Dan O'Neill
Dan O’Neill is a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. O’Neill also writes a weekly column for http://GolfBrief.com, and is a regular contributor to http://MSNBC.com and Golfweek. He is the author of “Busch Stadium Moments” and “Sportsman’s Park.”
The new 20
http://www.golfbrief.com/articles/1097/1/The-new-20/Page1.html
By Dan O'Neill
Published on 05/1/2008
http://www.golfbrief.com/articles/1097/1/The-new-20/Page1.html
The new 20
When the Masters rolled around early last month, it was the fourth major to arrive without a player under 30 years of age as a reigning champion.
“I don’t think that will stay that way for very long,” said Australian Adam Scott, 27, said beforehand. “There’s too much talent in this group of 20- to 30-year-olds to go more than a year or so without winning a major. Someone will break through.”
He was right, of course. Trevor Immelman, 28, broke through and captured his first green jacket. Not only that, but Brandt Snedeker, 27, provided much of the color at Augusta, playing with Immelman in the last pairings on Saturday and Sunday.
Meanwhile, Nick Dougherty (25), Andres Romero (26), Sean O'Hair (25), Nick Watney (26) and Bubba Watson (29), finished in the top 20 at the Masters.
For years we heard of the revolution young Tiger Woods would cause in the golfing industry. For years, there was speculation that Woods was the lead horse in what promised to be a team of talented players that would come galloping onto the scene close behind.
But for the past many years, Woods was the only 20-something player to truly establishing himself as a consistent winner. Has the insurrection finally arrived?
There have been seven winners on the PGA Tour thus far this season that have yet to celebrate their 30th birthday. Five of the last six events have been won by the 20-something set. In contrast, there were seven winners in their 20s during the entire 2007 season.
What’s more, the runners-up in the past two weeks also have been 20-somethings: Anthony Kim (22) and Aaron Baddeley (27) were tied for second at the Verizon Heritage; Ryan Moore (25) was second at the Byron Nelson.
And that is to say nothing about young gunslingers who have made noise in the past, who threaten to win from week to week, players such as Sergio Garcia (28), Charles Howell III (28), Justin Rose (27), Martin Kaymer (23) or Camilo Villegas (26).
How do you explain this sudden surge? You don’t, said Geoff Ogilvy, now a graybeard at age 30, who won the 2006 U.S. Open at the age of 29. Ogilvy believes the long shadow cast by Woods has obscured the new wave of talented players, just as it has obscured players of all ages on the PGA Tour.
“Tiger (Woods) has won 13 of the last 30 or something,” Ogilvy said before the Masters. “It’s not like there’s a shortage of good players at that age.”
For instance, there were 21 players in the field at Augusta who were in their 20s. Twelve of the 45 players that made the cut were in their 20s. Woods is still the No. 1 player in the world, still the card to beat every time he tees it up. The way he started the 2008 season, he might be better than ever.
But it also could be that young players are over the fear factor when it comes to competing with the game’s dominant gene.
“I think he has less of an impact than he used to have when he first came out and everyone was kind of blown away by him charging up and guys were falling apart,” said Scott, who won the EDS Byron Nelson Championship last week. “I think we’re all playing better and we’re used to it. But he's still playing better than us at the end of the day.”
More often than not, that is true. But if Woods is not on top of his game, as he wasn’t at the Masters, the group of players in their 20s are as likely to take advantage as any of the old guard.
Ogilvy believes skilled young players have been emerging for some time. But it can be hard to see the trees through the forest, rather the Woods.
“That's frustrating because we are trying,” Ogilvy said at the WGC CA Championship. “He’s just good. He’s very good at winning a golf tournament. There’s a lot of good players, so he’s very good at closing the deal.
“The frustrating thing is that people think that we're not trying and we're flying the white flag. I don't think that's true in any case, really.”
Obviously, with Woods having knee surgery and currently undergoing a period of rehabilitation, the mice might have their way while the big cat is away.
But the 20-something success began while Woods was still on the scene. There is no reason to believe that it will necessarily subside when Woods returns in June.
“There’s got to be some of these young guys who stand up and challenge, not only Tiger and Phil Mickelson, but who also have some kind of connection with the gallery,” Lance Barrow, CBS golf producer, told the New York Times. “They need to bring people inside the gates and also to the television broadcast.”
Perhaps that process has finally begun.
“I don’t think that will stay that way for very long,” said Australian Adam Scott, 27, said beforehand. “There’s too much talent in this group of 20- to 30-year-olds to go more than a year or so without winning a major. Someone will break through.”
He was right, of course. Trevor Immelman, 28, broke through and captured his first green jacket. Not only that, but Brandt Snedeker, 27, provided much of the color at Augusta, playing with Immelman in the last pairings on Saturday and Sunday.
Meanwhile, Nick Dougherty (25), Andres Romero (26), Sean O'Hair (25), Nick Watney (26) and Bubba Watson (29), finished in the top 20 at the Masters.
For years we heard of the revolution young Tiger Woods would cause in the golfing industry. For years, there was speculation that Woods was the lead horse in what promised to be a team of talented players that would come galloping onto the scene close behind.
But for the past many years, Woods was the only 20-something player to truly establishing himself as a consistent winner. Has the insurrection finally arrived?
There have been seven winners on the PGA Tour thus far this season that have yet to celebrate their 30th birthday. Five of the last six events have been won by the 20-something set. In contrast, there were seven winners in their 20s during the entire 2007 season.
What’s more, the runners-up in the past two weeks also have been 20-somethings: Anthony Kim (22) and Aaron Baddeley (27) were tied for second at the Verizon Heritage; Ryan Moore (25) was second at the Byron Nelson.
And that is to say nothing about young gunslingers who have made noise in the past, who threaten to win from week to week, players such as Sergio Garcia (28), Charles Howell III (28), Justin Rose (27), Martin Kaymer (23) or Camilo Villegas (26).
How do you explain this sudden surge? You don’t, said Geoff Ogilvy, now a graybeard at age 30, who won the 2006 U.S. Open at the age of 29. Ogilvy believes the long shadow cast by Woods has obscured the new wave of talented players, just as it has obscured players of all ages on the PGA Tour.
“Tiger (Woods) has won 13 of the last 30 or something,” Ogilvy said before the Masters. “It’s not like there’s a shortage of good players at that age.”
For instance, there were 21 players in the field at Augusta who were in their 20s. Twelve of the 45 players that made the cut were in their 20s. Woods is still the No. 1 player in the world, still the card to beat every time he tees it up. The way he started the 2008 season, he might be better than ever.
But it also could be that young players are over the fear factor when it comes to competing with the game’s dominant gene.
“I think he has less of an impact than he used to have when he first came out and everyone was kind of blown away by him charging up and guys were falling apart,” said Scott, who won the EDS Byron Nelson Championship last week. “I think we’re all playing better and we’re used to it. But he's still playing better than us at the end of the day.”
More often than not, that is true. But if Woods is not on top of his game, as he wasn’t at the Masters, the group of players in their 20s are as likely to take advantage as any of the old guard.
Ogilvy believes skilled young players have been emerging for some time. But it can be hard to see the trees through the forest, rather the Woods.
“That's frustrating because we are trying,” Ogilvy said at the WGC CA Championship. “He’s just good. He’s very good at winning a golf tournament. There’s a lot of good players, so he’s very good at closing the deal.
“The frustrating thing is that people think that we're not trying and we're flying the white flag. I don't think that's true in any case, really.”
Obviously, with Woods having knee surgery and currently undergoing a period of rehabilitation, the mice might have their way while the big cat is away.
But the 20-something success began while Woods was still on the scene. There is no reason to believe that it will necessarily subside when Woods returns in June.
“There’s got to be some of these young guys who stand up and challenge, not only Tiger and Phil Mickelson, but who also have some kind of connection with the gallery,” Lance Barrow, CBS golf producer, told the New York Times. “They need to bring people inside the gates and also to the television broadcast.”
Perhaps that process has finally begun.