Brian Harman has made a major move in the golf world rankings after his victory at the Valero Texas Open 2025. The 38-year-old American golfer jumped 27 spots to reach No. 22 in the latest Official World Golf Ranking update released today. Harman secured his fourth PGA Tour title on Sunday with a three-shot win over Ryan Gerard at TPC San Antonio.
The Georgia-born golfer shot a 3-over 75 in the final round but still managed to finish at 9-under for the tournament. His lead was large enough to maintain a comfortable margin of victory even with his worst round of the week on Sunday.
Harman’s rise in the rankings comes at a perfect time as he prepares for the first major championship of the year, The Masters, which begins Thursday at Augusta National. Before his Texas Open win, Harman was on the edge of dropping out of the top 50 for the first time since 2022.
Unlike many professional golfers, Harman does not come from a golfing family. His father, Eric Harman, is a dentist in Savannah, Georgia, and has never played professional golf. His mother, Nancy, works as a chemist. Brian’s younger brother Scott followed their father’s career path and now practices dentistry alongside him.
Harman started playing golf at age 12, a late start compared to many pros. In a past interview, he shared that his father encouraged him to focus on golf rather than baseball, noting that Brian’s smaller physical stature might limit his baseball prospects.
“My dad’s a dentist, and my mom’s a chemist for International Paper, and neither one of my parents played golf at all,” Harman once explained in an interview.
The left-handed golfer now heads to Augusta National with renewed confidence. His record at The Masters has been mixed, with only two made cuts in six appearances and a best finish of T12 in 2021. He has missed the cut in his last three Masters tournaments.
Practice rounds for The Masters began today, with players like Byeong Hun An seen hitting shots on the driving range as they prepare for the tournament. The 89th Masters Tournament will award $3.6 million to its champion along with the famous green jacket.
Scottie Scheffler remains the world’s top-ranked golfer with Rory McIlroy holding the second position. Harman joins other recent tournament winners looking to make their mark at Augusta National this week.
