The pages keep on flipping, and the winners keep on coming as two months remain in the 2026 season. The U.S. Open marked the end of major championship season in the United States as Wyndham Clark overcame more than the fans at Shinnecock Hills to capture his second U.S. Open title and second trophy of the year.
Clark's return to relevance has continued a theme from 2026 -- players are never too far from finding their peak form. Just look at a couple of weekends ago in Cromwell, Connecticut, where Viktor Hovland captured the eighth PGA Tour title of his career amid a season that has been relatively sleepy.
Other winners like J.J. Spaun, Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young, to an extent, all exude this common theme and could give way to a potentially unpredictable final section of this calendar year.
Even though there has been more unpredictability than in recent seasons, what has remained the same is Scottie Scheffler's presence on the first pages of leaderboards. The world No. 1 has remained winless since his first tournament of 2026, but the consistency with which he contends has been enough to keep his name above the rest heading into the final major championship of the season next week.
Scheffler's status atop the Power 18 golf rankings continues to reign at No. 1, while other big names such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Young have shuffled down the board.
The Power 18 provides insight into how golfers are currently performing with the benefit of their play over recent events. It is a wider lens than simply what happened at the last tournament to be played but more narrow than the Official World Golf Rankings, which take into account how more than 2,000 golfers perform across an entire season.
The Power 18 golf rankings
| 1 | |
| Scheffler now has 35 straight top 25 finishes. That's right, 35! He has not won in 13 tournaments -- his longest drought in 2.5 years -- but it is not for the lack of effort with four runner-up finishes (two courtesy of playoffs) and a slew of top-five results. If the Travelers Championship taught us anything, it is that the 20-time PGA Tour winner may be pressing for win No. 21, as all his mistakes down the stretch were due to an ounce too much aggressiveness. Although his tally is not the league's best, Scheffler remains the world's best. Previous: 1 | |
| 2 | |
| The schedule has to pick up eventually, as McIlroy has played in just six PGA Tour events that are not major championships. The Northern Irishman got off to a sound start at the U.S. Open before some loose swings and sloppy play sent his name down the leaderboard. This came after a solid T12 showing at the Memorial Tournament. McIlroy will aim to play himself into more of a rhythm with the Scottish Open and The Open on deck. Previous: 2 | |
| 3 | |
| Fitzpatrick is solidly the third-best player in the world. He shares the lead on the PGA Tour in terms of wins in 2026 and has come close to adding to his total with nice runs at the Canadian Open and the Travelers Championship. The Englishman was in the final pairing Saturday at the U.S. Open before a poor weekend, but he finally got the juices flowing in a major this year. It would not be surprising if he adds another win before the season comes to an end. Previous: 5 | |
| 4 | |
| Victim of the moment?! Perhaps, but who is playing better than Clark right now? He conquered Shinnecock Hills and the Long Island fans after firing a final-round 60 at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson en route to victory. In the meantime, Clark has been a weekend fixture at the Canadian Open, Memorial and the Travelers Championship, where he finished T5. The short game has been on a different planet the last couple of months, and so has his game. Previous: Not ranked | |
| 5 | |
| Been impressive how well his game has translated to the most difficult tests on the PGA Tour calendar. Came agonizingly close to forcing a playoff with Clark at the U.S. Open after a close call at the Memorial, where a bogey on the 71st hole was his undoing. Burns looks as in control as ever with his golf swing and the golf ball, giving himself more looks at birdie, where he continues to be among the best with the putter in hand. Previous: NR | |
| 6 | |
| The missed cut at the U.S. Open was bad ... like, really bad. The two-time major champion takes one step forward and then one step back as his early exit at Shinnecock Hills was among the most surprising developments of the week. Rahm came close to winning on LIV Golf the week prior and will look to find a way to play himself into The Open as LIV Golf's schedule is without a tournament until then. Previous: 4 | |
| 7 | |
| He has not had a top-20 finish in nearly two months. For as dominant as he looked in the spring with a couple of wins and a run at the Masters, Young's game has been a bit lackluster, mainly due to his play on and around the greens. The well has dried up with the putter as the ball striking remains in a solid position. Let's not panic here. Previous: 3 | |
| 8 | |
| After his win at the John Deere Classic, Gotterup is the youngest player inside the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings. With as many wins as Scheffler has had over the last 365 days, the five-time PGA Tour winner continues to demand more and more respect. The variety of his game, his wins and the golf courses he has contended on remain impressive. He can take it deep if needed or slum it up in major championships, which is the next step he looks destined to take. Previous: 12 | |
| 9 | |
| It's a big leap for someone who did not win in between editions, but the reason is a good one. Morikawa looks healthy again. The two-time major champion finished inside the top 20 at the U.S. Open and finished his Travelers Championship in a flurry with a final-round 61 (that could have been even lower). If Morikawa is back to 100%, his game is going to return to what it was in early 2026, where he looked like the most confident player in the world. Previous: 16 | |
| 10 | |
| Fleetwood is finding his footing at a similar time to last year. The Englishman gave himself his first real opportunity to win at the Memorial and followed it up with T11 finishes at both the Canadian Open and the U.S. Open. His consistency remains his calling card, but the recent influx of opportunities in contention should yield another trophy, as it did in the summer of 2025. Previous: 14 | |
| 11 | |
| Might only be getting up for major championships at this point! Schauffele maintained his top-15 streak at the U.S. Open, but it felt like it could have been even more heading into the weekend. Outside of his three top 15s in the majors this season, he has been relatively sluggish in regular tournaments. That may say one thing about PGA Tour setups and another about Schaffuele's game. Previous: 7 | |
| 12 | 
Ludvig Åberg
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| Hasn't really made much noise over the last couple of months. After falling short a few times -- including the PGA Championship alongside Aaron Rai -- Åberg has not given himself a chance to win since. The iron play has taken a little step back, although the new putter has been well-received, which should pay dividends the next time he is in the weekend mix. Previous: 6 | |
| 13 | |
| Chipping and pitching have held him back the last month. After sprinting through the finish line with his win at Colonial Country Club, Henley has been middling since with his T12 finish at the Travelers Championship once again showing signs of life. The last two major championships have been forgettable after a serious run at Augusta National. Previous: 8 | |
| 14 | |
| Look who is back! Hovland found his way into the winner's circle in a playoff over Scheffler thanks to a sensational driving week. The club that has been holding him back, the driver will unlock Hovland's season if it continues to operate in a cooperative manner. His eighth win came just a couple of weeks after a podium result at the Canadian Open, which was his first top 10 since the WM Phoenix Open. Previous: NR | |
| 15 | |
| He's getting closer and closer, it seems. Rose finished T11 at the U.S. Open, which sandwiched quality outings in signature events at the Memorial and the Travelers Championship. After some suspect putting, the Englishman has put a new wand in the bag and has been met with fantastic results at TPC River Highlands. He will be someone to keep an eye on as golf transitions to the other side of the Atlantic. Previous: 11 | |
| 16 | |
| Speaking of players to watch, keep an eye on Hatton. The Englishman won at LIV Golf Andalucia, where he fended off Rahm and put together a quality U.S. Open, where he quietly finished T7. He has been a links golf maestro throughout his career, and it would come as no surprise if his name is on the first page of the leaderboard again in the final major championship of the season. Previous: NR | |
| 17 | |
| Count 'em! That is now seven -- seven! -- top 25s in a row for Thomas. He is only 28 behind Scheffler in that regard, but the consistency is a welcome sight for a player who has lacked it the last few seasons. Thomas' game continues to hold its weight in major championships as he is just a vintage iron performance away from snagging another trophy. Previous: 15 | |
| 18 | |
| Remember him?! A three-time winner in 2025, Griffin is getting back to that form by the week. He has rattled off five top 15s in his last eight starts as a sizzler with the putter has finally been matched with the ball-striking that carried him into the winner's circle multiple times last season. Previous: NR | |
