Learn more about the top 10 best golfers 2023 in the section below.
Every event is drama-filled as a seasoned group of professionals struggles to fend off the assault of a young superstar.
As a result, it should come as no surprise that creating this comprehensive list proved difficult. This final countdown was created after taking into account each player’s technical prowess, current global rating, and recent performances.
Below are the 10 Best golf players in the world 2023 that you can refer to:
10. Scottie Scheffler
Official World Golf Ranking: No. 1
Best of 2023: Scheffler, who won four times in 2022, has continued his winning ways this year, taking home the trophy twice more and placing in the top 10 in 10 of his 13 starts. The victories came in February at the WM Phoenix Open by two strokes and in March at The Players Championship by five shots.
Why He Is Present: The now-26-year-old (he will turn 27 on June 21) rose from a No. 14 rating at the start of 2022 to his current No. 1 perch with six victories in less than two full seasons. He has kept this position during this run since coming in second at the PGA Championship last month.
In eight of the last 11 majors, including ties for seventh and second at the last two U.S. Opens, Scheffler finished in the top ten or better. He trailed Fitzpatrick by one shot after the first seven holes of the final round of the 2022 competition before finishing one shot behind Fitzpatrick.
9. Rory McIlroy
Official World Golf Ranking: No. 3
The best of 2023 This year, the 34-year-old has dominated the standings, taking home one victory and five other top-10 finishes from a total of 11 competitions. He defeated Patrick Reed by one shot to claim the victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour in January.
Why He’s Here: Whether or not 2023 is a good year, Rory McIlroy is still in this place. The Northern Irishman, who has qualified for 46 major tournaments, is among the most decorated players in the sport thanks to his four major triumphs and 16 top-five finishes.
History of the U.S. Open: Although it has been 12 years, McIlroy is sure to recall his eight-stroke victory against Jason Day at Congressional Golf Course, where he recorded four rounds of 69 or below.
8. Tyrrell Hatton
Official World Golf Ranking: No. 14
Best of 2023: Hatton has yet to claim a victory, but he did perform admirably in one of his more important competitions, finishing second to Scheffler at The Players Championship after shooting a final-round 65.
Why He Is Present: Hatton finished in second place, one of seven top-10 finishes for him. He also finished in third twice and fourth through tenth four times. Also, from 2016 to 2019, he finished in the top 10 five times at major tournaments.
History of the U.S. Open: He has competed in the event six times, and at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, he was competitive, moving up to a tie for 10th place after 54 holes and then carding a 69 over the next 18 holes to tie for sixth with Daniel Berger, Xander Schauffele, and Henrik Stenson.
7. Jon Rahm
Official World Golf Ranking: No. 2
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Best of 2023: Rahm has already won four of his 20 career matches this year at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, The American Express, The Genesis Invitational, and, best of all, The Masters, where he defeated Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka by four strokes.
Why He Is Present: Rahm has 10 top-10 finishes in the biggest competitions since the Masters in 2018, and as if the roll he’s been on already in 2023 weren’t enough, he is a two-time major champion.
His first major triumph came at the 2021 U.S. Open, as he fired a final-round 67 to move up from a three-way tie for sixth to a one-shot victory against Louis Oosthuizen. In 2019, he also shared third place with champion Gary Woodland.
6. Patrick Cantlay
Official World Golf Ranking: No. 4
Best of 2023: Cantlay has finished third at the RBC Heritage in April and The Genesis Invitational in February, but he has won at least one tournament each of the last four years. He is still searching for his first victory in 2023.
Why He’s Here: He’s held onto the fourth spot in the world rankings for almost the entire current campaign and has finished in the top 10 in two of the previous three major championships, including a tie for ninth place finish at the PGA Championship last month.
History of the U.S. Open: Cantlay is a futures bet because over the past three U.S. Opens, he has moved up the rankings from 43rd to 15th to 14th. Nonetheless, in seven attempts dating back to a tie for 21st as the lowest finish, he has made the cut each time.
5. Xander Schauffele
Official World Golf Ranking: No. 6
The best of 2023 High watermarks for Schauffele this year include two top-three finishes, four additional top-10 finishes, and finishes of second in the Wells Fargo Championship and third at The American Express.
Why He’s Here: In 24 career events, Schauffele has finished in the top 10 10 times, making him a reliable top-10 finisher in majors. In 2018 and 2019, he tied for second place at The Open Championship and The Masters, respectively.
History of the U.S. Open: Schauffele has competed in the event six times and has never finished lower than a tie for 14th, as he did last year. He tied for third in 2019, placed fifth in both 2017 and 2020, and added sixth- and seventh-place finishes.
4. Cameron Smith
Official World Golf Ranking: No. 9
The best of 2023 First on our list, the 29-year-old Australian won a tournament on the LIV circuit last summer in Chicago before falling short to Dustin Johnson in a playoff the following month in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
He is not here as a result of his Heroic efforts. Instead, it’s because he has seven top-10 performances in major tournaments, including a victory at The Open Championship after a final-round 64 overcame a four-shot lead to beat Cameron Young by one stroke.
History of the U.S. Open: Smith finished tied for fourth at the 2015 U.S. Open after shooting 70, 70, 69, and 68 to finish two strokes back of victor Jordan Spieth. It was his first top-10 result at a major.
3. Viktor Hovland
Official World Golf Ranking: No. 5
Best of 2023: Hovland’s best performance of the year just so happened to occur in his most recent competition, as he fired four rounds of 71 or lower and defeated Denny McCarthy in a playoff to win The Memorial at Murifield Village earlier this month.
Why He Is Present: Hovland’s ranking has increased from 10th to fifth as a result of his victory and four previous top-10 results. He has also finished no worse than a tie for seventh in each of his last three major championships, including a tie for second at the PGA Championship in May.
History of the U.S. Open: Hovland has had a mixed bag of results in his four appearances. He tied for 12th as the low amateur in 2019 and tied for 13th the following year, but he withdrew in 2020 and missed the cut in 2021.
2. Brooks Koepka
Official World Golf Ranking: No. 13
Best of 2023: He has drawn controversy as a result of his loyalty to the LIV tour, but he also found success there, taking home victories in 2022 and this spring at an event hosted by the rival league in Orlando. He won the PGA Championship by two shots in May as a result.
He won the most recent major, which is why he is here. He’s triumphed in four more. And his 36 career major victories, including 18 top-10 finishes, attest to his position as the sport’s finest clutch-time competitor. He is a factor if he is healthy. Period.
History of the U.S. Open: Koepka won the U.S. Open in 2017 and 2018, where two of those other four majors were held. In addition, he finished fourth or higher in the competition in 2014, 2019, and 2021.
1. Max Homa
Official World Golf Ranking: No. 7
Best of 2023: Homa won the Farmers Insurance Open by two shots over Keegan Bradley with to his final-round 66 at Torrey Pines in San Diego.
Why He’s Here: Homa has seven top-10 finishes in 2023, including his victory in California. He also placed second at the Genesis Invitational and third at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. He rose ten places from his 2017 starting position, which was 17th in the world.
History of the U.S. Open: Four bids haven’t yielded much thus far, with three cuts in 2013, 2020, and 2021, followed by a tie for 47th place last year.
