Top Young Guns of The PGA Tour.
Do you remember how golf used to be thought of as a game for old men just trying to hang on to some shred of athletic competition? Well those days are a thing of the past. Now the PGA Tour is full of kids who are on the verge of taking this game by storm, and some already have. Sure there’s Rory McIlroy who is not only the best young player on tour, but he’s also the best player on the planet right now. To have a conversation about the best golfer in any category and not include Rory is just bad research or you’ve spent too much time at the 19th hole. Rory is in a class of his own, but what about the rest of the young guns on tour?
Russell Henley
The former Georgia Bulldog has had a solid start to his professional career. In 2012 he won twice on the Web.com tour, a year later he won in his debut event in Hawaii and then last year while we all were amazed by Rory’s jaw dropping three wood on the 72nd hole at PGA National, it was Henley who left with the trophy. He also finished 2014 strong with a 2nd at the Barclays and 12th at the Tour Championship. The only blemish on Henley’s record so far is his performance in majors. He’s missed 5 of the last 8 cuts and his best major finish as a professional was 31st in last year’s Masters. We’ll have to wait and see if Henley is ready to win a major, but for now he’s shown he can hang with the big boys.
Jason Day
It’s almost strange to think of Jason Day as a young gun and he’s right on the verge of moving away from that distinction. It seems like Day is a seasoned veteran on tour and in many ways he is. For over 3 years now the Aussie has a knack for showing up when the lights shine the brightest. He did that last year by winning the Match Play and then added a 2nd place finish at the US Open and two top 10 finishes in the playoffs. Day has the game to win majors and he’s had plenty of opportunities to do so. One of these day he’ll push through and win one, and then the only question surrounding him will be how many will he win?
Patrick Reed
Remember when Patrick Reed proclaimed himself to be a top 5 player in the world and we all lost our minds? Well Reed may have been a little over confident but he’s still one of the game’s young stars. Reed has won 3 times over the past few years including last year’s WGC Cadillac Championship at Doral. Whether it was the hype surrounding him after winning at Doral or his comments that followed, Reed struggled in the latter half of 2014. Then came the Ryder Cup where he and Jordan Spieth were the stars of the American team. Reed’s enthusiasm and silencing of the European crowds was a breath of fresh air for a downtrodden American squad. Reed has struggled in majors but his performance in the Ryder Cup and the confidence that he has in himself makes him a dangerous player, and definitely one to watch in 2015.
Jordan Spieth
The youngest player on this list could easily have been the top player on it. Spieth has had as good of a start to his career as one could hope for. In 2013 at just 19 years old, the former Longhorn racked up nine top 10 finishes, including three runner ups and picked up his first career win. Then last year he added eight more top 10 finishes including a 2nd at Augusta and a 4th at The Players. He’s sat on the Saturday overnight lead at Augusta, shined at the Ryder Cup and lapped the field a few weeks ago at Tiger’s tournament. What is left for Spieth? Other than win a major, not much. Not bad for a 21 year old.
Rickie Fowler
Last but not least on this list is Rickie Fowler. The once long haired surfer looking kid from California had his best year on tour last season. His long hair is a thing of the past, but it’s his new swing that had everyone talking. After working with famed instructor Butch Harmon, Fowler shined, and while he didn’t win a tournament he was a staple at the top of leaderboards, especially when it mattered most. A 5th place finish at Augusta, then runner up finishes at both the US and Open Championships was then anchored with a 3rd place finish in the PGA. Not only was Rickie the only player with top 5 finishes in all four majors he’s only the 3rd player ever to do so. The other two players you may have heard of, Jack Nicklaus & Tiger Woods. Gone is that blow up hole that would derail him in the past. Now he’s a confident Fowler who has one foot inside the door of becoming an elite player.
All stats are provided by PGA Tour.com