It is another week of new career-high water marks for golfers off to hot starts in 2022.
Tom Hoge and Harold Varner III lead the pack after both players cracked the top 50 following the biggest victories of their careers on Sunday.
Hoge tracked down and passed three-time major winner Jordan Spieth to claim the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. His maiden PGA Tour victory launched Hoge 29 spots to a career-high 39th in the Official World Golf Ranking on Monday.
Hoge’s triumph came hours after Varner sank a dramatic 92-foot eagle putt on the 72nd hole to stun Bubba Watson to win the Saudi International. Varner vaulted from No. 99 to No. 45 in the world.
Varner has only played in eight career majors, but is in line to play in all four this year if he can maintain that key position within the top 50. That includes a ticket to play in the Masters for the first time if Varner stays inside that mark by the March 28 cutoff.
“That’s the goal, man,” Varner said of his top-50 status. “That gets you in the things that I haven’t played in. I’ve played in some big events here and there, but yeah, that’s why we play.”
Watson said he was thrilled for his good friend to get the victory in Saudi Arabia. Even though he finished second, Watson catapulted from No. 105 to 60th.
Hoge and Varner certainly weren’t alone.
Cameron Smith’s tie for fourth in Saudi Arabia was enough to climb past Hideki Matsuyama for ninth — yet another new career high set early in 2022 for the Australian who kicked off the year with a record-setting win at Kapalua. Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau continued his slide to No. 11 after withdrawing from the event.
Spieth moved up two spots to No. 13 with his runner-up finish at Pebble Beach.
Seamus Power was unable to hang on to his five-shot lead at the midway point at Pebble Beach. The Irishman went 74-72 over the weekend after setting the event’s 36-hole scoring record. Power did manage a T9 finish for his fifth consecutive top-15 result and is now right behind Varner at No. 46.
Another big moved was made by Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard, who rose from No. 100 to 67th with his victory at the Ras al Khaimah Championship on the DP World Tour.
Spain’s Adri Arnaus, who shared the 36-hole lead with Varner before settling for solo third, climbed 48 spots to No. 93.
–Field Level Media