This article is part of our Golf Barometer series.
UPGRADE
Brandt Snedeker: His 64 on Sunday to steal The Heritage goes down as one of the best rounds of the year, and it's the sort of victory that's probably going to result in a big bounce the next few weeks. It's a confidence game, friends. Snedeker gives away a lot of distance on the tee, but he's 29th in fairways hit and second in putting.
Ricky Barnes: Write his name down in black ink, circle it, put a star next to this one, trade for him if you can. Barnes is still just 30 and is on the cusp of stardom; he's got every shot in the bag, and he knows he's ready to step up a level or two in class. He's cashed in 6-of-7 starts the last two months, and he didn't miss too many shots at The Heritage.
Tommy Gainey: Crazy swing, emotions on his sleeve, two golf gloves, what's not to like here? We need more personalties on tour, more guys like Gainey to root for. And it's not like he can't play - he's grabbed three significant checks this year and is 30th on the money list.
Kevin Na: His Tin Cup audition in Texas didn't have a scarring effect - Na gamely went to Harbour Town and grabbed a T9 check. A short memory is needed in this game when things get away from you.
Paul Goydos: You never expect him to be grabbing trophies, but Everyman has
UPGRADE
Brandt Snedeker: His 64 on Sunday to steal The Heritage goes down as one of the best rounds of the year, and it's the sort of victory that's probably going to result in a big bounce the next few weeks. It's a confidence game, friends. Snedeker gives away a lot of distance on the tee, but he's 29th in fairways hit and second in putting.
Ricky Barnes: Write his name down in black ink, circle it, put a star next to this one, trade for him if you can. Barnes is still just 30 and is on the cusp of stardom; he's got every shot in the bag, and he knows he's ready to step up a level or two in class. He's cashed in 6-of-7 starts the last two months, and he didn't miss too many shots at The Heritage.
Tommy Gainey: Crazy swing, emotions on his sleeve, two golf gloves, what's not to like here? We need more personalties on tour, more guys like Gainey to root for. And it's not like he can't play - he's grabbed three significant checks this year and is 30th on the money list.
Kevin Na: His Tin Cup audition in Texas didn't have a scarring effect - Na gamely went to Harbour Town and grabbed a T9 check. A short memory is needed in this game when things get away from you.
Paul Goydos: You never expect him to be grabbing trophies, but Everyman has nine checks in 12 starts, including a cool $142K from last week. Goydos knows what he can and can't do on the course and never plays outside himself; we could all learn a lot from his example.
DOWNGRADE
Tiger Woods: Injuries to his heel and knee will keep him out of Quail Hollow, and Woods probably doesn't care too much if he misses The Players next month - he's always hated that setup. So much for any post-Masters momentum.
Davis Love: The nifty start at the Sony Open got us excited for a possible sneaky season at 47, but Love hasn't done much since - three minuscule checks and three cuts in a row. He hasn't hit the 60s since the Honda Classic in early March, and he no longer plays a heavy schedule. Move onto someone else.
HOLDING STEADY
Luke Donald: Losing in a playoff is no shame, but why does Donald have just three career victories on the PGA Tour? Why isn't he a better closer? Is he capable of taking the next step forward on the chain - can this be someone who wins multiple majors? We're still asking the same questions with Donald.
