Jon Rahm has been handed a higher grade than both Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler for the season so far by Dan Rapaport.
It has been an interesting start to the year for Scheffler. Fans would have been forgiven for assuming that he was going to break all records after he won on his first start of 2026, at The American Express.
However, the world number one has not looked like himself in the past couple of weeks. It is strange to see Scheffler down in 88th for strokes gained approach after he topped that list in each of the last three seasons.
Jon Rahm lauded for his season so far as Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have work to do
Elsewhere, McIlroy has threatened to open his account for the year. He was far from his best in the Middle East as he began his campaign on the DP World Tour. But he did come reasonably close to his first ever victory at Riviera at the Genesis Invitational.
Rahm, meanwhile, has been formidable on LIV Golf. The Spaniard finished second in both Riyadh and Adelaide. And he ended up winning in Hong Kong relatively comfortably this past week.
Speaking on Dan on Golf, Dan Rapaport gave the trio grades for how they have started the season, with Rahm coming out on top.
“We’re going to start with Scottie Scheffler, I’m giving him a B+. It might be harsh, it might sound harsh, but this is the burden of expectation. When you’re the best player in the world, this is what we expect,” he said.
“So his five results so far: win, T3, T4, but the last two weeks have been tied for 12th and tied for 24th. That brings it down from an A- to a B+. That’s the reality of being on the best run since Tiger Woods. If you have a couple of meh weeks in a row, you go down to a B+. If someone who was a rookie had those results, you’d say incredible. We’re ranking these guys based on what we expect from them.
“Rory McIlroy, I’m giving a B. Also a little bit harsh. His results so far: T14, T3, T33, T14, T2 and a withdrawal. The game seems to be there, but there have been a couple of disappointing finishes and the back injury is a bit of a concern. So I’m giving Rory a solid B.
“Jon Rahm, I’m giving an A. You said he’s been top 10-ing. Not just that, he’s finished second, second, and first in his first three LIV events. The only reason that this is not an A+ is the performance in Adelaide. He got absolutely dusted by Anthony Kim, that was hard for me to see past.”
A dream Masters showdown could be on the cards
Scheffler and McIlroy peaked at different times last year. The Northern Irishman flew out of the blocks and won at Pebble Beach, The Players Championship, and, of course, The Masters.
Scheffler was dealing with a hand injury in the early stages of the season. He did not win for the first time until Augusta National was in the rear-view mirror. But from there, he was almost flawless.
Rahm had an underwhelming 2025, despite winning the individual title on LIV. He failed to win a single event individually, and only briefly flirted with success in the majors with a charge at the PGA Championship.
There is something different about 2026. Rahm is playing supremely well and looks to be determined to prove a point after coming in for criticism last year.
McIlroy is threatening to hit top gear, while Scheffler could turn his fortunes around at any moment.
With that, it is nearly impossible not to dream about the three best players in the world battling it out for The Masters title next month.
We should not forget that the trio are the last three players to triumph at Augusta National too.
