on May 28, 2024 in Carlsbad, California. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Florida State made it to the national championship match in the spring before losing to Auburn, and the Seminoles have a good chance to get back to the big stage this year. That all starts with World No. 1 amateur Luke Clanton, who in the spring won three straight times and built on it with one of the more impressive summers on the professional circuit ever by an amateur. The Seminoles will go as Clanton does.

6. Tennessee

Jackson Herrington plays his tee shot on the 14th hole during the round of 32 of the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (Chris Keane/USGA)

The departure of Caleb Surratt in the middle of last season was hard to replace for the Volunteers, but they remained one of the best teams in the country and are only better this year. One of the big reasons why will be incoming freshman Jackson Herrington, who had a spectacular summer and became one of the best juniors in recent months. His ceiling is high, and with Tennessee’s other returning players like Evan Woosley-Reed and Lance Simpson, watch out for the Vols.

Tommy Morrison plays a shot from a bunker on the fourth hole during the round of 32 of the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (Chris Keane/USGA)

Texas is no stranger to having success in recent years, winning the national championship in 2022. But the last two years, the Longhorns haven’t made match play. This year, expect Texas to be in the conversation as one of the nation’s best with Tommy Morrison, Christiaan Maas and Arizona State transfer Luke Potter leading the way.

8. Illinois

Jackson Buchanan reacts after winning his match on the 18th hole during the round of 16 of the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (Chris Keane/USGA)

Illinois won the stroke-play portion of NCAAs in the spring but was upset in the quarterfinals of match play. This year, the Illini bring back plenty of experience and talented players, including U.S. Amateur semifinalist Jackson Buchanan, a Player of the Year candidate, and Max Herendeen, one of the best freshman in the country last year.

Ian Gilligan plays his tee shot on the third hole during the first round of stroke play of the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. (Mike Ehrmann/USGA)

The 2023 national champions narrowly missed out on match play last year, but the Gators have reloaded and look to be one of the country’s best heading into 2024-25. Leading the charge is Western Amateur champion Ian Gilligan, 2023 U.S. Amateur semifinalist Parker Bell, Matthew Kress and Jack Turner.

10. North Carolina

David Ford plays his tee shot on the 13th hole during the round of 64 of the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (Chris Keane/USGA)

North Carolina lost three key players from its lineup at the 2024 NCAA Championship, but the brothers Ford, David and Maxwell, are back for their senior seasons in Carolina blue. Also joining the roster is Texas transfer Keaton Vo, who will have a big role if the Tar Heels are going to content for a title.

Hiroshi Tai of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets celebrates his individual championship after stroke play concludes during the Division I Men’s Golf Championship held at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa on May 27, 2024 in Carlsbad, California. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

11. Oklahoma

12. Ole Miss

13. Georgia Tech

14. Texas Tech

15. Arizona

16. Alabama

17. Arkansas

18. Texas A&M

19. Oklahoma State

20. Washington

Omar Morales plays his tee shot on the 13th hole during the round of 64 of the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (Chris Keane/USGA)

21. Stanford

22. Georgia

24. Ohio State

28. Mississippi State

29. East Tennessee State

30. California

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World Golf Ranking: Latest top 15 ahead of the PGA Tour season finale

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This week’s top 15 in the Official World Golf Rankings has some changes. The middle leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs – the BMW Championship – commenced over the weekend and the event at Castle Pines Golf Club marked the return of golf to Colorado for the first time in 18 years.

At the BMW, Keegan Bradley was victorious by one stroke over Adam Scott, Ludvig Aberg, and Sam Burns. Now, it is on to the Tour Championship for the final event of the 2024 regular season at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club.

With all of that in mind, here is a look at this week’s latest world golf rankings.

15. Sahith Theegala (3.8457 points)

Sahith Theegala dropped two spots from last week to No. 15. Theegala struggled in Colorado, finishing at 11-over par and in 48 th place, which was the worst score of the week. He had a 7-over-79 in the third round and a 4-over 76 to conclude his weekend in the Rocky Mountain State. As a result, Theegala also dropped four spots to No. 12 in the FedEx Cup standings as heads to Atlanta.

Also read: Breaking down last week’s top 15 of the World Golf Rankings

14. Russell Henley (3.8937)

Russell Henley remained at No. 14 in the rankings this week. Henley played pretty average this week, shooting 4-under par with no rounds in the 60s. He tied for 22 nd and will be 18 th in the FedEx Cup standings heading into the Tour Championship. His best rounds came in the first and third rounds with rounds of 2-over 70.

In addition, Henley ranked fifth this week with 1.992 strokes gained around the green. He also tied for second by hitting 44-of-56 fairways.

Also read: PGA Tour: 10 best courses on the 2024 schedule and where TPC Sawgrass, Pebble Beach and East Lake rank on the list

13. Jon Rahm (4.3071)

Jon Rahm dropped two spots to No. 13 in this week’s world golf rankings. This is the downfall of playing in a league that does not get world golf ranking points. Rahm has had just five possible events this year to earn points at the four majors and the Olympics. Prior to the Olympics, his best finish came at the Open Championship when he tied for seventh.

Also read: 2024 Summer Olympics: The 10 biggest winners and losers from the men’s golf event

12. Tommy Fleetwood (4.3316)

Tommy Fleetwood remained at No. 12 in the world golf rankings. At the BMW Championship, Fleetwood tied for fifth, which was fueled by four rounds of even par or better. Fleetwood had 3-under 69s in the second and fourth rounds. He was one of four players that went from being on the outside looking in to getting inside the top 30.

Fleetwood, who moved from 31 to 22 in the FedEx Cup standings, now prepares for his second straight Tour Championship where he tied for sixth last year.

Also read: FedEx Cup FAQ: When Where, How it Works, and Much More

11. Keegan Bradley (4.4038)

Over the last couple of weeks, Keegan Bradley went from barely missing out on the BMW Championship to now heading to Atlanta for the Tour Championship. Bradley shot 1-over par at the FedEx St. Jude Championship and dropped 11 spots. Luckily, those 11 spots dropped him to No. 50. Keeping him on pace to be the last player in the field in Colorado.

Bradley, who also earned an exemption to all eight Signature Events for 2025, went on to win the BMW Championship. He got an opportunity and just took advantage. Bradley now goes into Atlanta at No. 4 in the FedEx Cup standings looking to finish strong.  

Also read: Where Keegan Bradley stands on the list of Wanamaker Trophy winners to be victorious at the PGA Championship

10. Bryson DeChambeau (4.7473)

Bryson DeChambeau remained in his position in the world golf rankings at No. 10. Like Rahm, DeChambeau is now preparing for the next LIV Golf event in Chicago for the final individual event on Sept. 13-15. Then, the following week is the Team Championship in Dallas.

DeChambeau’s team, Crushers GC, leads Rahm’s squad, Legion XIII by one-half point entering the final two events on the LIV Golf docket.

Related: Where Bryson DeChambeau’s second U.S. Open title stands on the list of winners

9. Patrick Cantlay (4.8936)

Patrick Cantlay is coming off a T13 finish at the BMW Championship. It ultimately was not the finish he was looking for, shooting even par on Saturday and Sunday. However, the 2021 FedEx Cup Champion enters the Tour Championship at No. 10 when the first round begins Thursday.

Also read: Open Championship Future Sites: Everything You Need to Know

8. Viktor Hovland (5.3989)

Viktor Hovland remained at No. 8 in the world golf rankings. After his second top-10 finish of the season last week in Memphis, Hovland recorded three 1-under 71s before a 1-over 73 in the final round. As a result, Hovland tied for 26th and entered the Tour Championship at No. 17. He did most of his work last week in Memphis to have a chance to retain his FedEx Cup title from a season ago.

Also read: 10 underperforming PGA Tour players in 2024

7. Hideki Matsuyama (5.4903)

Hideki Matsuyama had his caddie and coach with him in Colorado for the first time since being robbed in England. Ultimately, it was short-lived. Matsuyama withdrew from the BMW Championship while warming up before his second round on Friday.

He now hopes to get healthy ahead of the Tour Championship in the No. 3 position. In addition, Matsuyama will be leading the International Team at the Presidents Cup as the top international player (not from Europe) in the world golf rankings. The other qualifiers for the International squad are Sungjae Im, Scott, Tom Kim Jason Day, and Byeong Hun An.

Also read: Who has the most major wins of all time and who the current stars, like Matsuyama, looking up to?

6. Collin Morikawa (5.5086)

Collin Morikawa returns to being No. 6 in the world golf rankings this week. He was one shot worse than Hovland at 1-over par as he played on the longest course in PGA Tour history at 8,130 yards. Playing at elevation, being close to a mile above sea level, Morikawa struggled over the weekend with a 1-over 73 on Saturday and 2-over 74 on Sunday.

Morikawa looks for his first FedEx Cup title as he enters the week at No. 7 in the FedEx Cup standings.

Also read: A look at every Open Championship winner: Where Collin Morikawa stands as a Claret Jug holder

5. Wyndham Clark (5.8796)

Wyndham Clark remained at No. 5 in the world golf rankings. Playing in his home state of Colorado, Clark had the home crowd on his side as the week progressed. Despite a final round 2-over 74, Clark was dressed in Denver Broncos gear, showing his support for his home city.

Clark even got to play his practice round with NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning in the Pro-Am. Ultimately, Clark tied with Cantlay in the leaderboard and went to Atlanta in the No. 8 spot.

Also read: Who has the most PGA Tour wins of all-time?

4. Ludvig Aberg (6.4997)

Ludvig Aberg is No. 4 this week in the world golf rankings. Aberg got back on track this week with his runner-up finish, which tied Xander Schauffele for the most second-place finishes in 2024 with three. Although Aberg doesn’t have a win in 2024, he has eight top 10s. Which is tied with Burns for third. His runner-up finish also moved him up two spots to No. 5 in the standings as he makes his Tour Championship debut this week.

Also read: U.S. Open Future Sites: Everything you need to know about America’s National Championship through 2051

3. Rory McIlroy (8.5353)

If a golfer can adapt and adjust to playing at elevation, they can have some success. That is what happened to Rory McIlroy, who remains at No. 3 in the world golf rankings. After struggling last week in Atlanta, McIlroy tied for 11 th at 6-under par. All four strokes gained statistics – off the tee, approach, around the green, and putting – were positive. However, there is another step McIlroy can climb if he wants to get his record-breaking fourth FedEx Cup this week.  

Also read: 5 Longest Drives of All-time, from Tiger Woods to Dustin Johnson

2. Xander Schauffele (11.4911)

Xander Schauffele sits at No. 2 this week in the world golf rankings. After his runner-up finish in Memphis, Schauffele tied with Fleetwood in fifth on the leaderboard. It marks Schauffele’s 14 th top-10 finish this season and his 25th over the last two seasons. He was stalled by a 1-over 73 in the second round but had one of the best moving days on Saturday with a 5-under 67.

He goes into East Lake in Atlanta in second place, with the pre-tournament scoring format. Schauffele has the best cumulative score to par at East Lake since 2017, without starting strokes, at 85-under par, according to Justin Ray from the Athletic .

Also read: 10 winners and losers from the 4 major championships in 2024, including Xander Schauffele

1. Scottie Scheffler (18.1738)

Scottie Scheffler remains in the top spot of the world golf rankings. Last week, Scheffler had a down week in Colorado, shooting 1-over par and tying for 33 rd . However, he is still in the top position heading into the Tour Championship as he looks for his first FedEx Cup title.

In addition, Scheffler automatically qualified for the Presidents Cup, representing Team USA. The five other qualifiers for the American squad are Schauffele, Morikawa, Clark, Cantlay, and Theegala. The remaining six players for both teams will be chosen by the captains and announced on Sept. 3.

Also read: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler takes major shot at current FedEx Cup Playoff system to determine the FedEx Cup Champion

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Golf 2024 Official World Golf Rankings

Official world golf rankings.