Power Rankings: AT&T Byron Nelson

Annika Sorenstam, Michelle Wie West and Bryson DeChambeau won’t be playing in golf’s final major of 2020, but they are hyping Lexi Thompson, Danielle Kang, Nelly Korda and more.

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At the beginning of February, Scottie Scheffler didn’t own a PGA TOUR win. Now he’s a three-time winner and sits atop both the FedExCup and Official World Golf Ranking. Scheffler ascended to the top of the world ranking after Sunday’s victory in the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, becoming the 25th man to reach No. 1 since the OWGR debuted in 1986. Only Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth needed fewer starts as a pro to reach the top spot. RELATED: Family promises to keep Scheffler grounded at world No. 1 | What’s in Scheffler’s bag? Woods needed just 21 starts to reach No. 1, while Spieth did it in 77 events as a pro. The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play was Scheffler’s 92nd start as a pro. He turned pro in the summer of 2018, was the Korn Ferry Tour’s Player of the Year the next year and won the PGA TOUR’s Rookie of the Year Award just 18 months ago. Scheffler, 25, is also just the sixth player to reach world No. 1 at the age of 25 or younger. He joins Woods, Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm. Of the six players to reach No. 1 at 25 or younger, just three did it in the first 30 years of the OWGR. Three players – Thomas, Rahm and Scheffler – have done it in the last four years. Scheffler supplanted Rahm, whom he also beat in Singles at last year’s Ryder Cup, atop the world ranking. Scheffler also is the first player to reach three wins this season. He now holds a 780-point lead over second-ranked Sam Burns and is 816 points ahead of Cameron Smith, winner of the Sentry Tournament of Champions and THE PLAYERS. Hideki Matsuyama is the only other player within 1,000 FedExCup points of Burns. Burns, Smith and Matsuyama have all won twice this season. Scheffler’s 780-point lead is the largest advantage with 19 events remaining in the Regular Season since 2009, when the current FedExCup points structure was introduced.

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Editor’s note: Ernie Els has been writing a blog in 2017 and this is his most recent installment. For more information on the World Golf Hall of Famer, visit www.ernieels.com. Before we get on and discuss this week’s tournament on the PGA TOUR, there are a few other items of news that deserve a mention. First of all, big congrats to Jason Dufner at The Memorial. It’s good to see him back in the winner’s circle. Needless to say, it was disappointing to not be able to play at Muirfield Village in what is one of my favourite tournaments of the year, but Liezl and I were attending the school graduation ceremony for our daughter Samantha. Those type of occasions happen only once in a lifetime and no parent wants to miss that. It was a special day. We then all enjoyed a nice weekend at home together. On Monday morning we had a captains’ visit to Liberty National Golf Club, which as you’ll know is the venue for this year’s Presidents Cup. There was some serious business to discuss – specifically, how we go about winning back the trophy after way too long now! But it was also a fun day and great to spend some time with the guys. Of course, Nick and me go way back and it’s an honor that he named me as one of his captains’ assistants. It’s a role that I’m keen to embrace 100 percent. I do think it’s going to be an unreal Presidents Cup. I mean, to be at Liberty National with those wonderful views of the financial district and the rest of Manhattan, it’s such a unique venue, and the energy that comes out of that place is just crazy. I think it’s going to be a terrific week. So, let’s return to the ‘day job’ and this week’s FedEx St. Jude Classic at TPC Southwind in Memphis. You’d be right in saying this is the final tune-up for the U.S. Open, but this is also undoubtedly a fine tournament in its own right. I’m looking forward to teeing it up here and trying to build further on some of my recent good play at the AT&T Byron Nelson and the BMW PGA Championship over in the UK. Let’s see how we go. It will actually be only my third appearance in the FedEx St. Jude Classic, having made my debut back in 1995 when it was played the week after the U.S. Open, not the week before as it is now. I played here last year also. It’s an historic tournament going back over half a century and it has a great sponsor that is obviously hugely committed to golf here in the U.S. As with every tournament these days on the PGA TOUR, there’s a strong charitable ethos. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital helps find cures for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases and over the years this tournament has helped raise more than $33 million for the cause. You have to applaud that. Follow me on Twitter @TheBig_Easy.

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