Biggest World Ranking Risers 2018

Here we take a look at some of the golfers who have made the biggest moves in the world rankings this year

Biggest World Ranking Risers 2018

We're now halfway through the year and so much has happened in the world of golf in 2018.

Here we take a look at some of the players who have made the biggest moves up the world rankings this year...

Biggest World Ranking Risers 2018:

Bubba Watson

Ended 2017: 89

Current ranking: 13

Bubba ended last year ranked 89th in the world and then fell even further to 117th before winning the Genesis Open at Riviera. That took him back up to 40th and two more wins - at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and Travelers Championship - catapulted him up to 13th. He's still got a long way to go to match his career-high of 2nd, but he has looked back to his best in 2018.

Bryson DeChambeau

Ended 2017: 99

Current ranking: 22

The Golfing Scientist has had six top-1os on the PGA Tour this year including a win at the Memorial Tournament, a 2nd place at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a T3rd at the RBC Heritage and a 4th at the Wells Fargo Championship. He has risen 77 spots up the rankings and now has a great chance at qualifying for his first Ryder Cup in September.

Ian Poulter

Ended 2017: 54

Current ranking: 28

The Englishman has had a superb return to form in over the last year, culminating in his victory at the Houston Open to take the final spot available in the Masters. Poults was desperate to get back into the world's top 50 to qualify for Augusta and was wrongly told that he had achieved that feat during the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. That didn't phase him though as the next week in Houston he beat Beau Hossler in a playoff to win his first stroke play title in America.

Luke List

Ended 2017: 138

Current ranking: 57

The big-hitting American has risen over 80 places this year. He finished 2nd at the Honda Classic after losing to Justin Thomas in a playoff and has made 12 cuts on the PGA Tour in total for 2018.

Beau Hossler

Ended 2017: 303

Current ranking: 64

Beau Hossler has risen almost 250 spots in the world rankings this year as he begins to announce himself on the world stage. Hossler came so close to winning the Houston Open but lost out in a playoff to Poulter and was T2nd at the Travelers Championship too. In what is his first full season on the PGA Tour, the 23-year-old has made his last 10 cuts in a row. He looks a great talent.

Matt Wallace

Ended 2017: 127

Current ranking: 66

Wallace is banging on the door of the world's top 50 and is fast becoming one of England's top players. The 28-year-old has burst onto the scene with two wins on the European Tour already this year as well as a T3rd in China. He has won nine times as a pro.

Aaron Wise

Ended 2017: 223

Current ranking: 74

It is hard to believe that Wise is just 22 year old but the American looks a phenomenal player already. He won his first PGA Tour title at the AT&T Byron Nelson a week after finishing T2nd at the Wells Fargo Championship. He also won on the PGA Tour Canada in 2016 and on the Web.com Tour last year.

Shubhankar Sharma

Ended 2017: 202

Current ranking: 79

The Indian sensation won the Joburg Open in December and then won again at the Maybank Championship. He was invited into the Masters as well in what was been a crazy year for the 21-year-old. Sharma has four other top-20s this year worldwide.

Tiger Woods

Ended 2017: 656

Current ranking: 82

The 14-time major winner is back, and 2018 has been a successful one for him with a T2nd at the Valspar Championship and a T5th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Woods is acclimatising himself with playing back at the highest level and has done a great job so far, whilst struggling to piece together every aspect of his game.

Nick Watney

Ended 2017: 397

Current ranking: 100 

The five-time PGA Tour winner dropped to as low as 560th in the world last year but has climbed his way back into the top 100 in 2018 despite having just two top-20s on the PGA Tour, highlighted by a T2nd at the Wells Fargo Championship. The 37-year-old has made 12 out of 14 cuts this year to accumulate the ranking points.

Chris Paisley

Ended 2017: 289

Current ranking: 105

The Englishman won the South African Open in January for his first triumph on the European Tour and was then 5th and T5th in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Justin Harding

Ended 2017: 712

Current ranking: 156

The South African plays on the Sunshine Tour and is certainly one to look out for. He has had eight top-6 finishes this year already including two wins in a row!

Sam Burns

Ended 2017: 881

Current ranking: 158

Burns has had five top-20s this year including a win and a T2nd on the Web.com Tour. He has risen over 700 spots in the world rankings.

JB Hansen

Ended 2017: 525

Current ranking: 169

The Dane has won twice on the Challenge Tour already this year and has had two runner-ups and five other top-12s.

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Biggest World Ranking Risers 2017

Here are golf's biggest risers in the world rankings this year, including Julian Suri, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele...

Jon Rahm

Ended 2016: 137 Current ranking: 4

The Spaniard burst on the scene in late 2016, turning pro after the US Open. He's had a phenomenal year in 2017, winning three times at the Farmers Insurance Open, Irish Open and DP World Tour Championship. He placed inside the top-7 at all four of the FedEx Cup Playoffs events, was runner-up at the WGC-Match Play, 3rd at the WGC-Mexico Championship, fourth at the Wells Fargo Championship, T2nd at the Dean and Deluca Championship and finished in a respectable T27th in his first Masters. As well as moving up 133 spots in the Official World Golf Ranking, he finished 5th in the FedEx Cup and 3rd on the Race to Dubai, which saw him pick up the European Tour Rookie of the Year award. Now that's some year.

Justin Thomas

Ended 2016: 22 Current ranking: 3

The world number three began the year at 22nd and could well reach the #1 spot in 2018 if keeps up his form. He began the year with a victory at the Tournament of Champions before winning the next week at the Sony Open after an opening round of 59. He then won three more times at the USPGA Championship, his first major, the Dell Technologies Championship and the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges. He was 2nd in the Tour Championship to win the FedEx Cup and was also awarded the PGA Tour Player of the Year accolade.

Pat Perez

Ended 2016: 118 Current ranking: 19

After a near career-ending shoulder injury in 2016, Perez has certainly made up for lost time in 2017, his 16th season on the PGA Tour. The American won the OHL Classic in late 2016 to move from 271st to 106th in the OWGR and he has been moving up ever since. He began 2017 with a T3 at the Tournament of Champions and a T5 at the Farmers Insurance Open and was T2nd at the Wells Fargo Championship in May. He wrapped up 2017 with his third PGA Tour title at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia.

Xander Schaffele

Ended 2016: 299 Current ranking: 25

What a year it's been for Xander Schauffele, who won not once but twice in his maiden season on the PGA Tour. The American captured the Greenbrier Classic in July and then shocked the world of golf with victory at the Tour Championship, pipping FedEx Cup winner Justin Thomas. Since then he's had two further top-3s. He also won the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award. Just 11 rookies have made it to the Tour Championship since the FedEx Cup Playoffs began in 2007 and none had won it until Schauffele. Oh, and he's only 24-year-old, definitely a star of the future.

Patrick Cantlay

Ended 2016: 1,866 Current ranking: 42

Cantlay rose over 1,800 spots in the OWGR this year in what has been a simply incredible run. The American turned pro in June 2012 after 55 weeks as the #1 ranked amateur in the world, but just a year later had to sit out for seven months with injury. In 2016 he had a further 10 months off but has been back to full fitness this year. He's still only played 14 times in 2017 and hasn't missed a cut, won his first PGA Tour title, was runner-up at the Valspar Championship, T3rd at the RBC Heritage and finished 29th in the FedEx Cup despite playing less events than anyone inside the top 114. Cantlay, without doubt, has the game to be one of the world's finest players. Let's hope he can stay injury free.

Peter Uihlein

Ended 2016: 279 Current ranking: 49

Uihlein loves to travel and has had nine top-10s around the world on the various tours he's plied his trade on. Highlights include a 2nd at the Open de France, a Rolex Series tournament, and a win in the Web.com Tour Finals which saw him earn his PGA Tour card. After turning pro in 2011 as the #1 ranked amateur in the world, Uihlein, the son of Acushnet/Titleist CEO Wally, reached the world's top-50 this year for the first time.

Ian Poulter

Ended 2016: 182 Current ranking: 52

Poults missed much of late 2016 with a foot injury that also saw him ruled out of the Ryder Cup. The Englishman fell to 182 by the end of 2016 and has worked his way back up very impressively this year. He was T2nd at the Players Championship and 3rd at the Canadian Open and has missed just two cuts all year. He had a great week at the Open as well, finishing in a tie for 14th spot.

Dylan Fritteli

Ended 2016: 152 Current ranking: 55

The South African won his first two European Tour titles in 2017, at the Austrian Open and Mauritius Open, and moved up almost 100 places in the world rankings. He also recorded four other top-fives and is now within touching distance of the world's top 50.

Julian Suri

Ended 2016: 1,137 Current ranking: 63

One of 2017's standout players, Julian Suri moved up over 1,000 places in the OWGR. The American began the year on the Challenge Tour and won the Czech Challenge on that Tour in May. He then won Made in Denmark on the European Tour in August and recorded a further six top-10s in a stunning season.

Paul Dunne

Ended 2016: 275 Current ranking: 76

The Irishman produced one of the finest performances of the year at the British Masters where he closed with a 61 and a chip-in birdie at the last to pip Rory McIlroy. That was his maiden European Tour title. He's jumped almost 200 places in the world rankings. He must now have eyes on the world's top-50 and, who knows, a couple more wins in 2018 may put him on the Ryder Cup team.

Chesson Hadley

Ended 2016: 448 Current ranking: 80

Hadley has jumped over 350 spots in the world rankings this year and won twice on the Web.com Tour. He graduated onto the main tour for the 2017-18 season and has already had three top-4 finishes.

Seungsu Han

Ended 2016: 515 Current ranking: 84

The relatively unknown American Seungsu Han has quietly jumped over 400 spots in the world rankings this year playing over in Asia. He has won just once at the Casio World Open on the Japan Golf Tour but has had nine other top-10 finishes.

Wade Ormsby

Ended 2016: 461 Current ranking: 101

The Aussie won his first European Tour title in November in his 264th start at the Hong Kong Open. He has jumped up over 350 places in the world rankings this year thanks to that win and five other top-10s.

Erik Van Rooyen

Ended 2016: 636 Current ranking: 143

South African Erik Van Rooyen is one to keep an eye on, having jumped almost 500 places this year. He won the Africa PGA Championship in February on the Sunishine Tour then the Hainan Open in October on the Challenge Tour. He was recently 2nd at the Joburg Open on the European Tour and has had five other top-10s this year.

Aaron Rai

Ended 2016: 369 Current ranking: 158

Englishman Aaron Rai has had a fantastic 2017, highlighted by his first appearance at the US Open. He won three times on the Challenge Tour in 2017 to move up to the European Tour.

Tapio Pulkkanen

Ended 2016: 1,039 Current ranking: 170

Pulkkanen has jumped up over 950 spots in the world rankings this year after five top-10s and his maiden Challenge Tour victory at the Kazakhstan Open. He recently came T3rd at the Joburg Open where he led after 36 holes.

Brian Gay

Ended 2016: 759 Current ranking: 198

The veteran Gay has had four top-6 finishes on the PGA Tour this season to catapult himself back up the world rankings. He dropped to as low as 1,748 in early 2016 after two thumb surgeries in late 2014 and mid-2015.

Austin Connelly

Ended 2016: 879 Current ranking: 208

Connelly, who is pals with Jordan Spieth, burst on the scene at this year's Open Championship where he placed T14th. His best result of the season was a 2nd place at the KLM Open and he has another two top-10s as well.

Tiger Woods

Before Hero World Challenge: 1,189 Current ranking: 668

Woods jumped 500 spots in the space of a week after his T9th finish in the Hero World Challenge in December, despite its 18-man invitational field. Tiger has his fourth back surgery in April, having played his final event in January when he pulled out of the Dubai Desert Classic before his second round.

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