Have you been fretting about the future of professional golf lately? ...Do you live in fear of Tiger throwing in the towel and Lefty just never getting hungry enough? ...Are you clinging to Couples, wedded to Watson and hoping there's another Champions Tour player waiting to be resurrected?
Well stop worrying and make way for the new kids.
What? You heard the talented youngsters were over-hyped, injured, and just not that into golf? Hardly. If this weekend is any indication, they're just getting started. Take eighteen year-old Ryo Ishikawa; he just carded a final round 58 at the Asia Tour's Crown Championship. He may well score a 57 one of these days (he almost did yesterday) and will undoubtedly win on US soil before he's twenty (my prediction).
Rory McIlroy who'll turn Twenty in a couple of days just won at what some call the PGA Tour's fifth major. He did so looking like Harpo Marx in high humidity (thank you Melanie Hauser, for the descriptive) and it was indeed humid at Quail Hollow today.
OK, and Rickie Fowler. Twenty-one and a few months. Bedecked in head-to-toe Oklahoma-State-orange he finished the day in sole possession of sixth place at Quail. Few can doubt his future as a golf superstar.
These young'uns are exactly what the PGA Tour's dreams are made of, but when none of them managed to make it to the weekend at the Masters the "Are they really the real thing?" rumors began. Well, those rumors have quieted over these last few days, and signs of renewed hope are everywhere. In these players, and numerous others, like Anthony Kim... who most definitely did spend Master's weekend in Augusta... and Camilo Villegas.
Oh... and BTW... at the Spanish Open today charismatic Alvaro Quiros won his fourth European Tour title... at the ripe old age of 27.
I'm looking forward to a great rivalry or two with these guys.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an episode from the Brady Bunch. "Here's the story of a lovely lady..." ( That's you.)Young American golfer has two exchange student buddies come to states and they set the golf world on fire. And, no Marsha-Marsha-Marsha!! More like Ai- Ai- Ai. Three wins by the first weekend in May. And we were beginning to wonder if Miyazato could win here.
ReplyDeleteWill this push Sergio a bit? Or is he counting the years until he hits the Champions Tour.
Oh dear, Sergio's already being relegated to the Champions Tour, now I really feel old. :(
ReplyDeleteWe've been trying to breath life into a Tiger/Phil for over a decade. Look where we've gotten. We should all be applauding anything that will get us beyond this point. At least a few of the new kids show some real promise. {insert golf clap here}
ReplyDeleteis he gay? He seems too pretty not to be. Ditto for Ryo and Rickie. Not for Rory.
ReplyDeleteVery nice post...hope this new kids do really very well for future.
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