PGA TOUR rewind: Counting down the top 15 stories of 2021 (15-11)

While 2020 was an unprecedented year in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic and its lingering effects on the schedule, 2021 will be remembered for its performances, controversies, memes, celebrations, and so much more.

It wasn't only a Ryder Cup year, it was also an Olympic year. Fans returned to the galleries, rivalries were created, and records were broken.

Let's rewind and rank the top 15 stories from the PGA TOUR in 2021.

15. Bryson's meme-able moment

Bryson DeChambeau's incredible transformation completely changed the perception of how golf can be played. Just a little over a year ago, the 28-year-old bomb and gauged his way around a narrow, tree-lined, classical golf course en route to his first major championship, the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

DeChambeau's outside-the-box thinking tempted many to follow his lead, but none have been able to capture the perfect formula of power and precision quite like golf's most enigmatic star.

Bryson's imprint on the game is perfectly encapsulated by his drive on the 6th hole at Bay Hill - a 555-yard par 5 - in the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

DeChambeau's drive, which towered over a massive lake, traveled 370 yards and resulted in one of the most meme-able moments of 2021. For a moment, the PGA TOUR felt more like the WWE, poetic evidence of why golf is more fun with Bryson DeChambeau.

14. Reed embedded in controversy

Patrick Reed has been no stranger to controversy over the course of his career, dating all the way back to his college days.

Most notably, the 31-year-old was heavily scrutinized for a situation at the 2019 Hero World Challenge where he twice moved sand behind his ball in a waste area, subsequently improving his lie. Reed ultimately said the "camera angle" was the real cause of confusion.

When Reed found himself once again at the center of another rules incident at the Farmer's Insurance Open this year, golf fans and media members alike were hesitant to give the nine-time PGA TOUR winner the benefit of the doubt.

During the third round of the tournament, Reed obtained free relief for an embedded ball in the rough on the 10th hole. Prior to calling over a rules official to obtain clarification, the former Masters champion marked and picked up his ball. While the official confirmed he was entitled to relief, video showed the ball had bounced once in the rough before coming to rest, nullifying the story his ball was embedded.

In true villainous fashion, Reed won the tournament, even leading a PGA-partnered online Sportsbook to offer a refund to those with outright wagers on his competitors.

One thing is for certain: every sport needs a villain, and incidents like these remind us why Reed remains one of golf's most polarizing figures.

13. JT overcomes adversity

Justin Thomas' 2021 got off to a challenging start. At the opening event of the year, the Sentry Tournament of Champions, Thomas was caught on a hot mic muttering a homophobic slur. Barely a month later, the 28-year-old lost his grandfather, Paul.

So when he arrived at the PLAYERS Championship, expectations were tempered.

The 14-time PGA TOUR winner started off with a pair of pedestrian 71s to sit at 2-under par through 36 holes. Thomas was not out of the tournament, but he had some work to do over the weekend.

On Saturday morning, he got busy. The former PGA Championship winner fired a tournament-best 64 to vault up to the first page of the leaderboard. Still, Thomas trailed Lee Westwood and Bryson DeChambeau heading into Sunday.

After a ho-hum start to his final round, Thomas stepped up to the ninth tee four strokes out. Yet the Louisville, Kentucky, native birdied his next four holes. Walking off the 12th green, Thomas now had a two-stroke lead.

We'd say the rest is history, but Thomas' tee shot on 18 produced one of the most nerve-wracking moments of the year.

The newly minted PLAYERS champion pocketed a robust $2.7 million from his Sunday heroics, and while Thomas described his year in totality as a disappointment, his weekend at TPC Sawgrass provided one of the most impressive 36-hole stretches of the season.

12. Spieth's resurgence

Golf is undeniably in a better place when Jordan Spieth is patrolling the first page of the leaderboard.

Since his iconic win at the 2017 Open Championship, Spieth had suffered a bone spur in his hand, battled through swing changes, looked downright lost at times, and had fallen all the way to 92nd in the official world golf ranking.

The comeback tour began at February's Waste Management Phoenix Open, where the 12-time PGA TOUR winner shot a magical 61 on Saturday. The 28-year-old ultimately finished in a tie for fourth place, good for his best finish since the 2019 PGA Championship - nearly a full two years ago.

He continued his momentum with another contending performance at the AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Then came Sunday at TPC San Antonio, where the three-time major winner fired a final-round 66 to claim victory at the Valero Texas Open.

With a third-place finish at the Masters and a runner-up at the Open Championship, Spieth proved he once again needed to be taken seriously in major championships. He was one of only five players to finish in the top five of multiple majors in 2021.

Over the course of the season, Spieth jumped 73 places in the official world golf rankings, finishing the year as the World No. 9.

Full of perspective from the birth of his first child, expect Spieth to continue his ascent in 2022.

11. 'Patty Ice' is born

While Patrick Cantlay has never been confused for one of the game's most enthralling stars, the 29-year-old has always let his play do the talking.

He did just that in 2021.

The 29-year-old won four times on the PGA TOUR, dominated at the Ryder Cup, padded his bank account by $15 million, won the PGA TOUR's Player of the Year, and earned the nickname "Patty Ice" in the process.

Cantlay's dream season started at the Zozo Championship last October, where he outdueled the likes of Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm to win his third career PGA TOUR title; then Cantlay beat Collin Morikawa in a playoff at the Memorial Tournament; for his third win of the season, Cantlay bested Bryson DeChambeau in an epic six-hole playoff at the BMW Championship, recording the best putting performance in the strokes gained era.

He entered the season finale at No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings and hung on to win his first FedEx Cup title. Just a few weeks later, he went undefeated at the Ryder Cup.

Cantlay's ascent to the top of the golf world is even more impressive considering the adversity he's had to overcome. After finishing the 2021 calendar year as a top-five player in the world, "Patty Ice" has cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with.