The 2023 golf yr is simply round the nook, and it is time to consider the place the greatest gamers in the world stand going as the new season unfolds. Depending on the place you look, most gamers are correctly rated, however there are at all times those that are both a bit overrated due to latest conquests or a bit underrated as a result of it has been some time since they raised a trophy (or maybe for different causes).
I put collectively a listing of gamers underrated by the golf neighborhood heading into 2023. It consists of some serial candidates (Keith Mitchell and Sungjae Im) but additionally some surprises (Collin Morikawa and Jon Rahm). This just isn’t meant to be a listing of gamers who’ve an equal likelihood of doing one thing nice in 2023 however quite a listing of gamers I consider will, over the subsequent 12 months, carry out at a stage past the present expectations people have for them.
Here’s a take a look at seven golfers I pinpointed with proof for why they’re presently being underrated and have an opportunity to thrive in 2023.
1. Sungjae Im
Arguably the greatest participant in the world who did not win anyplace in 2022. Im put collectively three runner-up finishes, six different top-12 finishes and had the greatest strokes gained quantity (1.6) of any golfer who didn’t have a victory in 2022. At simply 24, he nonetheless has room to develop, too. He’s improved statistically in six of his final seven seasons, and I believe he wins one-to-three instances in 2023 and contends for no less than one main championship.
2. Aaron Wise
He’s been an attractive “this guy could be on the U.S. Ryder Cup team next year” decide over the previous couple of months, however there may be loads of proof to again that up. Wise is an incredible ball-striker, who seemingly solved his placing woes in 2022. It resulted in 5 top-15 finishes, together with at huge boy occasions like the CJ Cup and the Memorial. Similar to Im, he is improved statistically in three of his final 5 seasons, and a 2023 in which he wins a number of instances and will get himself to Rome just isn’t out of the query.
3. Keith Mitchell
You can rely the variety of drivers which might be higher than Mitchell on one hand. It’s Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young, Im and that is about it. Obviously driving does not result in victories, however with all the deal with distance in the trendy PGA Tour sport, it is a talent that, if you happen to’re higher than practically everybody in the world at, you are going to contend for some golf tournaments. Mitchell put up six prime 12s in 2022 and improved his tee-to-green sport total. If that occurs once more in 2023, he’ll snag a victory.
4. Collin Morikawa
This a wierd identify to have on this record contemplating he is a two-time main champion and certainly one of the most prolific early-career winners on the PGA Tour in its historical past. Still, there was some angst throughout the again half of 2022 about Morikawa’s lack of wins. This occurs typically when prime gamers come into a given yr off an unimaginable run and fail to win a event. Still, there shouldn’t be panic for Morikawa. Consider that he ranked sixth in the world in ball-striking in 2022, and the two gamers beneath him and 5 above him mixed for 18 wins. The adulation for Morikawa most likely went a bit too far in 2021, however now it has fully swung the different strategy to the level that he is certainly one of the extra underrated gamers in the world going into 2023.
5. Will Zalatoris
Again, I’m unsure the No. 7 participant in the world may be thought of underrated, however Zalatoris’ ball-striking has been so good (No. 1 in the world in 2022) and he is had so many near-misses (9 prime fives in 2021-2022 however only one victory) that he must be on this record. He may win thrice in 2023, and no one can be stunned.
6. Matt Fitzpatrick
Perhaps my favourite stat in golf is that Fitzpatrick has improved his strokes gained in every of his final 11 seasons. That is outstanding and never one thing I think about has occurred fairly often. The result’s that he has turned into — together with Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele — certainly one of the most full gamers in the world. He gained no less than 0.38 strokes per spherical in every of the 4 main classes final season and is the caliber of ball-striker now that outcomes in changing into the No. 1 participant in the world.
7. Jon Rahm
Another unusual identify to have on this record, however I’m not constructive everybody understands simply how elite Rahm is. He mainly wins thrice a yr yearly with out fail, and his strokes gained numbers are astonishingly constant (between 2.0-2.4 in 5 of the final six seasons). One of those years, the luck will fall his manner a bit, and he’ll win 5 instances together with a significant or two. I do not know if that may occur in 2023, however his statistical profile suggests that it’ll in some unspecified time in the future, and each time it does it is virtually sure that Rahm goes to have certainly one of the nice seasons in the trendy period.