The year 2022 beckoned a new era for professional golf, with the PGA Tour facing an unprecedented new challenge and threat to maintaining their existing talent in LIV Golf. What has transpired since then has been a plethora of big names pledging their allegiance to either of the two rivals, bringing forth a new flavor of competition for fans of the sport.
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The latest edition ofEA Sports PGA Tourin 2023 is among the first console titles that has been released since the emergence of LIV Golf and will offer fans a glimpse of how this new competitor changes the foundation of the PGA Tour. Despite missing some big names that were part of previous installments,EA Sports PGA Tourincludes an impressive roster of some of the best male and female golfers on the planet.
11Cameron Champ
American golfing star Cameron Champ will be making an appearance in EA Sports' latest PGA installment, which is a testament to the 27-year-old’saccomplishments in his professional careerso far. Since turning pro in 2017 and joining the PGA Tour in 2019, Champ has taken out the top spot in 3 competitions, an impressive feat that is complimented by his 10 finishes in the top 10.
Keen gamers will be looking forward to testing Champ’s almost-unmatched swinging power that has guided him to the great heights he has achieved so far.
10Xander Schauffele
World number 7 Xander Schauffele will add some star power to the strong PGA Tour roster, with the 29-year-old American being included as a playable athlete. Since joining the PGA Tour in 2017, Schaufelle has pulled off 7 career wins and a top-10 finish in over 40 starts at the tee.
His impressive world ranking is a reflection of his blistering form recently, which has seen him finish among the 10 best athletes on 4 occasions in the ‘22-‘23 season. Given his recent success, there is no doubt PGA fans will be eager to tee off as Schauffele.
9Sungjae Im
Addingsome international flavorto the star-studded, albeit American-dominant, roster is young South-Korean talent Sungjae Im. The current world number 18 has been at the professional level since 2015, joining the PGA Tour as a young prospect in 2019. Since that time, he has claimed victory on 2 occasions, most recent in the Shriner Children’s Open during the ‘21-‘22 season.
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The notorious fast-starter will be a favored playable athlete for those who like to get their campaign started on the right foot.
8Jordan Spieth
Former world number 1 Jordan Spieth may not be at the top of the rankings in 2023, but he is still a formidable challenge for any stepping to the tee against him. Currently sitting at number 16 in the world, the 29-year-old has chalked up 13 career wins since his professional debut in 2012. Of the 11 years he has played pro, 10 of them have been part of the PGA Tour.
Despite not being in the number 1 spot to start 2023, Spieth remains a fan favorite and is always a genuine threat to take out any competition he features in.
7Tony Finau
Proving that success can come to prodigies and veterans alike, long-time pro golfer Tony Finau will make an appearance inEA Sports PGA Tour. The 33-year-old American can currently boast holding the rank of number 13 on the planet for the sport, which is an impressive feat considering he has been a professional since 2007.
Since joining the PGA Tour in 2015, Finau managed a total of 5 career wins. Among these winsincludes some recent success, as he took out the Cadence Bank Houston Open in the ‘22-‘23 season.
6Hideki Matsuyama
Another fan favorite from the international golfing scene, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama is also a part of the talented roster for PGA Tour’s release. The 31-year-old currently sits at number 21 on the world rankings, however fans of his will not have overlooked his positioning at his peak world ranking at number 2.
Matsuyama is no stranger to success in his decade of professional golfing, with his resume including a total of 8 career PGA Tour wins and 2 finishes in the top-10 since his pro debut in 2013.
5Danielle Kang
Danielle Kang has been in the top echelon of women’s professional golfing ever since her pro debut in 2012, so it is only fitting that she be one of thetalented female athletesin PGA Tour for 2023. The 30-year-old American has notched 6 career victories in her career and a staggering 56 finishes in the top 10 so far.
Her talents have seen her reach levels beyond the realms of LPGA, evident in her inclusion as a member of Team USA during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
4Lexi Thompson
28-year-old Lexi Thompson has been a consistent name at the top of the scorer’s sheet since she turned pro in 2012. She was a proud member of Team USA inthe 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympicsand currently sits in 6th on the world rankings.
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In her tenure on the green, Thompson has notched an incredible 11 career victories and over 80 finishes in the top-10. Given her impressive resume, the American certainly has proven her worth as a member of the game’s roster.
3Patrick Cantlay
31-year-old American veteran Patrick Cantlay is an obvious inclusion in the next PGA Tour title, especially since he is currently ranked number 4 in the world. Since turning professional over 10 years ago in 2012 and joining the tour in 2014, Cantlay has accumulated over $35 million in prize money throughout his career. In his near ten-year stint on the Tour, he has taken out the top spot in 8 competitions.
While Cantlay does not always attempt to warm himself up to golfing fans, his emergence as the next “villain” of the PGA Tour could see him become just as watched an athlete as any others on the Tour today.
2Nelly Korda
The rise of Nelly Korda has been an exciting journey for women’s golf, with the 24-year-old achieving new heights as the number 2 female golfer on the planet. The American has collected an impressive array of accolades since turning professional in 2017, including winning the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a member of Team USA.
Her star-studded career includes 8 victories and nearly 50 top 10 finishes. With herimpressive resume at such a young age, Korda has certainly earned her position on theEA Sports PGA Tourroster.
