This article is part of our Golf Barometer series.
With his third consecutive victory, Dustin Johnson continues to rise as the clear-cut No. 1 golfer in the world while the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, and Hideki Matsuyama struggle to keep up. Little time remains for tune-ups heading into the Masters, with this week's Shell Houston Open providing the last barrier before the Tour heads to the golf heaven that is Augusta National.
VALUE RISING
Jon Rahm
Rahm entered his 2017 campaign as the 137th-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking, but has already surged up to No. 14 thanks to three consecutive top-five finishes, preceded by a win at the Farmers Insurance Open. The 22-year-old competed closely with world No. 1 Dustin Johnson on the back nine during Sunday's final match of the WGC-Dell Match Play before eventually losing 1-down on the 18th hole. Rahm has never appeared in the Shell Houston Open nor the Masters, but it is worth keeping an eye on the impressive Spaniard moving forward as he experiences a couple of new tracks and embarks on his first quest for a green jacket.
Ross Fisher
Fisher capitalized on his last opportunity to qualify for the Masters, as he advanced through the group stage before defeating Bubba Watson in the round of 16, leading to a T5 finish after losing to Hideto Tanihara in the quarterfinals of the WGC-Dell Match Play. Fisher also tied for third in his previous event at the WGC-Mexico Championship, ultimately setting him up for a top-50 spot in
With his third consecutive victory, Dustin Johnson continues to rise as the clear-cut No. 1 golfer in the world while the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, and Hideki Matsuyama struggle to keep up. Little time remains for tune-ups heading into the Masters, with this week's Shell Houston Open providing the last barrier before the Tour heads to the golf heaven that is Augusta National.
VALUE RISING
Jon Rahm
Rahm entered his 2017 campaign as the 137th-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking, but has already surged up to No. 14 thanks to three consecutive top-five finishes, preceded by a win at the Farmers Insurance Open. The 22-year-old competed closely with world No. 1 Dustin Johnson on the back nine during Sunday's final match of the WGC-Dell Match Play before eventually losing 1-down on the 18th hole. Rahm has never appeared in the Shell Houston Open nor the Masters, but it is worth keeping an eye on the impressive Spaniard moving forward as he experiences a couple of new tracks and embarks on his first quest for a green jacket.
Ross Fisher
Fisher capitalized on his last opportunity to qualify for the Masters, as he advanced through the group stage before defeating Bubba Watson in the round of 16, leading to a T5 finish after losing to Hideto Tanihara in the quarterfinals of the WGC-Dell Match Play. Fisher also tied for third in his previous event at the WGC-Mexico Championship, ultimately setting him up for a top-50 spot in the OWGR and a Masters birth. He didn't play Augusta the past four years, but he finished T15 in 2011 and owns three made cuts in four tries at the event.
Hideto Tanihara
The darkhorse of the WGC-Dell Match Play knocked off big names such as Jordan Spieth and Paul Casey on the way to his fourth-place finish, earning him a spot in the Masters alongside Fisher. Following a win at the Japan Tour's Heiwa PGM Championship in November of 2016, Tanihara racked up five top-10 finishes and just one missed cut in his next 10 events. He lacks experience at Augusta and missed the cut in his lone appearance in 2007, but his recent form makes him now at least worth considering in Masters pools.
VALUE FALLING
Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama was overtaken by Dustin Johnson atop the FedExCup standings this past week, in part due to Johnson's three consecutive wins, but also due to Matsuyama's cool-off in recent weeks. In his last four events, the world's No. 4 golfer posted results of T51-T45-T25-MC, which followed a stretch of five wins worldwide in just nine total tournaments. Course history will be on Matsuyama's side next week at Augusta National, however, as he finished T7 and alone in fifth the past two years.
Branden Grace
As the top seed in his group at the WGC-Dell Match Play, Grace was able to amass just one point, with his defeat of Andy Sullivan followed by losses to Brandt Snedeker and William McGirt. Grace's previous three events include results of MC-T32-WD as he heads into next week's Masters tournament on a streak of poor finishes. Grace has qualified for five Masters in a row, but he missed the cut in his last three tries after a T18 in his 2013 debut.
Russell Knox
Failing to advance to the round of 16 at the WGC-Dell Match Play combined with three missed cuts in his previous four events lands Knox in the disappointment department. The 23rd-ranked golfer in the world is certainly not playing like it, and Augusta National may not serve as the venue for him to turn things around. In his lone Masters appearance in 2016, Knox opened with a 79 and eventually missed the cut.
Byeong-Hun An
A sixth-place finish back at February's Waste Management Phoenix Open launched An into the No. 40 slot of the OWGR, but in seven weeks since he has failed to post a single top-45 performance in five events. He has still been reliable as far as making the cut goes, but mediocre finishes for a player of his caliber have sent him back down to No. 55 in the world. An has missed the cut in his two Masters attempts, so his ownership figures to be low next week at Augusta.
INJURY UPDATE
Jason Day
Not exactly dealing with an injury of his own, Day was forced to withdraw from last week's WGC-Dell Match Play in order to be by his mother's side while she underwent surgery as part of her road to recovery from cancer. The No. 3 golfer in the world expects to travel to Augusta National later in the week with hopes of a somewhat normal preparation routine, but he has not yet ruled out the possibility of withdrawing in order to focus on the emotional family situation. A final call will likely come next week.
Davis Love III
Love is slated to return from a four-month absence at this week's Shell Houston Open after a snowboarding accident around the turn of the calendar year left him needing a plate and eight screws to repair a broken collarbone. The 52-year-old has appeared in just two events so far this season, posting a T41 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open followed by a missed cut at the RSM Classic in November. He made the cut at the Houston Open in 2016, but posted a T57 finish.
