Golf Power Rankings
We live in an age based on the here and now, a time when instant messages and Tweets have replaced such methodical forms of communication as the telephone.
And so it shouldn't come as a surprise that this week's man atop the ESPN.com Power Ranking is a player who hadn't made a previous appearance here, but is coming off a victory at the most recent event.
Whether it speaks more to the game's elite players failing to separate themselves or the current depth of talent at the top level, no single player has stepped up to claim the No. 1 spot on this list. Enter Henrik Stenson, winner of the Players Championship on Sunday, who if not the best choice is at least the most timely.
-- Jason Sobel
| 2009 Power Rankings: May | |||||
| RK | PLAYER | COMMENT | |||
 | 1 | Most impressive stat of the week: Known more for his driving distance than accuracy, Stenson changed his stripes by hitting 13 of 14 fairways during each weekend round. He's no one-hit wonder, either; the current No. 5-ranked player was T-3 at last year's British Open and T-4 at the PGA Championship. | |||
 | 2 | It's a testament to his abilities -- and proof that he's raised his own personal bar so much higher than his competitors -- that Woods can land in the second position on this list while the mainstream media debates ''What's wrong with Tiger?'' Here's what isn't wrong: He's finished in the top 10 in each of his last 17 stroke play events worldwide. | |||
 | 3 | Question: Does his record of two wins and three other top-10s in 10 starts this season trump Tiger's one win and four other top-10s in six starts? Answer: Almost ... but not quite. | |||
 | 4 | With top-20 results in five of six U.S. appearances this season -- plus a victory in Abu Dhabi on the European Tour -- Casey is finally showing results that equal his talent. | |||
 | 5 | On two separate occasions during Sunday's final round, Goosen posted back-to-back birdies ... only to follow with a double-bogey on a par-3 hole to slide back down the leaderboard. | |||
 | 6 | OK, so he might not be what you'd call a ''closer,'' but Stricker is a model of consistency, with nine top-25 results in 11 starts this season. | |||
 | 7 | The PGA Tour's most consistent player in '09 was cruising around TPC Sawgrass at 5-under through 27 holes ... until the wheels came off and he played the final nine in 7-over to miss the cut Friday. | |||
 | 8 | The Masters champ made triple-bogey on his opening hole at TPC Sawgrass then played the next 35 in 10-under. His bid for a second straight big-time title was thwarted on the weekend, though. | |||
 | 9 | He's already got solid wins at the Mercedes-Benz Championship and WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship this year. Now it's time to prove he can win a major without Mickelson & Co. handing him the title. | |||
 | 10 | He isn't knocking on the door to the winner's circle anymore; he's prying it open with a crowbar. In the past year, he owns solo runner-up finishes at the British Open and Players while going 4-1-0 in a losing effort at the Ryder Cup. | |||
 | 11 | Recently acknowledged that he overcame a few leftover demons from Bay Hill when he held off Tiger -- and everyone else -- at Quail Hollow. | |||
 | 12 | Kentucky native wasn't able to bring a green jacket to the Bluegrass State, but he has picked up right where he left off in 2008, playing some of his best golf at nearly 49 years old. | |||
 | 13 | His final-round demise at Quail Hollow notwithstanding, Johnson has proven to be a formidable player when the pressure is mounting. Not many guys on tour can make that claim. | |||
 | 14 | Only two players have more top-10 finishes than Na this season … and as he likes to point out, that T-11 at Bay Hill wasn't too far off, either. | |||
 | 15 | After a disappointing season in which he uncharacteristically finished 131st on the money list, he's already posted four results better than his best finish (T-8) in '08, plus took a share of ninth at the Players. | |||
 | 16 | Uncharacteristically, this steady performer has seen one bad round in a handful of recent tourneys. That's partly the reason he hasn't won in 43 starts, dating back to the 2007 Canadian Open. | |||
 | 17 | Career underachiever is finally starting to live up to the hype, posting a second and a third already this season. | |||
 | 18 | Major ornithological implications with Crane, Goosen and Byrd each on the Players leaderboard. He really spreads his wings on the greens, where his putting was nearly impeccable for much of the week. | |||
 | 19 | Don't overlook this Auburn University product, who had produced two top-10s prior to the Players, then seriously contended for 36 holes at TPC Sawgrass. He blew up on the weekend, but still not a bad finish for one of the last guys in the field. | |||
 | 20 | It's been the same ol' story for Chucky Threesticks this season. Though he's only found the winner's circle twice during his career, CH3 has gotten himself into the runner-up square a dozen times, including twice this year. | |||
