Who Are Golf’s Newest Stars?

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January 21, 2007

Sports Illustrated’s Gary Van Sickle offers a list of young stars most likely to have a breakout season: Anthony Kim, Jim Rutledge, Ken Duke, Steve Marino, Johnson Wagner, Parker McLachlin, Bryce Molder and Jaco Van Zy.

It’s going to be tougher this year than usual, Van Sickle writes:

A bumper crop at Q school—40 survivors thanks to a 12-way tie for 29th—and 22 Nationwide graduates means this could be the year of the Big Squeeze. If the FedEx Cup’s $10 million bonanza does, indeed, induce players to tee it up more often, that translates into fewer starts for the little fish, some of whom may get only 15 to 18 chances.

Every PGA Tour tournament operates on a sort of seniority system, where the established players get priority in filling spots. Nationwide and Q School grads are at the bottom of the totem pole, and often have trouble getting in enough tournaments to keep their cards.

Posted By The Original Golf Blogger