Golf is rightly renowned as a formidable sport of precision and strength, with top golfers regularly performing incredible feats of focus, precision, and strength while the world watches.
The sport is filled with many rising talents and bona fide legends. While Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are household names, there are still several important talents worth noting today. Between the two professional tours, dozens of talented golfers compete every season with many opportunities to win both small and large. And here are the top 10 best golfers in the world right now.
10. Brian Harman
Three-time PGA Tour winner and 2023 Open Championship winner Brian Harman is a prolific golfer. Known for his famous left-handed swing, Harman has secured many wins over the last decade. He was also a part of the US Team for the 2023 Ryder Cup. He boasts an illustrious amateur career, and after his Open Championship win, is sure to secure another major win soon.
9. Max Homa
Max Homa currently holds the record for longest drive in the PGA Tour, a record which he set at the Sentry earlier in the year. Despite his six PGA wins and excellent 2023 season, Homa has not secured any major wins yet. However, he competed for Team USA in the 2023 Ryder Cup and won his singles match against Matt Fitzpatrick. In April 2024, he tied for third place at the Masters Tournament.
8. Patrick Cantlay
With 8 PGA Tour wins and a FedEx Cup win under his belt, Patrick Cantlay is one of the top-ranked golf players in the world. He won the PGA Tour Player of the Year award in 2021 and is known for his stoic demeanor. This is why many refer to him as ‘Patty Ice.’ Cantlay is a very technical golfer and it’s clear that a major win is on the horizon for him.
7. Ludvig Aberg
Ludvig Aberg is one of the most prominent under-25 rising stars in golf right now. Aberg only went pro last year after landing the number one spot on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Since turning pro, Aberg has won tournaments in both the PGA and European Tours. He played alongside Viktor Hovland in the 2023 Ryder Cup and won against the world number one, and PGA Champion, Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka.
6. Viktor Hovland
Despite his age, Viktor Hovland has proven time and time again that he is a force to be reckoned with in the world of golf. He plays for both the European and PGA Tours and has six PGA Tour wins to his name. He also boasts a FedEx Cup win. He competed at both the Master and PGA Championships in 2023 and though he didn’t win either, it’s pretty clear that it is only a matter of when.
5. Wyndham Clark
Wyndham Clark had a phenomenal 2023. He scored his first PGA Tour win, as well as his first major win. The 30-year-old struck gold at the 2023 US Open, taking home the trophy and catapulting his career into the greater limelight. His 2024 season has also been worthy of note.
4. Jon Rahm
In 2021, Jon Rahm became the first Spanish golfer to win the U.S. Open. He also bagged his second major win at the 2023 Masters Tournament. In 2023 he announced that he would be leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, a Saudi golf tour. This announcement drew some criticism from fans as he had made comments in the past criticizing the tour, which led to his suspension by the PGA Tour.
3. Xander Schauffele
Xander Schauffele is a seven-time PGA Tour winner, an Olympic Gold Medalist, and the third-ranked golfer in the world. Interestingly, Schauffele has never won a major. However, that hasn’t stopped him from dominating the course in many other events. He scored second-place ties at both the 2018 Open Championships and 2019 Masters.
2. Rory McIlroy
Former number-one ranked golfer Rory McIlroy is one of the only three golfers to win four major championships before the age of 25. He famously won the US Open at the age of 22 following a successful amateur career. Despite not having won any majors since the 2014 PGA Championship, he has still taken home many trophies.
1. Scottie Scheffler
USA’s Scottie Scheffler is a two-time Master’s Tournament winner, and his recent Players Championship win made him the first golfer to secure back-to-back wins at the event. The 27-year-old kicked off his wins when he secured the PGA Rookie of the Year award in the 2019/2020 season. Evidently, his career has only gone upwards since then. He started the 2024 season with his second Arnold Palmer Invitational win and bagged his second Master’s Tournament win in April.
