How has the recent Masters effected the world golf rankings?
With the Masters, the first major of 2022, recently taking place at the prestigious Augusta National, it is all change in the Official World Golf Rankings. Scottie Scheffler held onto the top spot after winning the sough-after green jacket, but there have still been a few big movements worth talking about in the top 10.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at how the Masters’ final standings have had a knock-on effect at the fore of the world rankings. Read on to find out more.
Collin Morikawa – up one to 2nd
Collin Morikawa has been making waves on the PGA Tour since turning professional in 2019 — becoming the fastest player to win two different majors as he won the PGA Championship in 2020, before lifting the Open’s iconic Claret Jug at Royal St. George’s last year.
An impressive fifth-place finish at Augusta earlier this month — just one shot adrift of Cameron Smith and Shane Lowry in T3 — was the American’s first time breaking into the top 10 at the Masters, and with Spaniard Jon Rahm faring no better than T27 on +4, he climbed above the former World No.1 into second spot.
He’s still over 100 points behind the in-form Scheffler, who maintained his place at the top spot after an incredible year that has seen him win the Phoenix Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational, the WGC Match Play and his maiden major at the Masters.
He has since dropped back down to third, being overtaken by Rahm.
Cameron Smith – up one to 5th
Green jacket winner Scheffler isn’t the only one quickly climbing up the Official World Golf Rankings though, as Australian Smith has also made his presence felt on the PGA Tour thus far in 2022.
21st at the end of last year, the 28-year-old has soared up the rankings in the opening few months of 2022. He secured his first victory of the year in the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January and landed the biggest success of his career by winning the Players Championship in March, which helped him break the top 10.
Second in the FedEx Cup standings, a tied for third finish with Lowry at Augusta — Smith’s fifth time finishing in the top 10 this season — means that the Australian has overtaken Patrick Cantlay in the world rankings, with the American dropping to sixth after finishing T39.
Smith has since climbed up another position to fourth.
Rory McIlroy – up two to 7th
Rory McIlroy may not have won his maiden green jacket, but he arguably got the loudest cheer of the week after chipping in from the green-side bunker on the 18th — carding a final round score of 64 and matching the record for the lowest round at the Masters.
It was infectious to see McIlroy playing so well at Augusta again, especially as his meltdown over a decade ago is still so often talked about.
While he was out of the running with those looking for a bet online, the Sunday charge resulted in the Northern Irishman finishing second, his best ever result at the Masters, and he leaped two placed in the rankings — surpassing Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas into seventh.
The big question golf fans are asking now is if this could be the year that McIlroy ends that eight-year wait for a fifth major. Many have put his struggles over the last few years down to a mental block, but if he has gotten the better of that now, then he really could be about to kick on.
Sam Burns – up one to 10th
Sam Burns also moved up one place in the world rankings, breaking back into the top 10 despite missing the cut on his maiden appearance at Augusta. The 25-year-old is third in the FedEx Cup standings after winning the Valspar Championship and Sanderson Farms Championship already this year.
However, following that aforementioned victory at the Valspar in mid-March — his last tournament before heading to the iconic Georgia course — he will be disappointed that he didn’t make the latter rounds of the Masters.
Yet to really make an impact at any major for that matter, with his best finish T29 at the 2019 renewal of the PGA Championship, the American still has the Open, the US Open and the PGA to make amends and stand up and be counted in a major this year.
Burns has since dropped back out of the top 10, losing out to Jordan Spieth.
