10. Bryson DeChambeau
Winged Foot is a long course, which would seem to most benefit DeChambeau, who has established himself this season as the Tour’s most powerful hitter. However, with the unforgiving rough, it is not the kind of venue where you just blast it as far as you can and hope for the best.
At one point this season, the controversial 26-year-old strung together seven consecutive finishes of T8 or better, culminating with a July victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. Since then, he has looked much more ordinary, with only one quality result in his last six starts.
However, that quality start was a T4 at the PGA Championship, his best finish in a major. He can drive, he can putt, and despite a negative rating this past season in strokes gained: around-the-green, he is good at scrambling and phenomenal out of bunkers.
His inconsistent approach game and his faltering recent form make us hesitant to rank him any higher than this, even if his first major victory often looks imminent.
9. Jason Day
Things were going so well for the former No. 1 and 2015 winner of the PGA Championship. In a four-week stretch this summer, he went T7-T4 in the two Muirfield Village events, and added a T6 at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational before contending at TPC Harding Park on his way to a T4 at the PGA Championship.
Since that heater? He missed the cut in the first FedExCup playoff event, and then was knocked out of the playoffs entirely after finishing 64th in the 70-man field at the BMW Championship, and that was WITH a final round 68.
Recent form has him taking a hit in our rankings, but his short game – he has long been an elite putter and he led the Tour last season in strokes gained: around-the-green – is too pristine to keep him off entirely.
From 2011 to 2016, Day posted five top-10s in six U.S. Open starts, including two runner-ups. If the weather in New York doesn’t get cold enough to set off his troublesome back (it is not expected to), we like him to right the ship to an extent this week.
8. Daniel Berger
Starting in early February and ending at the first round of the FedExCup playoffs, Berger made nine starts. He missed the cut at The Memorial Tournament, but finished T13 or better in the other eight, including seven top-10s and a victory at the Charles Schwab Classic.
Since the beginning of the 2020 calendar year, he has seen his world rank rise precipitously from 154th to 13th. He cooled off a bit in his last two starts, posting a T25 at the 70-man BMW Championship and a T15 at the Tour Championship, which is preventing him from one of the prime spots in these rankings.
Still, there is plenty to like about the 27-year-old who suddenly became the best bet among Florida State products when Brooks Koepka withdrew from the tournament.
Berger finished the 2020 season 34th or better in all six strokes gained statistics. He also had the sixth best scoring average and led the Tour in scrambling. His best showing in any major came at the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, where he was part of a four-man 54-hole co-lead before finishing T6.
7. Webb Simpson
Would you believe that Simpson led the PGA Tour this past season in birdie average AND scoring average? Believe it.
The 35-year-old has been phenomenal in 2020, capturing two victories among eight top 10s in just 14 season starts. The world No. 6 backdoored a victory at the 2012 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club from the seventh-to-last Sunday pairing.
We suspect he gets in the mix sooner this year. He has posted results of T16 and T10 in the past two U.S. Opens, and has taken his game to another level this season. Few players on Tour, if any, have showcased a more diverse set of golf skills this year; he honestly might not possess a weakness.
6. Collin Morikawa
So, who thought we would hit mid-September with Morikawa being the only player to win a major in 2020? The 23-year-old was absolutely brilliant on Sunday at TPC Harding Park, with an insane tee shot to seven feet from the hole on the par-4 16th catalyzing a victory at last month’s PGA Championship, in just his second career major championship start.
That makes three victories in only 30 starts as a professional for Morikawa, who has risen all the way to No. 5 in the world rankings.
Could Morikawa go 2-for-2 in 2020 majors? We would not be shocked. He hit 65% of his fairways last season (31st on Tour) at a 297.3 yard average (97th), ranked second on Tour in strokes gained: approach-the-green, and fifth in strokes gained: tee-to-green. He also appears to have emerged from his brief major championship hangover.
His missed cut at The Northern Trust was only the second of his young career, but the following week he bounced back from a 76-73 start at the BMW Championship to shoot a pair of weekend 68s and finish T20. He then finished sixth at the Tour Championship.
The possibility of Morikawa nabbing two victories in just three career major championship starts seems inconceivable, but we have learned better than to question this kid.
Navigate to next 5
