This article is part of our Major Power Rankings series.
Below are our 2014 PGA Championship rankings. This list is geared toward winner-take-all leagues and leagues that reward the lowest aggregate score, but it can serve other leagues as well, no matter the nuances.
1. Rory McIlroy Note: The clear favorite after dominating the British Open three weeks ago and winning again last week, McIlroy couldn't be playing much better heading into the season's last major. |
2. Adam Scott Note: Master's champ from last year is in his prime right now with 11 top-15 finishes in his last 12 majors. |
3. Justin Rose Note: Playing beautifully the last couple months with two wins; T3 two years ago at PGA Championship. |
4. Sergio Garcia Note: Trending strong with runner-ups at his last two events (British Open, WGC-Bridgestone) and primed to secure his maiden major. |
5. Henrik Stenson Note: Third place at last years PGA Championship and more than capable of competing at Valhalla this week. |
6. Matt Kuchar Note: Kuchar is a top-10 machine and has won many big tournaments but still seeks a major. |
7. Rickie Fowler Note: With top-5s at each of first three majors, Fowler is bound to break through for his first major soon. |
8. Keegan Bradley Note: Top-5 at WGC-Bridgestone and top-3 in two of his last three PGA Championship starts. |
9. Martin Kaymer Note: 2010 PGA champion is having a great year after winning The Players and the U.S. Open. |
10. Jim Furyk Note: Red hot recently with close calls at the British Open and |
Below are our 2014 PGA Championship rankings. This list is geared toward winner-take-all leagues and leagues that reward the lowest aggregate score, but it can serve other leagues as well, no matter the nuances.
1. Rory McIlroy Note: The clear favorite after dominating the British Open three weeks ago and winning again last week, McIlroy couldn't be playing much better heading into the season's last major. |
2. Adam Scott Note: Master's champ from last year is in his prime right now with 11 top-15 finishes in his last 12 majors. |
3. Justin Rose Note: Playing beautifully the last couple months with two wins; T3 two years ago at PGA Championship. |
4. Sergio Garcia Note: Trending strong with runner-ups at his last two events (British Open, WGC-Bridgestone) and primed to secure his maiden major. |
5. Henrik Stenson Note: Third place at last years PGA Championship and more than capable of competing at Valhalla this week. |
6. Matt Kuchar Note: Kuchar is a top-10 machine and has won many big tournaments but still seeks a major. |
7. Rickie Fowler Note: With top-5s at each of first three majors, Fowler is bound to break through for his first major soon. |
8. Keegan Bradley Note: Top-5 at WGC-Bridgestone and top-3 in two of his last three PGA Championship starts. |
9. Martin Kaymer Note: 2010 PGA champion is having a great year after winning The Players and the U.S. Open. |
10. Jim Furyk Note: Red hot recently with close calls at the British Open and RBC Heritage a week later. Runner-up to Jason Dufner at the PGA last year. |
11. Phil Mickelson Note: Closed with an 8-under 62 at last week's WGC-Bridgestone but has yet to earn a top-10 this season. |
12. Tiger Woods Note: Withdrew last Sunday due to back issues so if he plays and makes it through the week healthy he'll have to really turn his game around quickly. |
13. Bubba Watson Note: Very spotty results at the PGA Championship but did nearly win this championship in 2010 and if he can hit fairways he could easily be in the mix on Sunday. |
14. Graeme McDowell Note: Top-15 in his past two PGA Championships and coming off a solid top-10 at last week's WGC-Bridgestone. |
15. Charl Schwartzel Note: Top-10s recently at both the British Open and WGC-Bridgestone have the South-African trending well going into the PGA Championship. |
16. Lee Westwood Note: Westwood has just two career top-10s at the PGA Championship and has missed the cut at the previous two majors so age appears to be catching up to the 41-year-old. |
17. Jordan Spieth Note: The 20-year old has enjoyed a fantastic season with seven top-10s and a slew of other great finishes so he'll be a player to watch at Valhalla. |
18. Jason Day Note: Tied for eighth at last year's PGA Championship but recently has struggled with thumb and wrist injuries where he withdrew last week. |
19. Hunter Mahan Note: Has never been inside the top 15 at the PGA Championship but was in two Sunday final pairings last year and has plenty of talent. |
20. Zach Johnson Note: Three top-10s at the PGA the last five years and could surprise if his driving is solid this week. |
21. Jason Dufner Note: Dufner has a strong history at the PGA Championship and defends his title this week but has struggled to find his form since May so he's a bit of a wildcard this year. |
22. Luke Donald Note: Two top-10s and two missed cuts his last seven starts at the PGA and has been below average this season. |
23. Brandt Snedeker Note: Has strangely disappeared after strong campaigns the last two years but recently has two top-25 finishes. |
24. Ernie Els Note: Ernie has struggled at the PGA since his last top-10 in 2009 but the veteran can never be counted out at majors where birdies are hard to come by. |
25. Webb Simpson Note: A bit under the radar but has four top-3 finishes this wraparound season including a win at the Shriners last October. |
26. Ian Poulter Note: Contended and tied for third two years ago at the PGA but hasn't been on many leaderboard recently. |
27. Steve Stricker Note: Missed the Open Championship last month for a second straight year but this time around less hasn't meant more for the veteran playing a limited schedule. |
28. Bill Haas Note: Haas drives the ball very well but has been mediocre in majors in his career. |
29. Nick Watney Note: Played well last week at the Barracuda Championship in a stableford format but has struggled with swing changes this season. |
30. Jonas Blixt Note: Was in second-to-last group on Sunday at last year's PGA and played admirably only to follow it up with a runner-up at the Masters this year. |
31. Ryan Moore Note: Moore has quietly found his form lately with top-15s in his last four starts so he appears primed to finally put himself into contention at a major. |
32. Richard Sterne Note: Has never made a cut at the PGA but is 71st in the OWGR. |
33. Angel Cabrera Note: Won The Greenbrier a few weeks back but tends to run hot and cold so he'll again be a wildcard this week. |
34. Matteo Manassero Note: The young talent is capable of playing well but has yet to show his game for four rounds in a major. |
35. Branden Grace Note: Missed the cut in his first two PGA Championship starts but was T36 at last months British Open. |
36. Hideki Matsuyama Note: Matsuyama won the Memorial this year over Kevin Na and already has two major top-10s in his young career so he could surprise with his steady game. |
37. Harris English Note: Another young player with gobs of talent, English has the tools to win if he can put himself in contention. |
38. Patrick Reed Note: Backdoored a top-5 last week and has three wins in the last year and has plenty of confidence to contend in a major. |
39. Marc Leishman Note: Leishman is trending very well and has stepped up his game in big events so he'll be a sleeper this week with plenty of upside to contend. |
40. Billy Horschel Note: Was T4 at the U.S. Open last year in a breakout rookie season but has played just twice since the U.S. Open this year so he may be a bit rusty. |
41. Francesco Molinari Note: Has consistently made the cut his first five tries at the PGA and just three weeks ago tied for 15th at the British Open. |
42. George Coetzee Note: Missed the cut in his first two PGA Championship starts but was 18th at last months British Open. |
43. Thorbjorn Olesen Note: The young Dane made a name for himself with a top-10 at last year's Masters. |
44. David Toms Note: Toms has a sneaky good PGA Championship record with top-10s in two of the last three years so don't be surprised if the veteran shows up at Valhalla. |
45. Thomas Bjorn Note: The steady veteran continues to surprise at majors given his age but has done little at the PGA since 2005. |
46. Padraig Harrington Note: Will tentatively join Phil & Tiger the first two days but has done little in regards to top finishes since his major run in 2007 & 2008. |
47. Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano Note: Has struggled to make cuts at majors this year but was T4 at the RBC Canadian two weeks ago. |
48. Miguel Angel Jimenez Note: The Mechanic contended for the Masters this year and went on a hot streak afterward but missed the other two major cuts so things will no doubt be interesting for the man who exemplifies the word. |
49. Stewart Cink Note: Cink has made plenty of cuts this season but has yet to notch a top-10. |
50. Charley Hoffman Note: Hoffman has five top-10s this season and has earned himself a spot in this weeks major but has never been inside the top-25 at a major. |
51. Tim Clark Note: Fresh off a win at the RBC Canadian Open, Clark is in good form but may struggle with the longer Valhalla course. |
52. K.J. Choi Note: Choi has made the cut the last five years at the PGA but hasn't seriously contended since 2006. |
53. Brendon Todd Note: Has been lights out since winning the HP Byron Nelson but still a bit new to major championships. |
54. Ryan Palmer |
55. Kevin Streelman Note: Won the Travelers with seven straight birdies to finish and was T12 at last year's PGA. |
56. Scott Stallings |
57. Jamie Donaldson Note: The European Tour mainstay was runner-up at Doral earlier this year and was T7 two years ago at the PGA. |
58. J. B. Holmes Note: Won at Quail Hollow this year and playing in his home state this week. |
59. John Senden Note: Plays a solid tee-to-green game but his biggest challenge will be the tough putting surfaces of Valhalla. |
60. Edoardo Molinari Note: Played admirably to post a top-10 at the British Open last month and will look to build on his best major finish at the seasons final major. |
61. Freddie Jacobson |
62. Victor Dubuisson Note: The young Frenchman was runner-up at the WGC-Matchplay and has plenty of upside to contend. |
63. Graham Delaet Note: The Canadian has missed four cuts in five major starts but is playing solidly lately and is talented enough to put his name on a major leaderboard at some point. |
64. Vijay Singh Note: At 51 Vijay is all but over the hill and hasn't truly contended in a major since 2006. |
65. Gary Woodland Note: Woodland is plenty long and has started to post some decent major finishes but don't expect him to be in the mix Sunday. |
66. Jimmy Walker Note: The FedEx cup leader is enjoying and blistering hot season so expect solid play. |
67. Louis Oosthuizen Note: Oosthuizen has struggled to find his game recently but he is a major champion who could turn it around quickly. |
68. Thongchai Jaidee |
69. Rafael Cabrera-Bello Note: Cabrera-Bello won the 2012 Omega Dubai Desert Classic in a star-studded field but has yet to translate his game into major results. |
70. Boo Weekley Note: Weekley has just one top-10 finish this season and has battled a balky putter. |
71. Shane Lowry Note: Lowry tied for ninth last month at the British Open but has yet to post inside the top-50 in an American major. |
72. Kiradech Aphibarnrat Note: Aphibarnrat's only made cut in a major came last season with a T25 at the PGA so we'll see if he can make it cut number two this week. |
73. Joost Luiten Note: Won twice on the European Tour last year and has his sights set on breaking the top-20 at a major for the first time. |
74. Seung-Yul Noh Note: Won the Zurich Classic this year but has fallen off the radar since. |
75. Brooks Koepka Note: Tied for fourth at the U.S. Open this year and has the talent to shine if he can put himself in the mix. |
76. Mikko Ilonen Note: Won the Irish Open earlier this year but has yet to contend at a major. |
77. Paul Casey |
78. Y.E. Yang Note: Won the PGA back in 2009 but has done little at the tournament since. |
79. Roberto Castro Note: Tied for 12th at the PGA last year but 2014 has been a tough year from a results standpoint. |
80. Scott Piercy Note: Was top-5 at the PGA just a year ago and comes in again this year in decent form with a T25 at the recent RBC Canadian Open. |
81. Stephen Gallacher |
82. Matt Every Note: Earned his maiden victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational but has yet to contend in a major. |
83. Kevin Chappell |
84. Brendon de Jonge Note: The Zimbabwe native has surprisingly been solid at the PGA with four made cuts and his best finish a T26 in 2011. |
85. Davis Love III Note: Love has played reasonably well in the last few months and still can hit a long drive but at 50 his chances are slim. |
86. Kevin Na Note: |
87. Ryo Ishikawa Note: Has made his last two cuts at the PGA and at 22 has plenty of majors ahead of him. |
88. Bernd Wiesberger |
89. Darren Clarke |
90. David Hearn |
91. Rory Sabbatini Note: The South African has only contended once in a major (2007 Masters) and has a less than ideal record at the PGA. |
92. Brendan Steele Note: Was T19 in the 2011 PGA but hasn't made a cut in a major since then. |
93. Chris Kirk |
94. Jason Kokrak |
95. Erik Compton Note: The heart transplant recipient tied for second at the U.S. Open but has lost his form since. |
96. Pablo Larrazabal |
97. Charles Howell III Note: Despite his many top-10s in other events, Howell has been absent from major leaderboards his entire career. |
98. Chris Stroud |
99. Matt Jones Note: Won the Shell Houston before the Masters this year but has been mediocre since. |
100. Pat Perez |
101. Scott Brown |
102. Marc Warren |
103. Ben Martin Note: Tied for 26th at the British Open last month and has contended a couple times this season but may have a tough time putting together four solid rounds. |
104. Kevin Stadler |
105. Danny Willett |
106. Jason Bohn |
107. Kenny Perry Note: No one in the field has logged more rounds at Valhalla than Perry and he'll be a hometown favorite at 54 years of age. Lost the playoff in the 1996 PGA at Valhalla. |
108. Steven Bowditch |
109. Jerry Kelly Note: Took Dustin Johnson's spot in the tournament after his leave of absence was announced so Kelly will look to make the most of it. |
110. Lahiri Anirban |
111. Alexander Levy |
112. Will Mackenzie |
113. Chris Wood Note: Outside of two top-5s at the British Open Wood has failed to place well in majors and is not likely to resurface anytime soon. |
114. George McNeill |
115. Colin Montgomerie Note: The outspoken Scot is a legend in Europe but will likely not add to that legend this week. |
116. Brian Harman Note: Won the John Deere Classic a few weeks back and followed it up with a T26 at the British Open. |
117. Koumei Oda |
118. Brian Stuard |
119. Daniel Summerhays |
120. Hideto Tanihara Note: The Japanese sensation stormed onto the scene with a top-5 at the 2006 British Open but hasn't played in a major since 2008. |
121. Cameron Tringale |
122. Fabrizio Zanotti |
123. Ben Crane Note: Won the FedEx St. Jude in peek-a-boo fashion but has fallen back to mediocrity in recent weeks. |
124. Tommy Fleetwood |
125. Chesson Hadley |
126. Russell Henley Note: Henley won a 4-man playoff at the Honda Classic this year and will look to make his first cut at the PGA this week. |
127. Robert Karlsson Note: The Swede tied for fourth at the 2011 PGA and was T12 at the British Open last month so he appears to be in good form. |
128. Hyung-Sung Kim Note: The South Korean will look to make his first cut at this week's PGA Championship. |
129. Ross Fisher |
130. Shaun Micheel Note: Former PGA champion is in the field but more a pretender than a contender this week. |
131. Russell Knox |
132. John Daly Note: The two-time major champ is still a fan favorite despite his poor results the past decade. |
133. Tom Watson Note: The Ryder Cup captain will play alongside Sergio Garcia and Steve Stricker but will likely not be able to keep up with the length of Valhalla. |
134. Mark Brooks Note: The 1996 PGA champion at Valhalla, Brooks returns to the memories of his one and only major championship this week. |
135. Rich Beem Note: The one-hit wonder who took down Tiger in the 2002 PGA returns to the tournament that changed his life. |
136. Johan Kok (CP) |
137. Aaron Krueger (CP) |
138. Steve Schneiter (CP) |
139. Jerry Smith (CP) |
140. Bob Sowards (CP) |
141. Eric Williamson (CP) |
142. Jamie Broce (CP) |
143. Rob Corcoran (CP) |
144. Stuart Deane (CP) |
145. Frank Esposito (CP) |
146. Ryan Helminen (CP) |
147. David Hronek (CP) |
148. Michael Block (CP) |
149. David McNabb (CP) |
150. Jim McGovern (CP) |
151. Brian Norman (CP) |
152. Rod Perry (CP) |
153. Matt Pesta (CP) |
154. David Tentis (CP) |
155. Dustin Volk (CP) |