The PGA Tour season is officially over, and it’s time to get ready for 2006. I watched the Tour Championship this past weekend, and I definitely enjoyed the golf. It will have to hold me over for a couple months. I’ve been known to notice things in various tournaments that some people don’t really care to notice, and this past weekend was no different.
First off, congrats to Bart Bryant for winning his second event of the season. Bryant outlasted a tough field and definitely isn’t a no-name winner anymore. Tiger Woods battled the entire event and was in contention as usual. Other Americans in the top-10 included Scott Verplank, Davis Love III, and Ben Crane. Verplank and Love are both in their 40s as far as age goes, and Woods and Crane will both turn 30 in the next four or five months.
I know you are wondering where I’m going with this, so I will get to the point. The United States doesn’t have any young Americans stepping up and competing with the other young guns from around the world. Sure, Woods and Crane aren’t old by any means, but they aren’t spring chicks either. And besides, Crane hasn’t really been dominant anyway.
Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, and even Luke Donald are doing a great job of representing the young guns in golf right now. Garcia and Scott are both 24-years old, and Donald is 27-years old. These three are just getting started, but they don’t have any competition from the young Americans. They are all ranked near the top-10 in the world and will continue to move up in the near future.
Tiger Woods will turn 30 in December. Just to prove my point, Woods was the youngest member on the United States Presidents Cup team this year. Some people think that is good because experience is tough to beat. I don’t agree with that assessment at all. There needs to be some youth mixed in with the experience. The experienced players can slowly pass the torch to the younger Americans.
The top-10 Americans in the world rankings are Woods (29-years old), Phil Mickelson (35), Jim Furyk (35), Chris DiMarco (37), Kenny Perry (45), David Toms (38), Davis Love III (41), Fred Couples (46), Stewart Cink (32), and John Daly 39). This might look like a recipe for success in team competition, but team competitions only happen once or twice a year. This list doesn’t show a lot of promise for the future of American golf.
There is hope for American fans, however. The future isn’t looking as bright as I would like it to be, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. There are a few golfers who can still become stars and challenge Garcia, Scott, and Donald. I’m not saying they will ever be as good as those three, but I can at least hope they will be. If someone doesn’t step up, Mr. Thrasher won’t be a happy camper. Here is a look at a few of the potential American stars.
Charles Howell III
The ongoing Charles Howell III discussion is quickly turning into a broken record. I have predicted great things out of this guy the past few seasons, and he has yet to live up to my potential. It’s no secret he is my favorite golfer in the world, and maybe that’s why I’m so tough on him as a fan. In last week’s Thrash Talk, I reviewed some of the disappointments of 2005, and I left off Howell because he fought back and made it into the Tour Championship.
The Sand Trap’s Erik Barzeski wasn’t so kind to Howell, however. In The Sand Trap forum, Erik said all golfers with a “III” attached to their last name were disappointments in 2005. At least I’m not the only one ready to see Howell live up to his potential. CH3 came out of college and was dubbed the “next big thing” by many golf analysts. He won the national championship as a senior at Oklahoma State, and he won a PGA Tour event fairly quickly (2002 Michelob Championship).
That being said, Howell hasn’t won an event since that time. It’s been over three years since that initial victory, and I’m still shaking my head in confusion as to why he hasn’t won numerous times since then. Howell seems to play when there isn’t any pressure, but he has to be one of the worst weekend golfers on the PGA Tour. He can’t seem to finish the deal when he is in contention.
I haven’t given up hope on CH3 just yet. He is still only 26-years old and has another three or four seasons to get things going before turning 30. At times, Howell looks like the most talented golfer in the world. Other times, Howell looks like he doesn’t belong on the PGA Tour. I saw some grit and determination in Howell at the end of this season, and I was happy he battled his way from 45th on the money list to 28th to make the Tour Championship. Next year could be CH3’s year to break out and become a star once-and-for-all.
Sean O’Hair
Sean O’Hair has been a breath of fresh air for golf fans this season. O’Hair came out of nowhere and made a statement in 2005. He isn’t among the elite yet, but he is well on his way to becoming a top-10 golfer. O’Hair is only 23-years old and is already making waves on the PGA Tour. He went to Q-School last winter and earned his tour card. O’Hair took advantage of his opportunity to say the least.
Sean O’Hair started making headlines at the Byron Nelson Championship. He was in the final group on Sunday and finished in second place when things were said and done. O’Hair kept the momentum going, winning the John Deere Classic the week before the British Open. The John Deere Classic isn’t one of the top events on the PGA Tour, but a win is a win. O’Hair kept battling and ended up finishing 18th on the money list. He was definitely the PGA Tour rookie of the year in 2005.
O’Hair has shown signs of brilliance, but he still has a long way to go before he catches Sergio, Adam Scott, and Luke Donald. Garcia and Scott have both won big tournaments, and O’Hair will have to do the same before he joins them as a true “young gun.” Sean O’Hair has all the tools to be a great golfer. He just needs to mature a little more and put everything together. Once he accomplishes those two things, he will be tough to beat for many years to come.
Ryan Moore
Ryan Moore is only 22-years old, but his future looks very bright. Moore was the U.S. Amateur champion in 2004. He also finished in a tie for 13th at The Masters earlier this season. The young phenom turned professional after making the cut at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst in June. Moore’s professional career began pretty rough, but he has played well down the stretch. His best finish was a tie for second at the Canadian Open.
Like O’Hair, Moore still has a lot of maturing to do before joining the group of Garcia, Scott, and Donald. There are a lot of young Americans coming up through the ranks, but Ryan Moore will be the next star in this country. In the next few years, he will contend in a few majors and possibly win one along the way. Moore has a great game and attitude. The sky is definitely the limit for this rising star as I mentioned in an earlier Thrash Talk.
Other Possible American Stars
As I already mentioned, there is a large number of young American golfers trying to become stars right now. I only mentioned three, but there are many more diamonds in the rough so-to-speak. James Lepp, the 2005 college national champion, will be turning professional before we know it. He is going to be a great professional and will join Moore on the “rising stars” list. Michael Putnam is another young golfer ready to make an impact. Lepp actually edged Putnam out for the national championship earlier this season.
The Final Say
The United States still has a lot of firepower when it comes to golfers, so I don’t want it to seem like the PGA Tour is in trouble or anything. Tiger still has a lot of golf left in him, but he definitely isn’t a rookie anymore. Also, I’m a fan of Sergio, Adam Scott, and Luke Donald. However, I would like to see a couple young Americans step up to the plate to challenge those three. It’s much easier for me to cheer for golfers when they are from my home country. It just makes sense.
I’m not sure if Charles Howell III, Sean O’Hair, and Ryan Moore will be the answers to Garcia, Scott, and Donald, but the potential is there. All three Americans have just as much talent as anyone in the world, they just need to start showing it on a consistent basis. 2006 will hopefully be a breakout year for the young Americans, forcing me to talk about a different topic this time next year.
That’s all I have to say this week. It’s time for you to speak out on the subject. Would you like to have a young American step up to the plate and challenge the rest of the young guns from around the world? Finally, which golfer has the best chance to become the next great American? If you have anything to add, feel free to comment below or discuss it in our forum. Thanks for reading Thrash Talk this week, and be sure to check back next week as well.
Photo Credits: © Chris Thelen/Augusta Chronicle, AP.