The PGA Tour had a weird 2022.
On the one hand, it was bad: A big handful of the best players in the world ditched the tour, lured by the deep pockets of Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf. Phil Mickelson was the biggest name LIV swiped, but the left-hander is tumbling toward the end of his career at this point. In terms of talent, LIV’s bigger gets were players like Cameron Smith (who won the Players Championship and British Open last year), Dustin Johnson (a clear top-10 player in the world, though he’s no longer ranked as such), and Brooks Koepka (a four-time major winner who is clearly fading but probably still has some good golf left in him).
On the other hand, 2022 was… kind of exciting? The PGA Tour still has a deep bench of outrageously good players who are either in the middle of or entering the prime of their careers. Last year, stalwarts like Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Justin Thomas were as good as ever, while 20-somethings Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Will Zalatoris jumped into the ranks of the best players on the planet.
As the PGA Tour heads into a new schedule that will get its best players on the same courses more often, there’s reason to think 2023 will be a pretty fun year of men’s golf, LIV notwithstanding. As golf fans gear up for the season to come, here’s a look at six players who have established themselves as ascendant threats and could win some big tournaments this year.
For a clearer picture of where they stand at the moment, I’ve also included their 2023 Masters odds (as of Jan. 11), where available. The odds are from FanDuel, and +3500 means a $100 bet can return a $3,500 profit.
PGA Tour 2023: The Rising Stars to Watch This Year
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