2024 Black Desert Championship: Top 10 power rankings at Black Desert Resort
Top ten contenders at the 2024 Black Desert Championship
10) Michael Thorbjornsen
Dunlap, Clanton, Shipley, and Thorbjornsen -- you can add his name to the list of budding young stars.
The 23-year-old earned his Tour card in June by finishing first in the PGA Tour University Rankings. His card is locked up for the remainder of 2024 and all of 2025.
At first glance, there is nothing unorthodox about his swing -- he has the prototypical high-speed swing that has become ubiquitous in the collegiate game. However, Thorbjornsen uses a ten-finger grip (!), more commonly known as the baseball grip. Scott Piercy is the only other player who uses the grip.
"I’ve had it my whole life. I haven’t really needed to change it or felt the need to change," Thorbjornsen said. "So, we’re rocking with it, and will continue to do so for the rest of my career.”
The Stanford product has all the vibes to be great but the results are already here. He has two top-ten finishes since his professional debut at The Travelers, headlined by a T2 at the John Deere Classic. The driver is his calling card, and he absolutely destroys the golf ball. But the putter has shown signs of life lately, gaining strokes in his last three events.
With many of these young talents, there is a sense of innocence, perhaps even naivety to their games. At such a young age, there is no scar tissue; it's swing-swing-putt. Rinse and repeat.
Ludvig Aberg won his first Tour event last fall shortly after turning pro. Thorbjornsen could be next in line.
9) Chris Kirk
Kirk made a splash in the season's first signature event with a dominant performance at The Sentry at Kapalua. Unfortunately for the 39-year-old, the other 20 events were less kind.
He broke the top ten just two times following the win and has fallen off the radar of many as a result, but there is reason to be optimistic about his chances in the fall events, starting this week in Utah.
Kirk is the only player in the field to make the Tour Championship, and he got there with a T9 at the BMW Championship at Castle Pines. The venue played at 6,500 feet above sea level, so Kirk is no stranger to competing at elevation.
What he lacks in driving distance he makes up with accuracy. And, he has proven to be no stranger to the big moment. In a week where unfamiliarity is ubiquitous, look for Kirk to pounce.