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Re-Visiting the Historic 2019 PGA Tour Rookie Class

By Sean McCann

MAMARONECK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 17: Viktor Hovland of Norway and Matthew Wolff of the United States look on from the second tee during the first round of the 120th U.S. Open Championship on September 17, 2020 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
MAMARONECK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 17: Viktor Hovland of Norway and Matthew Wolff of the United States look on from the second tee during the first round of the 120th U.S. Open Championship on September 17, 2020 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Each season, the PGA Tour welcomes in a fresh group of talented golfers from across the world.

We continue to see the sport growing at an exponential rate, with the NCAA and Europe creating a solid foundation for the best young golfers to grow and develop their game. Each PGA Tour rookie class comes in eager, looking to make an immediate impact at the highest level by hitting farther and scoring lower.

Looking back at past years, each season welcomed extraordinary talent, but 2019 sticks out like no other. We’ve seen Major Champions, World Top 10 golfers, and FedEx Cup Finalists take the golf world by storm from this outstanding class.

While there’s no perfect answer, let’s take a closer look at the top 4 golfers from the iconic 2019 PGA Tour rookie class

PGA Tour, Rookie Class, 2019
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JANUARY 30: Viktor Hovland of Norway after his victory on the 18th green after the final round of the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on January 30, 2022 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Pedro Salado/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) /

1. Viktor Hovland

PGA Tour Professional Debut:  2019 Travelers Championship, T-54th

Current World Ranking:  3rd

PGA Tour Wins:  3

The young Norwegian entered the PGA Tour from Oklahoma State University in 2019, and since then, has easily been one of the World’s most consistent golfers. No matter the stage, we seem to always hear his name in the hunt every weekend. Hovland ranks 7th in the FedEx Cup Standings, thanks to his 3 Top-10 finishes this season, including a victory at the Hero World Challenge in December. It’s evident that there are not too many flaws to Hovland’s game, meaning that there’s no reason to believe that Hovland will be slowing down anytime soon.

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2. Collin Morikawa

PGA Tour Debut:  2019 RBC Canadian Open, T-14

Current World Ranking:  2nd

PGA Tour Wins:  5

The American phenom has been notorious for not shying away from the main events. At 24 years old, Morikawa has already won 5 PGA Tour events, including 2 Major Championships (the 2020 PGA Championship & 2021 Open Championship). The young star from the University of California consistently displays his all-around skill, ranking 1st on Tour in Strokes Gained Total, 9th in Greens in Regulation, and 13th in Scoring Average. With statistics like that, it’s hard not to compete at the highest level each week.

PGA Tour, Rookie Class, 2019, Sunjae Im
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – MARCH 09: Sungjae Im of South Korea looks on during a practice round prior to THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 09, 2022 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

3. Sungjae Im

PGA Tour Debut:  2018 Safeway Open, T-4

Current World Ranking:  24th

PGA Tour Wins:  2

The 23-year-old turned professional in 2015 but did not find his way onto the PGA Tour until 2019. The four-plus years of developing and harnessing his skills turned out to be beneficial for the young South Korean, as Im was awarded the 2019 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award and has since found a permanent position amongst the World’s elite. Graduating from the Korea National Sport University, Im finds himself 8th in current FedEx Cup Standings, thanks to his elite Scrambling ability (3rd on Tour) and overall Scoring Average (8th on Tour). Look for Im to become a household name, not just on Tour, but on a global scale.

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4. Matthew Wolff

PGA Tour Debut:  2019 Waste Management Pheonix Open, T-50

Current World Ranking:  39th

PGA Tour Wins:  1

When the 22-year-old American graduated from Oklahoma State University alongside Hovland, they were the two names that were talked about as the ones most likely to make an immediate impact on the PGA Tour. While they both found immediate success, the Norwegian began to separate himself, leaving Wolff behind. That doesn’t necessarily mean Wolff is struggling, as he remains 30th in FedEx Cup Standings, thanks to his 4 Top-25 finishes and elite Driving Distance (318.3 yards, 4th on Tour). The youngest on this list, Wolff still has plenty of time to pass these other young stars, don’t be surprised if he does.

In a sport that sees fresh talent each year, I don’t think any class will top the one we saw in 2019. I mean, we have 2 of the top 5 golfers in the World on this list, a position they earned less than three years after joining the PGA Tour. One thing is certain, we very well may see one of these talented golfers find themselves #1 in the World very soon.

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