After finishing their college careers, 2019 PGA Tour newcomers Collin Morikawa, Matthew Wolff, and Viktor Hovland quickly established themselves in the professional rankings.
The PGA Tour’s 2019 freshmen Collin Morikawa, Matthew Wolff and Viktor Hovland secured professional rankings soon after passing out of their college.
This past week marked a turning point in the sport's history. A wave of young talent, including Sungjae Im and Joaquin Niemann, has surged forward, resulting in five golfers aged 23 or under simultaneously cracking the top 25 of the Official World Golf Ranking.
At just 23, Collin Morikawa is the highest-ranked of the youth movement at World No. 4, sitting just behind established stars Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, and Justin Thomas.
Viktor Hovland, also 23, holds the 14th spot, followed closely by his former teammate, 21-year-old Matthew Wolff at 15th. Meanwhile, the 22-year-old duo of Im and Niemann are ranked 18th and 25th.
Matthew Wolff made history at the 3M Open; by securing an eagle on the final hole, he beat Morikawa and DeChambeau to the title. This feat makes him one of the few golfers, alongside Ben Crenshaw and Tiger Woods, to win both a PGA Tour event and an NCAA championship in a single year, despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic in 2020.
Morikawa's climb in the rankings was fueled by victories at the 2019 Barracuda Championship as well as the PGA Championship and Workday Charity Open in 2020. Similarly, Viktor Hovland boosted his standing with a win at the 2020 Puerto Rico event and a victory at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in December, breaking a long-standing streak of losses at that venue.
After being named the 2019 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, Sungjae Im maintained his momentum the following season, making the cut in 26 of his 35 appearances and leading the Tour twice. His consistency is evident in his seven top-10 finishes and an impressive 118 rounds played—surpassing his closest ranking rival by 18 rounds. His first major Tour victory came at the 2020 Honda Classic.
Joaquin Niemann has seen a significant surge, jumping 20 spots from his previous rank of 45th by the end of 2020. He started 2021 strongly with two consecutive runner-up finishes in Hawaii, showing great resilience after failing to make the cut at the previous season's Northern Trust.
Niemann's recent form is impressive, with top-25 finishes in eight of his last ten outings. He also made history as the first Chilean golfer to secure a Tour win, which he achieved at the 2019 A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier.