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. Scottie Scheffler: The world No. 1 won the Memorial Tournament for the second straight year, something that’s only been done by Tiger Woods. It’s Scheffler’s third win in his last four starts, and afterward, Jack Nicklaus said, “He reminds me so much of the way I like to play. I don’t think I played nearly as well as he played.” Remember a month ago when we wondered if Scheffler would return to his dominant 2024 form?
2. Nelly Korda: How could the U.S. Women’s runner-up be higher on this list than the winner? Well, as the world No. 1, all eyes were on her at Erin Hills. Korda has admitted she has a rocky relationship with the USWO. Then, she finished runner-up, her best result in the event. However, she didn’t get the job done, finishing two strokes back. Until she wins, there’s always going to be a sense of disappointment around her in the most prestigious women's golf tournament.
3. Maja Stark: Erin Hills was a true major championship test, and it identified the championship’s best player. The 25-year-old Swede dazzled and held off the world’s best player to notch her maiden major title—and is now forever part of golf lore.
4. Jack Nicklaus: The 18-time major winner always makes headlines when he talks, especially at 85 years old. As the host of the Memorial, he spent ample time in the broadcast booth and made headlines Friday when he said he hates walk-and-talk interviews. Then, sitting next to Scheffler in the winner’s press conference Sunday, Nicklaus provided a bevy of soundbites, but the most notable was when he said Ben Griffin, Nick Taylor and Sepp Straka, who finished behind Scheffler on the leaderboard, aren’t in the world No. 1’s “league.” What do those players think of that statement?
5. Lexi Thompson: Didn’t she retire? Kinda. The 30-year-old stepped away from competing full-time after the 2024 season. Yet, she has played five times this season (for good measure, Korda has made eight starts in ‘25). After missing the USWO cut, Thompson addressed some of her detractors in an Instagram post regarding her retirement tour last year and slow-play criticism. Understandably, people are confused (an LPGA.com headline a year ago was “Lexi Thompson Announces Retirement From LPGA Tour”). And during the final round of the women’s premier championship, Thompson somehow diverted attention towards her.
6. Ben Griffin: Despite Nicklaus’s subtle stray, Griffin nearly claimed one of the Tour’s marquee events a week after winning at Colonial. Instead, he finished runner-up and actually took home more money for that result than his victory the week prior. Either way, Griffin is establishing himself as one of the best players on the planet and might be on his way to nabbing a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Pretty impressive for a guy who quit the sport roughly four years ago.
7. Amari Avery: Despite a T45 finish in the USWO, the 20-year-old had one of the most bizarre stories of the week. In the second round, she had to use fellow pro Gabi Ruffels’s clubs because Avery’s boyfriend accidentally flew to Phoenix with her clubs in tow. On top of that, somebody tried to break into their Airbnb around 2 a.m. on Friday.
8. Max Homa: He reportedly split with his caddie for the second time in as many months and then carried his own bag during U.S. Open final qualifying. There, he three-putted his final hole and fell to Cam Young in a 5-for-1 playoff to miss out on a major for the first time since 2019. But next time you twentysomethings are riding around in a cart during your weekend rounds, think of Homa with the bag over his shoulders for 36 holes and get on your feet.
9. Josele Ballester: LIV Golf got its newest signee Wednesday morning, and it’s the reigning U.S. Amateur champion. Not too shabby for the Saudi-backed circuit. However, with this being LIV’s highest-profile signing since Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton over a year ago, the PGA Tour still has all the leverage at the negotiating table. Is anybody tuning into Fox/FS1 this weekend to see Ballester’s debut in a Fireball uniform?
Also considered: Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Barbara Nicklaus, Luke Clanton, Adam Scott, Cam Young, Charlie Woods
Dropped out from last week: Craig Kessler, Rory McIlroy, Angel Cabrera, Will Zalatoris, Michael Block, Chisato Iwai
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Power Nine: Scottie (Again), Walking Max Homa and Not-So-Retired Lexi Thompson.