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. Sepp Straka: It’s fair to criticize the inaugural leader of this list, considering the average sports fan likely can’t pick him out of a crowd. However, Straka edged a loaded field Sunday at the Truist Championship to become the PGA Tour’s only multiple-time winner this season besides Rory McIlroy. Now, he’s a top-10 player in the world after being outside the top 200 a few years ago. Let’s give the Austrian his flowers.

2. Jordan Spieth: Many eyes are on him at this week's PGA Championship. After McIlroy became the sixth player in history to complete the career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, Spieth can follow suit by winning the PGA. Tiger Woods and McIlroy are the only players to complete that feat in the last 50 years, so Spieth adding his name to the list would make this arguably one of the greatest major championship seasons the sport has ever seen before the U.S. and British Opens are even played.

3. Rory McIlroy: Speaking of the Northern Irishman, he heads to Quail Hollow, a place where he’s won four times. Spieth even referred to it as “Rory McIlroy Country Club.” If he can win his second consecutive major, he’ll be halfway to the single-season Grand Slam, something that’s only been done once (excluding the Tiger Slam). Completing it in his native Northern Ireland could be even more emotional than his triumph at the Masters. McIlroy is the biggest star in golf since Woods, and his every move at the PGA will be under the microscope. 

4. Donald Trump: Wait, what? Yes. Eamon Lynch of Golfweek reported that the President, on his trip to Saudi Arabia this week, planned to tell its “autocratic leader, Mohammed bin Salman, that any deal between the Tour and the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund will be on the Tour’s preferred terms, and those terms will not include a long-term future for LIV.” There are a lot of nuances to the LIV-PGA Tour framework agreement that would require an explanation too long to include in this short blurb, but if the President, regardless of your feelings about him, can push the Saudis into reunifying the game on the PGA Tour’s terms, that would sure be … something.

5. Nelly Korda: It was another strong finish for the face of the women’s game, with a runner-up to Jeeno Thitikul in her Mizuho Americas Open title defense. However, the world No. 1, who also made her SI Swim debut this week, remains winless this season. Last year at this time, she had six victories. Fair or not, Korda not returning to the winner’s circle will be a story until she does.

6. Shane Lowry: After a T2 finish at the Truist (his fourth top 10 of the year), Lowry ditched his media obligations. This isn’t out of the ordinary, as tension with the scribes has been brewing with Lowry. Saturday at the Masters, the Irishman cut his presser short, suggesting players need more time to decompress after their rounds. As we saw with Collin Morikawa earlier this year, not talking to the press creates even more headlines and controversy. This will likely be a story that follows Lowry—and eventually, he’ll have to answer for it. 

7. Johnson Wagner: The three-time Tour winner-turned-Golf Channel star kept his successful bit going by recreating four of Woods’s most iconic shots in 2000 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Woods’s best season. Wagner traveled to Pebble Beach, Glen Abbey in Canada, Firestone Country Club in Akron and Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville. He didn’t successfully emulate all of Woods’s heroics (despite some great efforts), which added to the segment’s charm. Well done, Wagner—and Golf Channel.

8. Jon Rahm: In his pre-tournament PGA Championship presser Tuesday, Rahm was asked if he’s been assured an at-large captain’s pick for the European Ryder Cup team, and he deflected the question to captain Luke Donald. It will be an absolute shock if Rahm isn’t teeing it up at Bethpage Black in September, even if his lackluster performance in majors continues. But he has subjected himself to the uncertainty with his jump to LIV.

9. A.W. Tillinghast: O.K., this list might have gone off the deep end, capping our debut list with a renowned course architect who died in 1942 (that’s 83 years ago). But last week’s Truist took place at his Philadelphia Cricket Club (established in 1854, but restored in 2013) for the first time and sparked debates within the golf world. The Wissahickon Course played roughly 7,100 yards, and many believe the pro game has become too long for its layout. However, it stood the test of time. Also, with the Truist typically played at Quail Hollow (site of this week’s PGA Championship), it brought the Tour back to the Northeast, generating the question: Should the circuit play more in that region, aside from the Travelers Championship? Many of the Tour’s stars were open to it, though, it’s easier said than done. Either way, Tillinghast’s venue was a breath of fresh air on the schedule and had people buzzing—something a run-of-the-mill TPC course likely can't pull off. 

Also considered: Ryan Fox, Jeeno Thitikul, Scottie Scheffler, Keegan Bradley, Sahith Theegala. 


This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Power Nine: A Rising Austrian, Jordan, Rory, Nelly and Tiger’s Reenactor.

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