GolfMagic grades the world's top 10 and Tiger Woods in the 2018 majors
Do you agree with our major grades this year for some of the game's greats? Find out...
If it was bad enough both the World Cup and Love Island being over, it's now 236 days and counting until golf's next major championship at The Masters. Sigh.
Brooks Koepka may have been the star of the show in 2019 as he added two more majors to his 2017 US Open triumph, meaning he's now landed three of the last six majors in a 14-month spell. Impressive given he's only won four times in his entire PGA Tour career.
But what of the other big names? Well, it's been a mixed bag for some of them. GolfMagic assess the current world's top 10 and Tiger Woods, who has vaulted up to #26 from outside #600 at the start of the year.
WORLD #1 - DUSTIN JOHNSON
The Masters: T10
US Open: 3
The Open: MC
US PGA: T27
GOLFMAGIC GRADE: C
DJ performed admirably in the season's first two majors but he will have felt as though the US Open was one that got away given he shot a 77 on a tricky Saturday before going on to lose by just two strokes to his good friend Brooks. DJ was disgusted with his performance to miss the cut at Carnoustie, so the less said about that one the better. He bounced back quickly though and looked to have put one hand on the US PGA on day one at Bellerive when racing to the front after just 13 holes, but endured a poor finish to that round and never quite recovered thereafter. DJ has had a fantastic year with three wins and maintained his World No.1 ranking, but to still sit on one major (2016 US Open) will frustrate a man of his stature in the game. While no doubt happy to see his buddy Brooks race to three career majors in the space of 14 months, that will no doubt fuel DJ's fire when it comes to the majors in 2019 and we can't wait to see his reaction.
WORLD #2 - BROOKS KOEPKA
The Masters: DNP
US Open: 1
The Open: T39
US PGA: 1
GOLFMAGIC GRADE: A+
Brooks has won three of his last six majors. Need we say any more. What's even more impressive is that he only has four career PGA Tour wins to his name. Koepka was injured at the start of the season and so didn't play The Masters, but he got over that quickly when successfully defending his US Open title by one stroke over a fast-finishing Tommy Fleetwood. Koepka never contended at The Open, which will have no doubt frustrated him slightly, but the best possible way to get over that was to win a hat-trick of majors and the big-hitting American duly delivered. Brooks' rise from the Challenge Tour has taken some time, but he is finally fulfilling the promise that so many people had been expecting. You'd not be surprised to see Brooks land another major in 2019, and who knows, maybe even a third consecutive US Open... the last man to do that was Scotland's Willie Anderson in 1905.
WORLD #3 - JUSTIN THOMAS
The Masters: T17
US Open: T25
The Open: MC
US PGA: T6
GOLFMAGIC GRADE: C
Very much like DJ with just the one major to his name and three tournament wins this season, but we have just come to expect major wins from this guy. JT's best chance of a major win in 2018 came when attempting to defend his US PGA crown last week, but despite rallying on the final round to share the lead, he finished poorly. JT never contended in the other three majors, and that will leave him with much to ponder over the next few months. A proven winner who lives for the big stage. Do not be shocked to see JT win at least one major in 2019.
WORLD #4 - JUSTIN ROSE
The Masters: T12
US Open: T10
The Open: T2
US PGA: T19
GOLFMAGIC GRADE: B+
If you put all four of 2018's majors into one big major, Justin Rose would be your winner on 12-under par. Rose has progressed nicely up to World No.4 this season, but he will no doubt contemplate what might have been in the majors this year. He found himself one stroke off the lead at the US Open after 54 holes only to squander his chance on the final day, and while rallying for an impressive tie for second at The Open, he gave himself just that little too much to do when making the cut on the number at Carnoustie. Rose never fired on all cylinders at the US PGA, but he did still bag a top-20 finish despite not being fully fit. Rose has plenty of experience behind him now and we fully expect him to keep his foot on the gas in 2019. A solid major season overall.
WORLD #5 - JON RAHM
The Masters: 4
US Open: MC
The Open: MC
US PGA: T4
GOLFMAGIC GRADE: B-
Take out the US Open and The Open and Rahm enjoyed a very solid campaign in the majors - unfortunately that's 50% though. Rahm has all the ingredients to become a multiple major winner, and he will - there is no doubt about it. Rahm is the youngest of the new breed out here and his distance off the tee and deft touch around the greens with the wedge and putter will stand him in good stead. But right now, there just appears something missing - one bad shot seems to lead to two or three, and he needs avert his attention to playing one shot at a time. Majors by the bucket load await, but whether his first one comes in 2019 remains to be seen. A work in progress.
WORLD #6 - FRANCESCO MOLINARI
The Masters: T20
US Open: T25
The Open: 1
US PGA: T6
GOLFMAGIC GRADE: A
Francesco Molinari had no right to enter the world's top six this seaoson, but that's exactly where he finds himself. In fact, you'd have got very good odds for that to happen at the start of the year as he looked on at 22nd in the world. Fast forward eight months and Molinari has enjoyed his finest season to date with three wins coming in the space of six events, highlighted with his maiden major at The Open in July. Molinari also won the BMW PGA - the European Tour's flagship event of the season in May - and bagged his first PGA Tour title when racing clear of the field at the Quicken Loans National. Molinari's 65-69 weekend at Carnoustie was the most impressive weekend of any in the majors this season, with no bogeys and a composure that defied all odds against many of the world's elite chasing him home. Molinari even backed up his Open win with a solid tie for sixth at the US PGA. His laser-like accuracy off the tee makes him a huge threat wherever he goes these days, especially now he's learned how to use a putter. Fantastico.
WORLD #7 - RORY MCILROY
The Masters: T5
US Open: MC
The Open: T2
US PGA: T50
GOLFMAGIC GRADE: C-
Rory's numbers in the majors this year aren't disastrous, but this is Rory McIlroy - a man many have expected to be chasing down Tiger's major haul of 14 major wins. To still be sitting on four majors since 2014 is quite simply not good enough for the Ulsterman, and with his big expectations, he knows that. Rory should have won The Masters to complete the career grand slam at the age of 28 but he didn't. He had the opportunity as early as the par-5 second on Sunday to draw level with Reed and he blew his chance and never quite recovered. A missed cut at the US Open for a third successive year was hugely disappointing, as too his tie for 50th at the US PGA. He rallied late for a tie for second at The Open, but major wins are all Rory craves. McIlroy has got to sort out the distance control with his wedges and become more consistent on the greens if he's to start winning majors again. When Rory is on his A-game, there are few players that can rival him. Another player who will be looking for much better in 2019.
WORLD #8 - JORDAN SPIETH
The Masters: 3
US Open: MC
The Open: T9
US PGA: T12
GOLFMAGIC GRADE: C
Simlar to Rory in the sense major wins are what you come to expect. Spieth is a three-time major winner and another player who thrives under the gun. Yes, three solid major finishes out of four isn't bad this season, but Jordan will unlikely see it that way. He held every chance of winning The Masters with a flurry of birdies coming home, but it was a case of too little, too late. He failed to turn up at the US Open, and then looked a solid favourite heading into the final day of The Open only to shoot a 76 en route to a tie for ninth. Speith can and will no doubt bounce back in 2019. He'll need to warm his putter up though.
WORLD #9 - RICKIE FOWLER
The Masters: 2
US Open: T20
The Open: T28
US PGA: T12
GOLFMAGIC GRADE: C
Probably the best player without a major to his name, although Rahm might have something to say about that these days. Fowler came mightily close to his maiden major at The Masters in April when rallying with weekend rounds of 65 and 67, but he came up one stroke shy of Reed for the green jacket. The remaining three majors were solid without being spectacular, the latter of which he started brightly with rounds of 65 and 67 only to tail off outside the top 10 with closing rounds of 69 and 71. Rickie deserves a major and it will happen soon. It will, won't it?
WORLD #10 - JASON DAY
The Masters: T20
US Open: MC
The Open: T17
US PGA: T19
GOLFMAGIC GRADE: C
It's been an up-and-down season for Day this year with two wins on the PGA Tour, just without any real challenge for the majors despite posting three top-20 finishes. The Australian, like DJ and JT, has just the one major to his name. It's not just us that expects more from the former world number one, but Day himself. He knows that if he can get the ball in the fairway then he is a danger man every week he tees it up. Unfortunately the driver hasn't always behaved itself this season and that's been his biggest sticking point. Day is considered, and on stats, the best putter on Tour. His short game is rivalled by few, too. When it's all systems go off the tee, Day is arguably the best player in the world. There are certainly many more majors in his locker and we anticipate - now fully fit and seemingly in a better place off the course - that 2019 could be his greatest season yet.
WORLD #26 - TIGER WOODS
The Masters: T32
US Open: MC
The Open: T6
US PGA: 2
GOLFMAGIC GRADE: A
Tiger Woods was finished, they said. Well, even Tiger himself apparently said that, according to Sir Nick Faldo at the 2017 Masters Dinner. How wrong many of us were. Woods has impressed just about every week since returning to the course, and he very nearly took both The Open and US PGA in the process. While Woods is still searching for his first win on Tour since 2013, there is every reason reason to think he could notch a W before 2018 is in the books as looks to take his momentum into the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Woods somewhat disappointed at both The Masters and US Open, but led The Open with eight holes to play only to finish in a tie for sixth following a double bogey at 11 and bogey at 12. Woods then pushed Koepka all the way at the US PGA with a closing 6-under 64 en route to finishing runner-up, bringing the house down with a birdie at 18. Woods is back whether you like it or not, and looks more than ready to land a 15th major in 2019. Do you fancy it?
