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The first three months of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf seasons were filled with stars returning from injuries, emerging from the pack and establishing some semblance of dominance. While trophies were raised and losses were digested, none of that matters much with the first major championship of the season right around the corner.
The 2025 Masters will mark the first time this year that players from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf travel to the same confines as Augusta National Golf Club once again serves as the backdrop for a meeting of players from leagues still negotiating to potentially merge operations.
It will also serve -- for the 11th straight year -- as the place where Rory McIlroy will chase golf immortality. The four-time major champion finds himself with among his best opportunities to complete the career grand slam. While no one has accomplished the feat this late into his career, McIlroy has made the most of his early season schedule picking up two wins along the way and closing the gap between himself and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
While McIlroy may not top this latest update to the Power 18, a win at Augusta National would surely do the trick. Until that happens, it is Scheffler who continues to wear the crown (and the green jacket, for that matter) atop an evolving table that has seen major champions swap spots and new names enter the fold.
Masters champion Trevor Immelman discusses prospects of Scottie Scheffler repeat, Rory McIlroy breakthrough
Patrick McDonald
The Power 18 provides insight as to how golfers are currently performing with benefit given to their play over recent events. It is a wider lens than simply what happened at the last tournament to be played but more narrow than the Official World Golf Rankings, which take into account how more than 2,000 golfers perform across an entire season.
The Power 18
| 1 | |
| He's not as bulletproof -- or should we say, wine glass proof -- as he was this time last season, but Scheffler is still the guy to beat when players show up at tournaments. In six starts since returning from injury, the world No. 1 has notched three top 10s including podium results at the Genesis Invitational and last week at the Houston Open. He looks more and more like his 2024 self by the week. Previous: 1 | |
| 2 | |
| What isn't there to like? McIlroy tops the charts in terms of victories this year (two) and in terms of total strokes gained as he approaches the three strokes per round clip. His game seems to be as well-rounded as ever, and his golf seems to be as strategic as it has been in recent years. McIlroy got his driver in order Sunday at Houston and chipped it much better -- two areas he was hoping to improve before the Masters. Previous: 2 | |
| 3 | |
| I'm not buying the "Morikawa can't close" narrative. Should he have won already this season? Sure, but even without the victory, he continues to play some serious high-level golf. Morikawa is the only player who comes close to McIlroy and Scheffler in terms of total strokes gained this year, and it's largely due to the well-rounded nature of his game. He's finished T3, T10, 5th, T18 the last four years at the Masters. Previous: 8 | |
| 4 | |
| Rahm is doing what one would expect the Spaniard to do on LIV Golf. The two-time major champion has yet to finish outside the top 10 on the 54-hole circuit and has started this season with a pair of top-five efforts. Rahm and the rest of the league travel to Miami, Florida, this week where a win would rev up the engines ahead of the Masters. Previous: 4 | |
| 5 | |
| Look, is Schauffele playing his best golf? No, but I can't put the man in possession of not one, but two major championships (including the most recent) outside the top five. The good news for Schauffele is that his cuts-made streak has remained in tact, and he posted the best approach numbers of his career en route to a T12 finish at the Valspar Championship. Outside his iron play, the rest of his game needs to improve (quickly). Previous: 3 | |
| 6 | |
| He's been a statistical darling so far this year. Thomas tied the course record at The Players Championship after he opened with a 78 and nearly got off the schneid at the Valspar Championship. The putter is much improved compared to last season, and that has led to four top 10s in his last seven starts. Thomas will need that to translate to a major championship test as he has six missed cuts and six finishes outside the top 30 in his last 13 starts between the majors and Players. Previous: 9 | |
| 7 | |
| The big win at the Genesis Invitational was followed by a poor Florida Swing from the recent Jacksonville resident. Åberg continued to drive the ball like a stallion, but poor iron play led to an early exit at The Players. The runner-up in his debut, the Swede returns to Augusta National for just the second time and will hope the added experience can move him up one spot on the leaderboard. Previous: 5 | |
| 8 | |
| Henley's consistency finally paid off with the biggest win of his career at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He now has four top-10 finishes (including that win) in his last six starts, and he is trending towards winning his first major. Henley finished T4 at the 2023 Masters and has back-to-back top 10s in his last two major starts. Previous: 15 | |
| 9 | |
| The young Chilean has gotten off to a roaring start once again. Niemann has notched two wins on LIV Golf already this season thanks to some steady tee-to-green play and a red-hot putter. While he continues to rack up trophies on the 54-hole circuit, Niemann now needs to answer the bell on a major stage where he just one top 20 (2023 Masters) in his career. Previous: 11 | |
| 10 | |
| He's just not quite as sharp as he was the first week of the season. Matsuyama has made some strides with the driver after a string of wayward performances, but the iron play and putting has not followed suit. He has one top-10 finish in his last seven starts and was a surprising early exit at The Players. Previous: 7 | |
| 11 | |
| A win in Dubai to kick off the season has since been followed by some middling play on LIV Golf. Hatton finished T6 in Riyadh but has done no better than T19 in his three starts since. The Englishman needs to start driving the ball like he did in January if he expects to contend the second week of April. Previous: 6 | |
| 12 | |
| The driver remains a separator for the U.S. Open champion, but surprisingly, the putter is bringing him back to fields. Often underrated, DeChambeau's putting has been a problem during the early stages of 2025 as he has lost five strokes to the field across his last two tournaments. Despite this, he was able to finish T10 in Singapore. Previous: 10 | |
| 13 | |
| There's a lot to like from the Big Austrian. Straka ranks eighth in total strokes gained, ninth in driving accuracy and fifth in strokes gained approach worldwide since the start of the year. This led to his win at the American Express and more recently weekend runs at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship. Previous: 12 | |
| 14 | |
| Lowry has been lurking on leaderboards all season long. The Irishman has rattled off four top 20 finishes in a row, including top 10s at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Valspar Championship. The ball striking is trending towards elite levels, but his major championship aspirations will come down to what he does on the greens. Previous: 17 | |
| 15 | |
| He's playing great golf. He rates out well at every golf course. It's only a matter of time before he breaks through. All those are true, but Fleetwood inexplicably remains winless on the PGA Tour despite a nice run of form that has seen him capture five top 25s in five starts. He seems to live on the second page of leaderboards. Previous: 13 | |
| 16 | |
| As he typically does, Cantlay is quietly flying under the radar. He has connected on four top-15 finishes already this year including his latest effort at The Players. The short game has been mixed, but the iron play is beginning the resemble that of his FedEx Cup campaign a few years ago. Previous: 14 | |
| 17 | |
| The Canadian came to play in the Florida Swing. Conners finished 3rd, T6 and T8 across his three starts in the Sunshine State thanks largely to a massive improvement with the putter in hand. He has a great chance to return to the winner's circle at the Texas Open this week before a trip to Augusta National. Previous: NR | |
| 18 | |
| The left hander is looking more and more like a major championship contender by the week. MacIntyre has raced out the gates this year thanks to significant improvements both off the tee and on approach. The putter is starting to turn the corner at the perfect time ahead of the Masters where he has finishes of T12 and T23 in two appearances. Previous: NR | |
