9. Alex Noren
To call the No. 8-ranked player in the world a darkhorse would be doing a disservice to Alex Noren, but the sweet-swinging Swede is still not a household name in the United States. Since missing the cut at last year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, Noren has won five times worldwide, including his biggest victory to date coming at the European Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship.
With much of Europe’s hopes in the 2018 Ryder Cup being pinned upon young guns like Jon Rahm and Thomas Pieters, it could be the 34-year-old Noren who wins a major first.
