As Ben Hogan said “The most important shot in golf is the next one.”. With that in mind we have to ask, “Who is next to make that shot?”. As the landscape of golf is forever changing, and the names like Arnold and Tiger are etched into our brains we look towards the future. So who in 2015 were the breakout golfers, and who should fans keep an eye out when betting on golf?
University of Alabama alum Justin Thomas watched his pay go up by 2 million in 2015. Not a bad pay raise for a twenty two year old. Tying in several competitions including the PGA where he tied for 18th. This is someone who has made some great moves in 2015 and needs to be watched closely.
Twenty-two year old Daniel Berger who only turned pro two years ago at the age of 20 is hitting his stride. Starting 31 events in 2015 and making some “young” mistakes, he is making heads turn. Florida’s boy, Daniel has moved quickly into the position of future golfers to watch.
Now who is Tony Finau? Father of three, American Samoan and Tonga descent, he is the first of this ancestry to play on tour. That is just a side note, with a tie for 14th at the U.S. Open and 10th at the PGA Championship, Tony Finau is ready to hang with the big boys.
When your talking about breakout golfers of 2015 you have to talk about Danny Lee of South Korea. Danny is intense on the course, taking a stand in 2015 events. Winning his first PGA Tour event with the Greenbrier Classic he is going to be around for quite some time and he proved that with six top 10 results.
Here comes another Florida boy. Brooks Koepka has picked up 14 top 25 finishes in 2015. At 22 years old Brooks seems to relish the pressure and anxiety of the big events. Pulling himself from the European tour for the sake off fellow player Ben Evans, shows more about his character and a bit of a rest to a very long year. He is absolutely a breakout.
Rickie Fowler played better than most in all four events in 2015. Is he new to the scene, no, but at 26 years old there is definitely going to be years of watching this young man move up the ranks. Other than Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, Rickie was one of the only golfers to finish inside the top five in all four major championships in the same PGA Tour season. Proud of his performance but still striving for greatness makes Rickie a force.
Breakout is a funny word meaning “suddenly and extremely popular and successful” which is absolutely true. However, what needs to be added for these golfers is excellence of effort. Golf is a funny sport…..it’s the next shot that counts.