CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It went fast, didn't it? The season, I mean. It seems like we were just getting excited about the Masters, and it's already the PGA Championship. I was going to go "wild and off the wall" with this top-25 list, but let's face it, the usual suspects are again playing into form at the right time (and don't forget how well picking Jordan Spieth to win The Open worked out).
Here's the final top 25 of this major season:
25. Omar Uresti -- Winning the 2017 PGA Professional Championship got him into this tournament, which irked some. He'll make the cut and finish here just out of spite, and I love it.
24. Jhonattan Vegas -- Five missed cuts in a row, and then a win at the end of July. I love this guy's game. Last week a T-17 in Akron, and he'll keep the momentum going this week.
23. James Hahn -- One of the more popular players on tour, Hahn is coming in off a T-10 finish in Canada.
22. Grayson Murray -- "Consistent" is not the word I would use for Murray, but this week he's playing his first major as a PGA Tour champion, which changes everything for his confidence.
21. Xander Schauffele -- Winner not only of a PGA Tour event this year but also the winner (every year) of the Scrabble Triple-Word-Score Name. Schauffele has been in a nice groove since the end of May.
20. Adam Scott -- This could potentially be the last start of the year for Scott because he's skipping the first two playoff events. Fifteen starts, two missed cuts, and no finish better than T-6 is not a bad season, but ...
19. Tony Finau -- A bomber and one-time PGA Tour champion, Finau has a great attitude for this major. Hitting it as far as he does helps a bit as well.
18. Pat Perez -- It seemed Perez wasn't long enough off the tee to compete at the Wells Fargo in May -- and he finished T-2. He's playing to make the Presidents Cup team.
17. J.B. Holmes -- Plenty long enough to show promise at this course, Holmes also has had past success at the old layout here at Quail Hollow.
16. Bill Haas -- You know how there's always that one guy who you've never seen all year but still seems to make the Tour Championship? Finishes like this are why this year it will be Haas.
15. Justin Rose -- Since a runner-up finish at the Masters, the season has been somewhat of a flop for Rose. This is a place where he can draw on past successes.
14. Sergio Garcia -- The Masters/wedding hangover is not completely over, but Garcia will still finish this major respectably.
13. Thorbjorn Olesen -- The "Thunder Bear" is small in stature but big off the tee, which will be a huge advantage this week.
12. Jon Rahm -- Expectations may have been a bit much this year for Rahm when it came to the majors. I would consider this a solid finish for the rookie.
11. Charley Hoffman -- The wave ride will continue for Hoffman, who even without a win has been playing some very good golf in the past month.
10. Rafael Cabrera Bello -- This will be the final prep for Cabrera Bello before he makes a serious run at a major title in 2018. This is his first time seeing Quail Hollow, so he carries no baggage.
9. Thomas Pieters -- Last week's final round was a lesson he'll bring with him to Quail Hollow. If he has a three-putt this week, Pieters will know how to move on and let it go.
8. Brooks Koepka-- The U.S. Open champion should do very well if the course stays wet. He'll be one of the few golfers strong enough to "muscle" shots out of the wet rough.
7. Jason Day -- Another guy seemingly healthy, but how healthy we don't know. I do know he has the length and attitude to do well here.
6. Justin Thomas -- Started the year off like gangbusters but fizzled a bit in the middle of the season. Now it seems his game has started to slowly creep back toward what we saw early in the year.
5. Dustin Johnson -- With fingers crossed that the back issue is completely behind him, DJ can finally get back in the mix of a major championship.
4. Hideki Matsuyama -- Coming off the dominating win last week in Akron, Matsuyama will be in contention again going into Sunday.
3. Rory McIlroy -- His game form is getting much closer to winning, but he'll be powerless to stop the Spieth train.
2. Rickie Fowler -- Close, again, but no cigar for the guy who's still looking for that elusive first major victory.
1. Jordan Spieth -- It's real simple. Spieth is in that special place in majors again (like in 2015). Most importantly, the guys he's playing against know it.