LAST season was one for first-time winners on the PGA Tour. In all there were 14 and that was the highest since 2000 (18). There were also three debut Major champions.
It was interesting to note there are a lot of new kids on the block who aren’t afraid of the big names and are willing to take them on. I’ve had a look at the runners and riders for this season and hopefully I can point you in the direction of some winners.
Peter Uihlein
It’s been a long time coming but Peter Uihlein at last gets to play on the PGA Tour full time. On his 21st birthday Uihlein won the US Amateur in 2010 and it was expected he would get his PGA Tour card. Instead he won the Madeira Open in 2013 and got exemption to the European Tour.
Unfortunately he didn’t manage to get his PGA Tour card until last year when he gained enough non-member points to gain qualification to the Web.com Tour Finals and proceeded to win the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Open. Already this season he has had two top-10 finishes. In the Race to Dubai he finished in the top 20 and is now exempt to play in both the WGC-Mexico Championship and The Open. One to keep a close eye on this year.
Stats for 2016-17: (Strokes gained)
- Off The Tee: 7th
- Approach to the Green: 159th
- Around the Green: 124th
- Putting: 57th
- Total: 53rd
Patrick Reed
Is this the year the Patrick Reed fulfils his belief he is one of the top players in the world. He has belief in himself and doesn’t mind who knows it but 2017 wasn’t the best, not winning a single tournament.
Last year he had a few issues with his equipment plus kidney stones and his wife was due to give birth to his second child in December. We all know how good Reed is in a team competition and if he can bring that game to tournament golf he is going to hit it big this year. He might not play a lot of tournaments early in the year due to his new son but I would expect him to hit the ground running and maybe get a few good results before the Masters comes around.
Stats for 2016-17: Strokes gained
- Off the Tee: 68th
- Approach to the Green: T116th
- Around the Green: T45th
- Putting: 7th
- Total: 31st
Patrick Cantley
Twenty-five-year-old Patrick Cantley’s golfing career has been dogged by back problems and for a golfer there’s nothing worse. However, he finished 29th in the Fed-Ex Cup after just playing 13 tournaments to spare his back. In his second start this season he won the Shriners Hospital for Children Open and that could be the beginning of a truly great season for the Californian. He likes to attack which showed when he won the Shriners and even if he doesn’t win he will put on a show. I will be following him closely over this year.
Stats for 2016-17 Strokes gained
- Off the tee: 10th
- Approach to the Green: 23rd
- Around the Green: 99th
- Putting: 69th
- Total: 9th
Chesson Hadley
When Chesson Hadley won the Puerto Rico Open in 2014 big things were expected from him but two years later he lost his card. But last season the 6ft 4in Hadley won twice on the Web.com Tour and also lost two play-offs. In his first three starts on the PGA Tour this season he had three top fives which made a lot of people suddenly look up and take notice. He knows how to close out a tournament and is going to be well worth perservering with over the season.
Stats for 2016-17 Strokes gained
- Off The Tee: 17th
- Approach to the Green: 144th
- Around the Green: 118th
- Putting: 136th
- Total: 140th
Kevin Kisner
Kevin Kisner’s improvement over the last three years has been steady and I think this year he will be competing at a higher level. A T3 at the Tour Championship in the last season’s finale has seen him continue his form with a T4 at the RSM Challenge in November at the beginning of this season. He has also finished T12 and T11 in two unofficial events, the Hero Challenge and the QBE Shootout. I have long been an admirer of his and am expecting big things this year from 33-year-old from South Carolina.
Stats for 2016-17 Strokes gained
- Off the Tee: 60th
- Approach to the Green: T40th
- Around the Green: T84th
- Putting: 20th
- Total: 13th
