Each week on GolfChannel.com, we’ll examine which players’ stocks and trends are rising and falling in the world of golf.
RISING
Jordan (+8%): No one needed a six-week reset like Spieth, and it showed Down Under. Refreshed, refocused and recommitted, all signs point to a(nother) big year.
Ariya Jutanugarn (+7%): The present and future of the LPGA. If she stays healthy, her immense physical gifts have the potential to overwhelm the tour.
Brooks Koepka (+5%): The Dunlop Phoenix victory was a reminder that he’s a no-brainer breakout candidate in 2017. If he refines his short game, look out.
Mackenzie Hughes (+4%): He’s the first Canadian to win a full-point Tour event in the FedEx Cup era. That putting stroke will prove very profitable.
Henrik Norlander (+1%): He missed his card by $788 this year. He earned $396,000 at Sea Island.
FALLING
Tyrrell Hatton (-1%): Between tournament prize money and season-long bonuses, the tee shot that he rinsed on 18 in Dubai cost him about $600,000.
Lydia Ko (-2%): She appeared to snap out of a months-long slump with a Friday 62, only to tumble down the leaderboard over the weekend, spoiling her bid for all of the season-ending honors. With Jutanugarn emerging, it won’t be long before she surrenders the No. 1 ranking.
Billy Horschel (-3%): Missing a tiddler in the playoff was even more excruciating than his 72nd-hole flameout two years ago in Boston.
Cup fatigue (-5%): After another sleepy postseason, when will the powers-that-be realize that these points and projections and playoffs don’t resonate with fans? They’re in desperate need of a format change to help generate interest.
American women (-8%): They were historically bad this year, winning just a pair of LPGA titles. Even more troubling: It’s not like a wave of game-changing talents are about to arrive.
