It’s the start of a new year, and that means the world of professional golf is ablaze with speculation about which pro golfers to watch in 2024. There are a number of promising newcomers hungry to end the year with a PGA tour or LIV golf title, as well as not-so-newcomers due for their first major win. Let’s take a look at the players showing the most potential and give you our top picks for the year.
Top names
If you’re looking for a consensus on who the best professional golfers to watch for are, you’re unfortunately out of luck. Every outlet and commentator have their own opinions and their own ranking to match. That being said, there are a few names you can expect to see across multiple outlets.
Chan Kim
Chan Kim isn’t your average PGA tour rookie. He’s played several smaller tours and boasts back-to-back Korn Ferry Tour victories in 2023. Chan has had a few setbacks in his career, including a back injury in 2018, but he’s always been able to bounce back.
Alexa Pano
Alexa Pano’s professional career is still in its infancy, but already has seen a lot of payoff. She has had high points and low points, but she ended her rookie year with a tour championship win. During the 2024 season Alexa Pano will be competing in Orlando for a $118 million prize fund.
Sahith Theegala
A former collegiate golfer and top five finisher in multiple tournaments, Sahith Theegala is finally making his first Masters appearance. He has won several golf awards and has represented the US in the Arnold Palmer Cup before going pro.
Chris Gotterup
Gearing up for his first PGA tour this year, Chris Gotterup has already received a slew of accolades. Described as a powerful talent, he was named the 2020 Big Ten Player of the Year. Chris’ coaches and colleagues alike are all expecting him to become a massive success.
Justin Suh
A little less established than some of the others on this list, Justin Suh didn’t get going as a rookie until making Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year. He’s missed a few cuts and had a hard time cracking the top ten but is expected to perform well this year.
Cameron Young
Cameron Young is a top scorer who has already had an impressive rookie season. He also holds the record for most money won by a rookie in the history of the PGA tour. Cameron may already have a stellar resume, but his career is only just beginning.
Is Tiger Woods done?
You may have noticed that our list of golfers to watch this year is mainly up and coming golfers. It’s not that we’re disinterested in more seasoned players, but we wanted to showcase the people they inspired.
Take Tiger Woods, a legendary golfer who no longer plays competitively. When Tiger was just a kid, he played in an exhibition at Calabasas Country Club. That exhibition was when Tiger met Sam Snead, a famous golfer who was one of the top players for decades. By the time Tiger met Sam Snead, Snead was well established golfer playing specific events at the end of his competitive career. Now Tiger Woods is in a similar position, serving as an inspiration to a whole new generation of golfers. We want to highlight the players that carry on the legacies of golfers like Tiger Woods and Sam Sneed with their passion for and dedication to the sport.