Viktor Hovland defended the Hero World Challenge to close out the PGA Tour calendar as the circuit goes on a holiday hiatus until the new year. While there was a rift in the game of golf for the better part of a year between the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf Invitational Series, fans were rewarded with some awesome moments at some of the biggest tournaments. Week in and week out a new story is created, and that is why the game of golf is so captivating.
With the Sentry Tournament of Champions just a month away, it is never too early to take a look at the top three golfers to place our bets on heading into the year 2023.
Sahith Theegala
The pedigree is there for the former Pepperdine star, as the 25-year-old capped his rookie season on Tour with a trip to East Lake and the TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Theegala has shown flashes of ability to perform at an elite level on golf’s biggest stage, with eight top-10 finishes dating back to October of 2021.
Still searching for his first victory, the 44th-ranked player in the official world golf rankings will be motivated in 2023 to find himself on top of the leaderboard on a Sunday afternoon. It is only a matter of time before he does, and the 2023 year will be a great opportunity to cash in on Theegala while the value is still there at the books.
Tony Finau
Since picking up his second PGA Tour victory last season after a five-year drought, Tony Finau has become one of golf’s elite, winning three more times since. His success over the last year vaulted him to ninth in the world and he heads into 2023 sitting just outside the top 10 at 12th.
With three victories in 2022 it is easy to see why Finau is the one of the top golfers to bet on next year. Finau has always had the game to compete with the world’s best, but now he has the confidence to pair with it. It isn’t matter of if Finau will win in 2023, just a matter of when and how many the five-time PGA Tour winner will be able to do it.
Rory McIlroy
The no. 1 player in the world is a chalky play, but the reasons are clear why Rory McIlroy will make you money next year. McIlroy The reigning FedEx Cup Champion did all but win a major in 2022, picking up three victories state-side while finishing atop the DP World Tour rankings to capture his fourth Harry Vardon Trophy.
Outside of his historical success and handfuls of accolades, Mcllroy served as one of the voices of the game of golf during a trying year. The 33-year-old has found his form and will carry that over into 2023 as he tries to get back into the winner’s circle of one of the four majors. We expect Rory to win a major next year, along with a pair of other prestigious tournaments.
