Hottest Golfer of 2023
Every year golf produces some fantastic stories. There are highlight moments that stick long in the mind, whether that’s a player’s first-time win at a major or a crucial missed putt under pressure to blow a shot at a title.
Following professional golf action, whether that is because of an avid interest in watching the drama, wagering purposes at the best Skrill betting sites, or a combination of both, it’s a fun ride.
Sport is often a test of mettle and mindset as well as skill. It can bring out emotions in golfers from elation to dismay, and it’s part and parcel of the wonderful scene. Here we look at some of the players who have held it together to produce some hot form this year.
Jon Rahm
We have to start at the top with golf superstar Jon Rahm. The Spaniard came out of the gates fast and strong to land the Masters at Augusta National. Four wins in the year before hitting the autumn’s US Open marks yet another powerful campaign from Rahm.
He rattled the crossbar at The Open before hitting a little slump in his following two events. But the unflappable calibre of the man, who has improved hugely with the irons throughout the season, sets him up for further stardom. There is arguably not a sweeter driver of the ball on the circuit.
Scottie Scheffler
Golf’s Mr Reliable when it comes to carding a Top 10 finish is Scottie Scheffler, with fifteen T10s in his first 21 appearances. The American probably hasn’t turned that into enough wins, with only two coming in that span of events at the Phoenix Open and The Players.
But his scoring average of 68.6 in those 21 tournaments, was from 86 rounds, better than Rahm’s average of just 70. There were five top-five finishes in the season for him as well. At the time of writing, not since October 2022 had Scheffler finished outside the top fifteen in any event. The Texan continues to play in beast mode.
Rory McIlroy
The Northern Irishman has brought the boom this year with a massive driving distance average of 325 yards. A couple of wins under his belt and 11 top-ten finishes from 16 appearances, puts him on the list of 2023’s hottest golfers.
He probably should have had more titles under his belt too. The wait for further Major glory also rumbles on frustratingly for McIlroy. Starting with the PGA Championship in May, McIlroy carded nine straight Top 10 Finishes and continued in ominous form at the BMW Championship.
Lucas Glover
A resurgence of form this year has put two-time 2023 winner Lucas Glover in the Ryder Cup talk. A brace of late-summer wins saw Glover streak into some super hot form. With wins in North Carolina and Memphis, Glover became the first player of at least 40 years of age to win back-to-back tournaments on the PGA since 2008. Where does he go from here?
Max Homa
Homa has racked up a couple of wins in the 2022-23 season, carrying a scoring average under 70. The Californian started the season hot with victories at the Fortinet Championship and then the Farmers Insurance Open in January 2023.
After a little blip in the scorching summer of a couple of missed cuts, Homa has consistently been one of the strongest players around, streaking together three top-ten finishes in a row starting with The Open at Royal Liverpool in July.
Honourable Mention – Viktor Hovland
The Norwegian has had a stellar season by his high standards with a couple of titles at the Hero World Challenge and the biggest of his career at The Memorial coming his way. The size of that is measured with him only winning five titles between the PGA and DP World Tours before this season.
Hovland has looked more and more like a big-time player this season as well. He fought superbly at The Players and went toe-to-toe with Brooks Koepka at the PGA Championship. His all-round game has been growing, notably his short game.
In Conclusion
There are of course different metrics to take into consideration when naming any kind of list like this. Are titles won more important than the consistency of top-ten finishers? Is averaging scoring better than prize money? Does consistency beat one-off titles? Regardless, the above is a short snapshot of some of the hottest players of 2023, trying to blend some of those important factors together.
