Each week on GolfChannel.com, we’ll examine which players’ stocks and trends are rising and falling in the world of golf.
RISING
Tommy Fleetwood (+9%): Winless (but highly competitive) for 22 months, the Englishman got off the schneid at the best possible time. His win in Sun City was worth $2.5 million and now sets up Fleetwood to potentially steal the Race to Dubai, if he can stay hot in the season finale.
Brendon Todd (+7%): Everyone loves a comeback story, and Todd’s is better than most: From top 50 in the world to the full-swing yips to a possible career change to back-to-back wins on Tour. His arrow, improbably, is pointing up again.
Brandon Matthews (+5%): Because of his compassionate response to a fan with Down Syndrome, Matthews is now more well-known for losing on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica than if he’d won. Hopefully tournament directors take note of a kid who clearly has his priorities in order.
Russell Henley (+2%): A tip of the cap to Henley, who missed the cut at the Mayakoba after he called eight penalty shots on himself for violating the one-ball rule. It was an overly harsh penalty, so maybe he’s in line for karmic payback.
Jordan Spieth (+1%): What to get the man who has almost everything this holiday season? How about some free world-ranking points, as Spieth, down to 43rd in the world, was gifted a spot in Tiger’s no-cut Hero World Challenge. ’Tis the season of giving.
FALLING
Abe Ancer (-1%): To be fair, everyone Honest Abe’s age (28) would probably love to tussle with Woods in an exhibition ... but to actually vocalize it? Shades of Stephen Ames, man.
Vaughn Taylor (-2%): Needing a birdie on the 72nd hole to force a playoff, Taylor left his 15-footer short. Ouch.
J-Day (-3%): Hoping for some momentum heading into Royal Melbourne, Day instead bombed out with a second-round 77 in Mexico on his way to a missed cut. It’s looking more and more likely that the (gulp) Skins Game win will be the highlight of his year.
Euro Tour drama (-4%): Only four players have a mathematical chance to unseat Bernd Wiesberger as European No. 1, and they all require at least a second-place finish in Dubai and the Austrian to play horribly. Good luck with that.