Category: ProFiles

While Tom Lehman isn’t in the prime of his career anymore, he has kept a reasonable and steady pace for 14 years. His professional career took some turns but he’s been playing professionally since 1983. Just to give you some perspective: Tom Lehman played the first day of the Panasonic Las Vegas Pro on September 15, 1983 and it was the same day that now fellow competitor Kevin Na was brought into the world. This is completely unheard of in any other high level competitive sport and it is a primary reason why I love Golf.

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The 2005 season on the Nationwide Tour will probably be remembered for Jason Gore’s battlefield promotion to the PGA Tour following his U.S. Open performance, but no one earned more money on the Nationwide Tour than Troy Matteson. He made the cut in 25 of 27 events, had 10 top-10 finishes and thus played his way onto the PGA Tour for 2006.

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While his best playing days are behind him, Nick Price is a champion who can look back on an impressive string of victories all within a relatively short period of time. He played with the right attitude as he searched for swing perfection. “Excellence is like a process, you know?” said Price. “No matter where you are, you just keep trying to refine.” He remains one of Golf’s truly special players.

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With arguably the most coveted swing in modern golf, Ernie Els has established himself as a consistent competitor. On the heels of a disappointing 2005 in the majors Els has retooled his bag and his swing in hopes of improving in 2006. His quiet nature, easy smile, and fluid swing give off an aura of class and humility that makes people miss him when he’s gone.

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It’s pretty hard to argue that Annika Sorenstam is anything less than the most dominant woman in sports. She has been at the top of her sport since she joined the LPGA Tour in 1995. She stacked win upon win again in 2005, finishing the season with an astounding nine-win season. She has won more than eight tournaments in a season four different times. The last six years in particular she has owned the LPGA tour win column. Since 2000 Annika hasn’t won any less than five tournaments per year. The little blond from Sweden is a fierce competitor and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. Sand Trap staff member Stacy Solomon recently featured the dominant Swede in Annika Sorenstam’s “Vision 54.” Here are some more thoughts on the most dominant of women golfers.

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Anyone following the PGA Tour knows that 2007 will bring significant changes to the season’s schedule. A shorter season, playoffs, and what is being called “The Quest for the Card” are all a around the corner. The man steering the ship into new waters is PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem.

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When Jason Bohn was seven years old he dreamed of winning on the PGA Tour. For the first thirty-odd years of his life he pursued that goal but failed to attain it. He had spent years on mini-tours, on the Canadian Tour, and Nationwide Tour chasing that dream but it had eluded him. After a long struggle he earned his card in 2003 by finishing 9th on the Nationwide money list. In the process he won the Chattanooga Classic by posting a 263, a new tournament record.

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When Ryan Moore turned pro prior to the Barclays Classic there was plenty of reason to believe that he could qualify to play on the 2006 PGA Tour. But would he? No one since Tiger Woods had played his way onto Tour and no one has done it with as much flair.

In 1996 Tiger played the Masters, the U.S. Open, and the British Open as an amateur and turned pro prior to the Greater Milwaukee Open where he tied for 60th place. 5 events later he was hoisting a trophy at the Las Vegas Invitational. Two weeks beyond his first win he captured the Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic. While Ryan Moore has yet to win an event on Tour, he has five top-25’s under his belt so far and is well on his way to a solid career as a professional. His amateur performance is as good as any.

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While nothing like the fraternity of former presidents, the PGA Tour is an exclusive club. Countless talented players ply their trade on lesser tours the world over wishing one day to make a permanent home in golf’s version of the West Wing: PGA Tour exempt status. From time to time one of them scratches their way in and get a shot at recognition and a big payday. Todd Hamilton’s 2004 British Open shows what the lesser-known player can do. Brandt Jobe is one, like Hamilton, who took the long way to play the PGA Tour.

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