2010 PGA top ranked players, so far
As the 2010 PGA Tour season nears its close, it hasn’t been easy to distinguish who will be named player of the year. With so many first time winners, this season has been full of surprises and with four weeks left to go, the Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship still to be played, the player of the year is still up in the air.
Ernie Els tops the FedEx Cup standings, a position he has held onto for more than half the season thanks to some earlier wins. Els hasn’t been a dominating force on the course at least not consistently and is more of a perennial contender than a stand out champion.
But the 40-year-old might just claim the title. He has had six top 10 finishes in 14 tournaments and has the sixth place position in the Official World Golf Rankings, making for a pretty good comeback year. After finishing third at the U.S. Open ahead of playing partner Tiger Woods, Els didn’t make the cut at the British Open at St Andrews.
Anthony Kim might have taken a leave of absence to recover from his thumb surgery but he has not taken himself out of the running. Kim is in fourth place for the Ryder Cup standings and in the top 10 for the FedEx Cup. His last PGA event was in May and yet Kim is still within the top 10, that sure says a lot about what kind of player he is.
Before his surgery, Kim had one victory and four top 10 finishes in the eight competitions he had participated in. His thumb is still interfering with his grip a bit but Kim is working hard to overcome this. If he has a successful run at the Bridgestone Invitational next week he will definitely be in contention for the PGA Championship.
Dustin Johnson has made three top 10 finishes to accompany his win at Pebble Beach back in February, and is holding the 10th place spot in the FedEx Cup standings. The South Carolina native is in sixth place on the Ryder Cup standings. Still within the top eight, if Johnson were to slip up it wouldn’t be a surprise if Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin selected Johnson anyways as a wild card.
Phil Mickelson won his fourth major this year at Augusta National in the Masters Tournament. He had several opportunities to outrank Woods on the Official World Golf Rankings but alas remains at number two and has not won a tournament since the Masters.
With five top 10 finishes and one win in 14 events, Mickelson isn’t having the best year of his career but at least he is holding onto his number one Ryder Cup position. He is fourth in the FedEx Cup standings thanks to his two top 10 finishes at the Masters and the U.S. Open.
Mickelson has been putting up a good game on the course while helping his wife Amy, who is battling with cancer.
Steve Striker has two wins this year and is tied for the lead for PGA Tour wins this season with Justin Rose, Els and Jim Furyk. Striker is second in the FedEx Cup and is also in second place for the Ryder Cup standings. He is fourth in the world and recently won his second consecutive title at the John Deere Classic. He has been strong and consistent year.
But most amazingly, Woods is still on everyone's mind, and still inthe running. Despite how poorly he has played this season, Woods remains in the top spot on the Official World Golf Rankings. His FedEx Cup standings is at the low point of 107 and he has only entered in seven events this season, none of which he has won. He managed two top 10 finishes in both majors and had two fourth place finishes at the Masters and the U.S. Open. Woods holds the seventh place position on the Ryder Cup list.
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