Every Wednesday, SI Golf will rank nine newsmakers from the golf world. Sometimes we'll cast a wide net. Tell us what you think on the SI Golf X account.
1. Grace Kim: You may be in British Open mode now, but we need to flashback to Sunday and give credit for possibly the clutchest finish in major championship history. On the 72nd hole of the LPGA’s Evian Championship in France (we can discuss if this should be a major another time), Kim, the world No. 99, eagled the par-5 to force a playoff with world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul. Then, she holed out for birdie on the first bonus hole after splashing her approach and taking a drop before eagling the second playoff hole to win her maiden major. Ending at roughly 10 a.m. ET, many might have missed the grand finale, but it was one for the ages.
2. Chris Gotterup: The 25-year-old New Jerseyan outdueled Rory McIlroy to win the Genesis Scottish Open. He hadn’t had a top 10 this year on Tour, but the long-hitting 2022 Haskins and Nicklaus award winner at Oklahoma fulfilled the lofty expectations many once had for him. Earning a spot in the British with the win, the sky is the limit.
3. Rory McIlroy: In a post-Masters hangover, he was questioning the desire he once had to win. But after some time off, the Northern Irishman posted his best finish since April with a T3 in Scotland. Now, he hopes—and more importantly, believes—he can win the British in his homeland. That would be quite a scene on Sunday, and the perfect way to cap his historic year.
4. Scottie Scheffler: Out of all the pre-tournament press conferences at the British, the world No. 1 won with his insightful, lengthy answer on the meaning of stardom. Remember when everyone called Scheffler boring? Times have changed.
5. Joel Dahmen/Geno Bonnalie: These two are tied together, so it makes sense to put them both here. The player-caddie tandem became beloved after being featured on Netflix’s Full Swing. And the two are lifelong friends with a deep admiration for each other. But this week they split, with Dahmen writing, “We’re still the best of friends and that will never change. But we both know that a fresh perspective is sometimes needed.” This is a hard breakup for the golf world to take.
6. Donald Trump: This isn’t so much about Trump himself, but more that the PGA Tour will return to Trump National Doral Miami next season for the first time in nine years. Politics aside, it’s a course the Tour had played since 1962 with a boatload of history (Deane Beman announcing his retirement as commissioner, McIlroy chucking a club), and will certainly be a more intriguing watch than the Mexico Open, which Sports Illustrated learned could be moved off the schedule if Doral comes through. But it seems like the Tour is rubbing Trump’s feet to get him on their side in the PGA Tour-LIV negotiations, with Trump wanting to serve as a mediator between the two sides.
7. Stefan Schauffele: Xander’s father, an Earl Woods-esque figure, was interviewed for a profile in the London-based Sunday Times, in which he lambasted the Ryder Cup, Rory McIlroy and revealed his son’s offer to LIV that was ultimately rejected. Not sure how Xander feels about his father’s comments (nobody asked him about it in his British Open press conference), but it sure was juicy.
8. Tom Kim: The affable former phenom is experiencing the first prolonged slump of his career. Therefore, the 23-year-old axed his caddie, Paul Tesori, who used to loop for Webb Simpson, and currently isn’t using a swing coach. Kim’s game, however, showed signs of life, finishing T17 in Scotland.
9. Grant Horvat: The YouTube golfer rejected a sponsor’s exemption into the PGA Tour’s Barracuda Championship because he’s not allowed to film during tournament rounds. So instead, he’ll be replaced in the field by somebody who is chasing their Tour dreams and cares more about making birdies than accumulating pageviews. On the flip side, though, Horvat would have brought exposure to the Barracuda, played opposite the British Open.
Also considered: Jeenno Thitikul, Wyndham Clark, Xander Schauffele, Lottie Woad, Charley Hull, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry
Dropped out from last week: Brian Campbell, Lottie Woad, Max Homa, Billy Foster, Jordan Spieth, Gary Woodland, Lucas Glover, Aldrich Potgieter, Ed Fiori
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Power Nine: The Newest Major Champ and the Man Who Turned Down the PGA Tour.