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Golf year in review: Superlatives from the 2021 PGA Tour and golfing world

By Cody Williams

May 23, 2021; Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA; Phil Mickelson gives a thumbs up to the fans on the 18th hole during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
May 23, 2021; Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA; Phil Mickelson gives a thumbs up to the fans on the 18th hole during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nelly Korda (Photo by YOSHI IWAMOTO / AFP) (Photo by YOSHI IWAMOTO/AFP via Getty Images) /

5 golfers who defined 2021

5. Jordan Spieth

Sometimes it was unthinkable, other times it was a thrill ride, but every bit of Jordan Spieth was must-watch this year.

As he found his game, it wasn’t something necessarily smooth where he found every fairway, but that’s never been Spieth’s game. It was an art-form watching him play into bad spots and find his way out of them in a beautiful manner to get the job done. His return back to relevancy and the top of his game was one of the things every fan should remember from 2021.

4. Nelly Korda

Absolutely, Nelly Korda deserves the nod to be among the five golfers who defined 2021. Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, golf fans love a dominant force that everyone is chasing and the younger of the Korda sisters has reached that stratosphere. Between her complete destruction of the field at the Olympics, her first major win, and a litany of other victories, how could you not think that the still-young phenom is about to unleash a reign of terror on the LPGA Tour for years to come?

3. Collin Morikawa

As mentioned, we knew that Morikawa was one of the best young stars in the game — but the young Californian made the leap from that title to being one of the game’s elite. His victory at Royal St. George’s, his propensity to compete at the top of leaderboards in the best fields and his overall demeanor made him one of the titanic forces in the sport this past year.

2. Jon Rahm 

Objectively the best player who stepped on a golf course has to be included in something like this, right?

While Patrick Cantlay may have won PGA Tour Player of the Year, Rahm was the cream of the crop. He only won the U.S. Open — admittedly a massive victory — but he was a top-10 machine and clearly a threat that everyone was looking at whenever he teed it up. Oh yeah, he also ascended to being the No. 1-ranked player in the world. And chances are, he’ll be one that defines 2022 as well.

1. Bryson DeChambeau

For better or worse, it’s hard to think about the year in golf without Bryson DeChambeau being one of the first people who comes to mind. Whether it was the Brooks vs. Bryson debate, the ants, the drive at the API, the long drive competition, the truly bizarre social media activity, or any of the numerous other things that doesn’t take into account, he was the most towering figure in the sport, without question.

Next. Best golfer from every U.S. state. dark

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