Here are GolfChannel.com’s Power Rankings, a weekly barometer of the hottest players in the game:
| Rank | Player | Comment | | 1 |
Phil Mickelson
| The only thing wrong with Lefty 2.0 at Torrey Pines was that he was too excited to play. Not a bad problem to have, which should lead to a good week at Riviera. | | | 2 |
Lee Westwood | Tied for third at Qatar and, minus a missed cut at Abu Dhabi, he has strong showings against elite fields over his last five starts. | | | 3 |
Martin Kaymer | Followed his impressive victory at Abu Dhabi with a 32nd-place tie at Qatar, which is why he dropped from second place last week. Still among the world’s best. | | | 4 |
Robert Allenby
| If not for two inopportune fliers, the Australian could be a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this year. Still, two top-10s aren’t too shabby. | | | 5 |
Steve Stricker
| Don’t be fooled, he didn’t spend all his time in a deer stand during the offseason and his third-place finish at Sony is a sign of things to come. | | | 6 |
Geoff Ogilvy | A victory at the SBS and a strong showing at the HSBC Champions still give off heat amidst overall erratic performances the past three months. | | | 7 |
Ernie Els
| The South African is striking the ball well again and is making the game look, well, easy again. He’s finished in the top-20 in five of his past six starts. He currently holds the spot vacated by Tiger Woods, who fell out.
| | | 8 |
Charl Schwartzel | A solid showing (T-14) against a strong field at Qatar gives more meaning to his back-to-back wins against so-so fields in South Africa. | | | 9 |
Rory McIlroy | The young Northern Irishman has finished no worse than a tie for fifth-place in his last five starts. | | | 10 |
Michael Allen
| The senior switched to a short putter this season and suddenly his plan to win his first PGA Tour title after his first Champions Tour tilt isn’t outlandish. |
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