Golf power rankings: Scottie Scheffler remains on top, Jon Rahm takes a dive

2. Xander Schauffele | PGA Tour

Previous ranking: 3
Our first change! We had Jon Rahm ahead of Schauffele in our first rankings, but that was before the American finally got the major championship monkey off his back by winning the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. Schauffele has been incredibly consistent this season with nine top-10 finishes in 12 starts, and now we know he can win the big one. 

3. Rory McIlroy | PGA Tour

Previous ranking: 5
McIlroy showed that he can still be the best player in the world on any given day when he shot a sizzling 65 in the final round of the Wells Fargo Championship to beat Schauffele by five. You could argue the Northern Irishman deserves to be in the No. 2 spot, but we may not be able to get there until he ends his 10-year major drought. 

4. Bryson DeChambeau | LIV

Previous ranking: 10

One of our biggest movers on the board, DeChambeau proved he’s still a world-class player when he finished T6 at the Masters and second at the PGA Championship. DeChambeau’s length off the tee gives him such a distinct advantage every time he tees it up, and he’s become a great iron player and putter. Don’t be surprised if he nabs a major in 2024.

5. Jon Rahm | LIV

Previous ranking: 2
This is a tricky one. Rahm was clearly the No. 2 player in the world when he left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, but he’s had trouble adjusting to the lighter schedule. Despite finishing 10th or better in all seven of his LIV starts, the Spaniard disappointed at the majors with a T45 at the Masters and a missed cut at the PGA Championship. He needs to hit the reset button before the U.S. Open.

6. Collin Morikawa | PGA Tour

Previous ranking: NR
Welcome to the top 10, Mr. Morikawa! The two-time major champion looked out of sorts at the time of our first rankings, but he’s found a groove with four top-10 finishes in his last five stroke-play starts. Morikawa was in the final pairing on Sunday in both majors this year, finishing T3 at the Masters and T4 at the PGA Championship. He’s back, folks. 

7. Brooks Koepka | LIV

Previous ranking: 4
Like Rahm, Koepka is a hard player to rank right now. He won LIV Golf Singapore in his last start on the rival tour, but he finished T45 at the Masters and T26 at the PGA Championship. That’s not nearly good enough for a player who expects to win every time he tees it up at a major. Despite his drop in the rankings, he could easily put it all together at Pinehurst and win the U.S. Open. 

8. Viktor Hovland | PGA Tour

Previous ranking: 7
It’s been a weird season for Hovland filled with swing changes, swing coach changes and a surprising loss of confidence, but he’s quickly getting back to his 2023 form. The reigning FedEx Cup champion gained strokes in all four major categories to finish T3 at the PGA Championship, by far his best finish of the year. Hovland could make a big jump in the next rankings if he starts to build some momentum.

9. Ludvig Aberg | PGA Tour

Previous ranking: 9
We told you this kid was the real deal. In his first career major championship start, Aberg finished runner-up to Scheffler at the Masters. He also sandwiched that impressive showing with a T14 at the Valero Texas Open and a T10 at the RBC Heritage. Aberg is a supreme talent, but he’s currently dealing with a knee injury that surely contributed to his missed cut at the PGA Championship. He stays at the No. 9 spot for now. 

10. Cameron Smith | LIV

Previous ranking: 8
Smith has a mesmerizing short game that gives him such a high floor, but the name of the game in professional golf right now is driving. Unfortunately for the Australian, he’s both short and erratic off the tee. If he can hone in the driver, Smith has the talent to win multiple major championships in the coming years.