What Grades Do These Golfers Deserve For Their Year

The PGA Tour has gone into hibernation until January, while the new DP World Tour season has followed suit. Finally, the world’s best golfers get the chance to put their feet up for a short while.

Many will reflect on outstanding seasons, while others will look back on a year during which they will believe they could have done better.

It’s the perfect time for your correspondent to pass judgment on what has unfolded in 2023. So, without further ado, here is my end-of-season report.

Jon Rahm

Started 2023 in sensational fashion, winning the Tournament of Champions and looking like he could win just about every time he teed it up. His personal highlight came when he won The Masters in April. The second half of the season wasn’t quite so good - but ended with his shocking move to LIV Golf.

Verdict: A+

Viktor Hovland

What an astonishing year the Norwegian has had. He finished it by winning two Fed Ex Cup Playoff tournaments, including the Tour Championship, and pocketed a scarcely-believable $30m. He is now the complete golfer and the next step must be a major.

Verdict: A+

Scottie Scheffler

Finished the year as world number one after a season that saw him reel off top-10 finishes for fun - 18 of them, for goodness sake. He won the Players Championship and the Phoenix Open. But he will reflect on all those missed opportunities when he did not finish the job.

Verdict: B-

Rory McIlroy

The Northern Irishman won the Race to Dubai and three tournaments worldwide. Like Scheffler, there were lots of near-misses. And, of course, he once again failed to end his major drought, coming agonisingly close at the US Open. But he was sensational at the Ryder Cup.

Verdict: B

Tiger Woods

Completed just one tournament and had to withdraw from The Masters after making the cut as he struggled to walk. He went under the knife yet again and finally made his comeback at the Hero World Challenge, saying he was finally pain-free. Another difficult year.

Verdict: C+

Tommy Fleetwood

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Oh Tommy. On the face of it, the Englishman had a year that will give him satisfaction. He has finally established himself as a leading player on the PGA Tour but a victory continues to elude him. He came so close at the Canadian Open before losing in a playoff.

Verdict: B

Jordan Spieth

Had his customary near-miss at The Masters, where he was tied fourth, and narrowly missed out at the RBC Heritage. But he failed to win and hardly covered himself in glory at the Ryder Cup. Has replaced Rory McIlroy on the PGA Tour’s policy board, so we will be hearing plenty from him in 2024.

Verdict: C-

Tyrrell Hatton

Continues to entertain us all with his antics. There is never a dull moment when Tyrrell is around, and he does play some wonderful golf. But even he will admit that he is fast becoming an under-achiever. Finished second at the Players Championship and tied third at the Wells Fargo and Canadian Open. But he needs to win.

Verdict: B-

Max Homa

Served his time as what you might describe as a journeyman. But no more. Homa has worked his socks off to become a regular winner on the PGA Tour, as well as winning the Nedbank Challenge on the DP World Tour. He was also head and shoulders above his American teammates at the Ryder Cup. An unassuming character, he goes about his business quietly but with incredible efficiency. The next step is a major.

Verdict: A+

Ludvig Aberg

Has yet to play in a major and just a few short months ago nobody had heard of him. They have now. He has victories to his name on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour. He is a brilliant ball striker, a great putter and has a wonderful temperament. Oh, and he made his Ryder Cup debut. Top of the class.

Verdict: A+

Cameron Young

After a mind-blowing rookie season in 2022, when he finished second five times, much was expected of Young in 2023. He was runner-up to Sam Burns at the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play but apart from that didn’t really look like winning and failed to make it to the Tour Championship. So 2024 is a massive one for him.

Verdict: D

Camillo Villegas

Everybody loves a good comeback story and in 2023 there were several contenders for Comeback of the Year, but Villegas gets my vote. Having lost his baby daughter, Villegas struggled to see a way forward and, unsurprisingly, lost his game. But with the support of his wife he kept battling away. There was little sign of what was to come when he teed it up at the World Wide Technology Championship. He had missed more cuts than he had made but he finished in a tie for second. And the following week he won the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Verdict: A+

Rickie Fowler

Fowler runs Villegas a pretty close second. The American spent years looking like a potential major champion but then he changed his swing - and his form vanished. He looked lost and faced an uncertain future. But he began to turn things around in 2022 and during 2023 it all finally clicked back into place for Fowler. He finished second at the Zozo Championship, tied sixth at the Charles Schwab Challenge, tied ninth at The Memorial, tied fifth at the US Open and then he won the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Rickie Fowler is back!

Verdict: B