Matti Schmid starts 2026 as the best German in the world golf rankings, followed by Stephan Jäger and Nicolai Von Dellingshausen.
Only One German in the Top 100
As the 2026 golf season begins, we look at how German players rank entering the year. The top German is Matti Schmid at 92nd, and he is the only German player in the top 100. Stephan Jäger, who was ranked 52nd at the start of last year, lost points and now ranks 114th.
The best German not playing on the PGA Tour is Nicolai Von Dellingshausen at 193rd. Marcel Siem has already moved up after his T14 finish at the Dubai Invitational in mid-January and now stands at 257. Marcel Schneider at 243 and Thomas Rosenmüller at 276 are also within the top 300.
Sepp Straka in the Top 15
The highest-ranked player from the German-speaking region remains Sepp Straka, who is ranked 12th at the start of 2026. Despite taking it easy late last year due to family issues, Straka’s past results position him to challenge the top 10 in the world rankings again this year.
Scottie Scheffler Clearly in the Lead
Unquestionably the world number one is still Scottie Scheffler, leading by more than 200 points ahead of second-ranked Rory McIlroy. The top 5 is rounded out by England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Americans Xander Schauffele and Russell Henley.