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"I'm not sure that the most talented player I saw wasn't myself." |
-Johnny Miller |
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 I may not have been alive during the heyday of "The Big Three" (Nicklaus, Palmer, Player) - or even when a guy like Tom Watson was dominating - but I've seen enough photos and video from those eras to know today's average 20-something touring pro hits it longer and is in better shape than his peers from recent decades. But many of these youngsters aren't taking the PGA Tour by storm like many thought they would. Maybe it's because of Tiger Woods, but the more plausible answer is that it simply takes time to learn how to win on Tour. If you look at the ages of PGA Tour winners going back to 2006, 30-somethings clearly reign supreme: Through the first 18 events of 2008, 10 players in their 30s have won, followed by six in their 20s and two in their 40s; thirty-one events were captured by a player in his 30s in 2007, and 28 in 2006. Four Southland standouts in their 20s enjoyed solid rookie campaigns in 2007, and in 2008, they're proving they can contend more often - though that first win remains elusive. Anthony Kim It hasn't been that long since the 22-year-old Los Angeles native made his PGA Tour debut at the Valero Texas Open in September 2006, when he shot a 65 in the final round to tie for second. After a solid rookie campaign, Kim already has been a factor in two tournaments this season. He tied for third at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and tied for second at last month's Verizon Heritage, where he was in the final pairing in the final round of a PGA Tour event for the first time. "The first couple of holes [in the final round] I was a little bit uncomfortable," said Kim, who started the day three shots behind good friend and eventual winner Boo Weekley. "I hadn't been in this position as a professional." And, quite frankly, it showed. Kim bogeyed the par-5 second and made double-bogey on the ninth hole to effectively end his chances of surpassing Weekley, but he rallied with three straight birdies on the back nine to end with an even-par 71. "I feel like I could have let it get away from me ... if I didn't have a good attitude," Kim said. Kim, who has a home in La Quinta, is among the Tour's leaders in driving distance and putting, a combination that should keep him contending. John Merrick If Merrick has proven anything on the PGA Tour, it's that he's one of the best ballstrikers out there. The Long Beach native and UCLA graduate, who finished ninth on Tour in greens in regulation in 2007, remains high on that list in 2008, and this season he is also among the leaders in total driving. What Merrick has to prove to himself is that he can make enough putts over 72 holes to win. "I feel like my ballstriking is there, it's just a question of whether or not the putts drop at the right time," he said. Case in point: The 26-year-old had the halfway lead at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Cancun last February, needing only 49 putts the first two rounds, and while missing only four greens in regulation on the weekend, he took 64 putts. The result was a tie for third, four shots behind winner Brian Gay. Merrick is optimistic about his putting, continuing to work with Tony Kewal in addition to his regular instructor, Virginia Country Club's Jamie Mulligan. Merrick is learning to make cuts, missing only two weekends in his first 10 events of '08. "I just want to get in contention a lot more. That's what you practice for, to get on that big stage and do well," Merrick said. John Mallinger Another Mulligan pupil, Mallinger has enjoyed a steady '08 season thus far, earning a third-place finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and consistently making cuts. Mallinger's ballstriking isn't where he wants it to be, but he has kept himself afloat this year thanks to strong putting. Through the Verizon Heritage, he ranked third on Tour with 27.4 putts per round. "I worked on my putting hard last winter, and it's been really good," Mallinger said. "I just need to be a little more consistent." Kevin Na Between a flooded home, LASIK surgery, and a bad cold, the last few months have been pretty eventful outside the ropes for Na. But through all that, the Diamond Bar resident has a pair of top-four finishes in 2008 and is looking forward to the rest of the year after putting a new 54-degree, non-spin-milled Titleist Vokey wedge in his bag and switching to the Titleist Pro V1x ball. "Switching balls has been great," he said. "Around the greens, I can control it a little better." The Korean native also has been encouraged by the partnership he's cemented with caddie Don Donatello. "He's always positive, which is something you want in a caddie," Na said of Donatello, a former contestant on the Golf Channel's "Big Break" series. Eli Miller also writes a weekly blog at southlandgolfmagazine.com. Reach him at emiller@churmmedia.com. |
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