Tiering PGA Tour Risers, Fallers So Far in 2026

Now that we’re nearly a third of the way through the PGA Tour season, let’s take a look at some of the biggest risers and fallers of the year (so far). Three months of play feels like a sufficient sample size to cast some judgment on which directions players are trending. Below are the players whose on-course — and, in some cases, in-arena — performances in 2026 have most changed the way I think about them.

Jacob Bridgeman is the singular player who has most altered my perception this year. He is a very, very good player. A reasonable comp is 2025 Ben Griffin — someone who steadily improved over his first couple of seasons before breaking out and becoming a bona fide top-20 player in the world. Bridgeman’s four top 10s on the PGA Tour this year are tied for the most of any player, a total that includes an enormous win at Riviera, where he edged out Rory McIlroy by a stroke. Bridgeman is solid throughout the bag, but his putting is outrageously good. He is gaining 1.33 strokes per round on the greens this season, a number that would stand as the best-ever if maintained. The year is young and his putting may very well regress, but Bridgeman could still post the best strokes gained putting season of the ShotLink era even if his putter cools off a little bit. For reference, Jason Day currently holds the record at 1.13 strokes gained per round in 2016. Bridgeman may not be on the short list of favorites entering major season, but I do expect him to contend in more big tournaments this season, and a run at a major championship is not out of the realm of possibilities. 

Most people would probably place Cameron Young in the Super Risers category with three straight top-10 finishes in strong fields, including a win. But those of us who have been longtime Young believers aren’t surprised by his recent results. A big-time win at the Players Championship and a rise to No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking has always been in the cards for a player of Young’s caliber. Impressive? Definitely. Surprising? No. 

I’m encouraged by Min Woo Lee and the signs he’s showing of becoming a much-improved player than he has been the last couple of years. Ten months ago, I (fairly) dubbed Lee a ball-speed fraud. He bashed the ball around without much control, leaning heavily on an excellent short game while his iron play was also poor. His record at major championships, where demanding setups expose tee-to-green weakness, reflected an incomplete skill set. The Australian has just one top-10 finish in 17 major starts, with no top 20s in the last two years. But so far in 2026, Lee has evolved into a more complete golfer. He mentioned in a press conference ahead of the Houston Open that he has dialed back his speed off the tee a little bit, which has translated to more control. He has improved from 159th on Tour in Driving Accuracy at 55.5% last year to 37th at 62.8% this year. He has also significantly improved his iron play, jumping from 166th to 77th year over year in Strokes Gained: Approach. I am not quite yet ready to retire the “ball-speed fraud” label, but I am getting close, because I have cautiously high expectations for what Lee could accomplish in major championships this year. 

I am mildly disappointed by Tom Kim’s on-course performance this year, even though it represents a small improvement over last season. However, I am extremely disappointed by his in-arena antics at TGL. I somewhat respect how seriously Kim takes his TGL appearances, but between his showboating, trampling rough down before a Kevin Kisner drop (in freaking TGL), and suggesting his Sunday at the Cognizant Classic was all in preparation for that night’s TGL match, it’s been an embarrassing display for a golfer people compared to Tiger Woods when he won three times on Tour shortly after turning professional. By the way, remember when people earnestly made that comparison? Woof! Look, this is mostly tongue-in-cheek. I don’t really care what Kim does at the SoFi Center. But he should probably have a little more self-awareness and keep his performance in Jupiter Links colors in perspective, considering he hasn’t recorded a top 10 in real golf since February 2025. 

Some people would argue that placing Michael Thorbjornsen in the Risers category is overly generous. Those people would be wrong. The 24-year-old nearly won the WM Phoenix Open in February and also played his way into the final pairing at the Players Championship a few weeks ago. Sure, he collapsed on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass, but contending late in multiple strong-fielded tournaments is the type of growth you want to see from a young player with elite traits. The arrow is pointing up and to the right for Thorbjornsen, who very well could win in Houston this week. 

My biggest disappointment of the season is J.J. Spaun. I don’t know if there is some kind of injury or if Spaun’s game has just fallen off a cliff after a truly excellent 2025 escapade. Spaun wasn’t just a one-hit wonder last summer at Oakmont. He lost in playoffs at both the Players Championship and FedEx St. Jude Championship, too. But 2026 has been a different story. He is yet to record a top-20 finish this year and has missed four cuts in his last six starts. The putter is the primary culprit — he is losing nearly a full stroke per round on the greens — but poor putting alone doesn’t fully explain the significant decline in form. His ball-striking has also slipped. Hopefully we start to see signs of improvement soon, but 2026 has not been a pretty scene for the reigning U.S. Open champion.