Each week on GolfChannel.com, we’ll examine which players’ stocks and trends are rising and falling in the world of golf.
RISING
J-Rose (+9%): It’s never easy to win, or rise to world No. 1, as Rose demonstrated with a nervy finish in Turkey. But in an era of strapping giants who clobber tee shots 350-plus, Rose proves that consistent excellence is still what matters most. Crown him, again.
Bryson (+8%): The player who arrived on Tour in late 2016 bears little resemblance to the one who now is ranked No. 5 in the world. His self-belief is growing with every win, which is scary for the rest of the game’s elite.
Jennifer Kupcho (+5%): Across eight rounds of intense qualifying, she shot 17 under and nearly stole medalist honors at the new LPGA Q-Series. Even if she’s not yet ready for the pros – she’s deferring membership until after the college season – her game clearly is.
Brooks (+2%): He’ll be back to world No. 1 next week, without hitting a competitive shot over the next six days. Divisor math!
Rickie (+1%): It’s trendy to pile on Fowler right now – his four career Tour wins are the same number DeChambeau has in the past five months – but his closing 63 in Vegas was a career-low Sunday. Maybe it’s the start of the same-old story with Rickie, but he’s too good of a player to not follow up 2015 with another standout year.
FALLING
Haotong Li (-1%): As brilliant as his approach was into 15 to set up a tying eagle in Turkey, his putting on the final holes was equally ghastly, with two yippy strokes inside 5 feet. Ouch.
Sam Horsfield (-2%): The young Englishman’s over-the-ball lockup went viral on social media over the weekend. Most impressive was that he was able to tie for 10th while battling all of those mental demons.
Minjee Lee (-3%): Her final-round meltdown in Japan was the continuation of a disturbing trend, as she’d also kicked away chances to win at Portland (77) and the Women’s British (75) over the past few months.
Peter Uihlein (-4%): With a golden opportunity to deliver on years of hype and promise, Uihlein instead stumbled to a closing 75 on an ideal day for scoring and tumbled out of the top 20. Tour title No. 1 will have to wait.
Doris Chen (-10%): Former NCAA champion Doris Chen made just $643 on the Symetra Tour this season, and then she was humiliated at the Q-Series when her mother moved her out-of-bounds tee shot back into play and Chen seemingly tried to cover for her. No, not everyone is built for the pressure cooker of pro golf – and that includes the helicopter parents.
Source: Internet
