Name: Shawn Stefani
Age: 31
Record: 23 events; 14 cuts made; four top 10s
Wins: 2 (Midwest Classic; Miccosukee Championship)
Notable Midwest Classic past winners: Michael Sim and James Nitties, noteworthy in that both are Australians
Notable Miccosukee Championship past winners: D.J.Trahan, Bryce Molder, D.A. Points
Earnings: $307,371
Money List: 6
Summary: With only one prior start on the Web.com Tour entering the season, Stefani played like a seasoned veteran with top-17 finishes in three of his first four starts. He followed up his first win in August with another in October to clinch his PGA TOUR card. He finished the year fourth in all-around ranking, 23rd in ball-striking and was fourth in final-round scoring average.
2013 Expectations: If he cozies up to life on the PGA TOUR in his rookie season as quickly as he did on the Web.com Tour, he will have nothing to worry about. Perhaps the most promising sign in terms of his chances to maintain his card is his penchant for lowering his scoring average as the tournament progresses. He averaged 70.29 before the cut, 69.20 in the third round and 68.57 in the final round. It will be important for him to perform well early in tournaments like the Humana Challenge, Northern Trust Open and Waste Management Phoenix Open to lay the groundwork for a successful season, much like his three top 17s in his first four events did on the Web.com Tour in 2012. I’ll take him in the 126-150 category.
Reminds me of: Graham DeLaet
Impact Tournaments: Farmers Insurance Open, Zurich Classic of New Orleans, True South Classic
Name: Robert Streb
Age: 25
Record: 24 events; 19 cuts made; seven top 10s
Wins: 1 (Mylan Classic)
Notable Mylan Classic Past Winners: Kevin Kisner and Gary Christian are the only two
Earnings: $305,591
Money List: 7
Summary: The Web.com Tour rookie showed a steady hand from the early events, cracking the top 25 in six of his first eight events highlighted by two top-four finishes. His lone victory ended a run of eight consecutive cuts made that included a couple of other top 10s. Though small in frame, he was 22nd in driving distance with a 302.5-yard average, but is better known as a smooth putter. His 1.746 putting average allowed him to circle 4.14 birdies per round, also ranking seventh in that category. To boot, he was second in scrambling, able to get up-and-down 64.69 percent of the time.
2013 Expectations: Statistically, there is plenty over which to drool. A combination of length, solid short game and a silky putter should bode well on the PGA TOUR. He also quickly adapted to life on the Web.com Tour, and adjusted admirably to seeing courses for the first time. Perhaps as impressive as his win was his tie for third at the BMW Charity Pro-Am that utilized a three-course rotation; meaning he could have played no more than one practice round on any of the courses and still almost dusted the field. My concerns are few, but it could take him a little time to get his sea legs, as he’s never teed it up in any PGA TOUR event. That said, I could see him being 2013’s Brian Harman or Gary Christian on the PGA TOUR. I’ll take him to finish inside the top 125 and avoid the need to further qualify for 2013-14.
Reminds me of: Brian Harman
Impact Tournaments: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Puerto Rico Open, Tampa Bay Championship
Name: Ben Kohles
Age: 22
Record: 10 events; eight cuts made; three top 10s
Wins: 2 (Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational; Cox Classic)
Notable Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational past winners: Daniel Summerhays, Bill Lunde, Harris English
Notable Cox Classic past winners: Johnson Wagner
Earnings: $303,977
Money List Rank: 8
Summary: Just days after turning professional, he took down one of the strongest fields of the year for his first win and went back-to-back the very next week. Essentially, in 11 days he went from hitting his first tee shot as a pro to securing a 2013 PGA TOUR card. He sputtered to the finish, with two missed cuts and zero top 25s in his last five tournaments.
2013 Expectations: I’m cautious on the 2013 rookie. We’ve seen two amateurs win the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational in the recent past in Daniel Summerhays and Harris English, as a number of top amateurs receive invitations to this event. Kohles won this event before understanding the pressures of being a professional golfer. He hadn’t had to deal with struggling for entry fees or travel money that every other pro in the field has faced at one time or another. He didn’t have responsibilities to anyone other than himself. To knock off a win in the next event was riding the wave. The big question for him in 2013 will be how he handles adversity. If he misses two of his first three cuts, for example, will he start to press? I’m leaning towards too much having happened too fast, and see him finishing outside the top 150 and headed to the four-tournament race for a card in the Fall.
Reminds me of: Daniel Summerhays
Impact Tournaments: Puerto Rico, FedEx St. Jude Classic, True South Classic
Name: Justin Bolli
Age: 36
Record: 24 events; 17 cuts made; four top 10s
Wins: 1 (Web.com Tour Championship)
Notable Web.com Tour Championship past winners (note the venue rotates): David Duval, Stewart Cink, Nick Watney, Brendan Steele, Ken Duke
Earnings: $300,924
Money List Rank: 9
Summary: With three top 25s in his first four weeks, it looked like he would cruise to the 2013 PGA TOUR, but his year had a few lulls. After a tie for seventh on his alma mater’s course in Athens, Georgia in early May, he had to wait all the way until August for a follow-up top 10 at the Cox Classic. A veteran of 156 events and a four-time Web.com Tour winner, he began the year’s final event 44th on the money list, so anything short of his best week of 2012 would lead to another year on the junior circuit. His win in the season’s final event was a mild surprise, as he missed the cut in two of the three events leading up to it. His 11th all-around ranking was all about his short game. He was second in putting average and sand saves, while finishing 25th in scrambling.
2013 Expectations: I’m always wary of a guy who’s already had multiple shots to navigate the PGA TOUR, but he's been unable to put together a top-125 season. With 76 starts on the PGA TOUR and just six top 25s and a lone top 10, it’s hard to be overly confident that this will be the year he turns the page. That said, a player with his short game always has a chance when the right variables come into play. Consider him a play when total driving isn’t a premium. More specifically, look for courses where greens are either really easy to hit and his putter can shine, or courses where the opposite extreme is true and his short game can pick him up strokes relative to the field. With history not on his side, I’ll take him outside the top 150.
Reminds me of: Brian Gay
Impact Tournaments: RBC Heritage, John Deere Classic, True South Classic
Name: David Lingmerth
Age: 25
Record: 26 events; 14 cuts made; five top 10s
Wins: 1 (Neediest Kids Championship)
Notable Neediest Kids Championship past winners: none (new site in 2012)
Earnings: $287,148
Money List Rank: 10
Summary: His second year on the Web.com Tour mirrored his first in many ways. He had the exact same number of starts with just one more payday in 2012, and had five top 10s each year. The biggest difference is he traded in two third-place finishes in 2011 for a win and a runner-up in 2012. There were 10 events between his playoff loss at the United Leasing Championship and his victory in the Neediest Kids. He finished the year 45th in all-around ranking, and did not crack the top 25 in any major statistical category, though he was fairly steady across the board.
2013 Expectations: Having missed one shy of half his cuts in two Web.com Tour seasons, he will be a risky play in every game format. He’s also prone to streaks of missed cuts, and if he has one to start the 2013 season he could have trouble getting the tee times he needs to begin a hot streak later in the year. Gamers will likely have a good idea very early on as to his value, but the best guess is he must take advantage of the few times he puts himself into contention, much like Ted Potter Jr. did this season, or he’ll be back to trying to qualify for the 2013-14 TOUR in the new four-tournament system. The odds are against him, so I’ll say outside the top 150.
Reminds me of: Richard H. Lee
Impact Tournaments: Valero Texas Open, The Greenbrier Classic, True South Classic
Name: Justin Hicks
Age: 38
Record: 25 events; 17 cuts made; 10 top 10s
Wins: 0
Earnings: $277,159
Money List Rank: 11
Summary: He was a top-10 machine, leading the Web.com Tour with 10. He was second on Tour in ball-striking, first in greens in regulation, seventh in driving accuracy and 17th in putting average, all of which contributing to a seventh in the all-around ranking. Absent a win, there wasn’t much he didn’t do. In that sense, he was the Bo Van Pelt of the Web.com Tour.
2013 Expectations: He was a rookie on the 2011 PGA TOUR, making just seven (of 23) cuts and notching three top 25s and zero top 10s. He ranked 185th in strokes gained-putting on the 2011 TOUR and 180th in the all-around ranking. It’s hard to say if he tried something different in 2011 and it just didn’t work, and a year on the Web.com Tour fixed things, or if the problems were something other than physical. His inability to close the door on a Web.com Tour win coupled with fewer starts for all golfers in 2013 due to the elimination of the Fall Series and his record in 2011, doesn’t give me confidence to take him in anything other than an outside the top 150 category.
Reminds me of: Brendon de Jonge
Impact Tournaments: Tampa Bay Championship, Shell Houston Open, John Deere Classic
Name: Paul Haley II
Age: 24
Record: 23 events; 12 cuts made; four top 10s
Wins: 1 (Chile Classic)
Notable Chile Classic past winners: None (inaugural edition in 2012)
Earnings: $263,841
Money List Rank: 12
Summary: In a feast-or-famine season for the Georgia Tech product, a win in the season’s third event was followed by a tie for second at the TPC Stonebrae Championship in April and a runner-up at the Mexico Open in June. After that, he made just six cuts in his final 13 events with a lone top 10 the tournament after his trip to Mexico. It’s not surprising that a true rookie on the Web.com Tour would struggle with consistency, but fortunately he was able to take advantage of the times he put himself in contention.
2013 Expectations: His win and his solo second came outside the United States, so keep an eye on him in PGA TOUR events with an international flair. He’s going to be one of the many guys that must get off to a good start and take advantage of weekends where he is in contention in order to maintain his pecking order in the reshuffle. If he gets off to a rough start, it could be very hard for him to recover. He was 106th in ball-striking on the 2012 Web.com Tour, so there will be considerable pressure on his short game in 2013. I expect him to finish outside the top 150.
Reminds me of: Ted Potter Jr.
Impact Tournaments: Puerto Rico Open, The Greenbrier Classic, RBC Canadian Open
Name: Cameron Percy
Age: 38
Record: 24 starts; 15 cuts made; five top 10s
Wins: 0
Earnings: $256,238
Money List Rank: 13
Summary: The veteran failed to capture a title in 2012, but did find himself as a runner-up three times. One of those was a playoff loss at the BMW Charity Pro-Am, where he fell to fellow Australian, Nick Flanagan. Percy was fairly streaky, finishing inside the top 25 in nine of his 15 paydays. Ranking third in greens in regulations, it’s fair to say he went as far as his putter took him on a week-to-week basis.
2013 Expectations: A veteran of 38 PGA TOUR events, he is best remembered for the front-row seat he had for Jonathan Byrd’s walk off hole-in-one in a playoff at the Justin Timberlake Open in 2010. Ironically, Byrd is a past champion of the BMW Charity Pro-Am where Percy fell in a playoff this season, but at a different venue. Percy’s two career top 10s on the PGA TOUR came at the aforementioned Timberlake and the John Deere Classic. Both have reputations for weak fields and are easy courses to maneuver. Nothing suggests that Percy will finish inside the top 125. It’s much more likely that he will end up outside the top 150; which is where I’ll peg him.
Reminds me of: John Senden
Impact Courses: The Honda Classic, RBC Heritage, John Deere Classic,
Name: Andres Gonzales
Age: 29
Record: 23 starts; 14 cuts made; three top 10s
Wins: 1 (Soboba Golf Classic)
Notable Soboba Golf Classic past winners: Ted Potter Jr.
Earnings: $235,505
Money List Rank: 14
Summary: His year started off with a bang, including a win and a tie for second in his first five events. Thereafter, he had just one top 10 and missed eight cuts, as he apparently took the foot off the gas. With a 1.755 putting average ranking him 11th on the Web.com Tour on his side, his struggles were with ball-striking, coming in at 120th on Tour.
2013 Expectations: In 25 PGA TOUR starts, he has racked up three top 25s, but has yet to crack a top 10. With his statistical breakdown, he needs to run into a course that doesn’t require ball-striking prowess or have a much better than average week with his driver and irons to contend. Like others, there may be precious few events where Gonzales will contend, and he must make the most of them. I think he finds some degree of success and finishes in the 126-150 range; earning a spot in the four-tournament qualifier for the 2013-14 TOUR, but with some status to fall back on.
Reminds me of: Martin Flores
Impact Courses: Farmers Insurance Open, FedEx St. Jude Classic, John Deere Classic
Name: Scott Gardiner
Age: 36
Record: 25 events; 17 cuts made; six top 10s
Wins: 0
Earnings: $234,145
Money List Rank: 15
Summary: Though he didn’t earn a win, he did rack up two runners-up in a three-week span. He has 199 Web.com Tour starts under his belt, but has yet to tee it up on the PGA TOUR. He was second in all-around ranking, fourth in ball-striking and fifth in birdie average.
2013 Expectations: With $1,156,841 in career earnings on the Web.com Tour, he’s shown the ability to post steady finishes for a long period of time once comfortable. My concern is that he won’t have enough time to find that level of comfort on the PGA TOUR in his rookie year. His stats are great, but there has to be a reason it took a guy 199 events to reach the PGA TOUR for the first time without ever having made it through Q School or the Web.com Tour until now. I’ll stick with my gut and take him outside the top 150.
Reminds me of: Scott Brown
Impact Tournaments: Puerto Rico Open, Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Valero Texas Open
With the 25 PGA TOUR cards for the 2013 season handed out following Justin Bolli’s win at the Web.com Tour Championship, we can begin to look ahead at how this year’s graduating class will fare on the PGA TOUR. It’s a group with some potential star power, highlighted by Luke Guthrie in the second spot. There are also the familiar names of veterans who have graduated multiple times over the years, and have once again conquered the junior circuit.
This year’s graduates face challenges that those in the past have not. Namely, with the elimination of the Fall Series, this will be the shortest PGA TOUR season in any of their professional careers to date.
The ramifications are widespread. The obvious impact is that these 25 men won’t have the luxury of the Fall Series, with historically weaker fields, to earn cash down the stretch. It won’t be just the absence of those events that harm them. Many TOUR mainstays will opt to play an extra event or two more than normal since they don’t have the Fall Series as a safety net. Any current TOUR player that doesn’t have a 2013-14 card locked up is a threat to take starts that normally trickle down to Web.com Tour and Q School grads.
All that known, there is extreme pressure on the West Coast Swing to make cuts and constantly improve their reshuffle number, starting with the first full-field event in Hawaii. Only Casey Wittenberg is exempt from the reshuffle. The other 24 grads must take advantage of each opportunity, especially early in the season, to ensure they continue to get starts as the season unfolds.
I’ve broken down each of the graduates, highlighting several relevant areas. A look at their record will allow insight as to how consistently a player has been with making cuts and converting those into top 10s.
I’ve listed notable past winners of events won by The 25 on current courses used because it could give a glimpse as to which events a grad will find comfortable on the PGA TOUR, as well as shine light on those events that frequently produce successful TOUR players.
The Summary and 2013 Expectations are fairly self-explanatory, and I’ve projected if a guy will finish inside the top 125 to maintain his card, in the 126-150 range for conditional status, or outside the top 150. Those who finish 126 to 200 will be part of a four-tournament playoff for PGA TOUR cards in 2013-14.
I mention a current or recent PGA TOUR player of which the graduate reminds me. It could be that his stats line up similarly; the events he excels in are a fit or other more arbitrary reasons. I also mention a few tournaments that could lend themselves well to the player. Keep in mind, that’s subject to them gaining entry.
Profiles
Name: Casey Wittenberg
Age (as of Jan. 1, 2013): 28
Record: 24 events; 17 cuts made; eight top 10s
Wins: 2 (Chitimacha Louisiana Open; Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open)
Notable Louisiana Open past winners: Brett Wetterich (twice), Jimmy Walker, Johnson Wagner
Notable Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open past winners: Jason Dufner, Scott Piercy, Jhonattan Vegas
Earnings: $433,453
Money List Rank: 1
Summary: Posted a victory in his third event of the year in the Bayou and never floated far from the top spot on the money list. He added a second victory in June at the Wichita Open to lock up his 2013 TOUR card and improved his number even more with a runner-up at the Neediest Kids Championship later in the season, before eventually landing in the top spot.
2013 Expectations: Veteran of 53 PGA TOUR events with 23 cuts made and three top 10s, the most recent of which a T10 at the 2012 U.S. Open. His two wins on the 2012 Web.com Tour came with 24-under-par and 18-under final scores, showing he is comfortable taking it low. Expect him to show up in 2013 with a real chance to contend in events requiring low scores, with a premium on making birdies without requiring a ton of length. I like him to finish inside the top 125 due to the number of starts he will receive early and the momentum he takes from the 2012 Web.com Tour.
Reminds me of: Chez Reavie
Impact tournaments: Humana Challenge, John Deere Classic, Travelers Championship
Name: Luke Guthrie
Age: 22
Record: 10 events; eight cuts made; seven top 10s
Wins: 2 (Albertsons Boise Open Presented by Kraft; WNB Golf Classic)
Notable Albertsons Boise Open Presented by Kraft past winners: Tim Clark, Greg Chalmers, Kevin Stadler
Notable WNB Golf Classic past winners: Charley Hoffman, Brandt Snedeker, Marc Leishman
Earnings: $410,593
Money List Rank: 2
Summary: Burst onto the professional scene out of the college ranks with guns a blazing, not only lighting up the Web.com Tour but also cashing in three of four PGA TOUR events, including three top 20s. His wins came in back-to-back weeks in the middle of September when the Web.com Tour was overrun by PGA TOUR players looking for starts after being eliminated from the FedExCup Playoffs, proving his triumphs were against quality fields. He took it 17-under-par or deeper in four of his 10 Web.com Tour starts and amassed a putting average higher than 1.70 for a tournament only three times. Since the beginning of October, he has missed a cut on both the Web.com and the PGA TOUR, possibly pointing to some late-season fatigue.
2013 Expectations: Not only will he have very little trouble keeping his TOUR card, he is a favorite for Rookie of the Year honors and will challenge for wins. Tying for fifth at the John Deere Classic with a 16-under total gives us an idea as to what type of event will fit his style, as does his 13-under T18 at the True South Classic. Both are on courses that traditionally spark low-scoring affairs, and he had little trouble finding red numbers. That doesn’t automatically eliminate him from consideration on tougher tracks, but there is insufficient evidence to project how he will fare in those events.
Reminds me of: Jamie Lovemark
Impact Tournaments: Waste Management Phoenix Open, John Deere Classic, True South Classic
Name: Russell Henley
Age: 23
Record: 26 events; 17 cuts made; seven top 10s
Wins: 2 (Chiquita Classic; Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open)
Notable Chiquita Classic past winner: none (new site in 2012)
Notable Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open past winner: David Mathis
Earnings: $400,116
Money List Rank: 3
Summary: The University of Georgia product proved to be a streaky player in his first full season on the Web.com Tour, waiting until the Utah Championship in mid-July to crack his first top 10. Once he got going, there was no stopping him. He rolled off seven top 10s in his final 13 events including a Win-3rd-Win-T6 in his last four starts. Both wins came in playoffs, with the first a 22-under final tally and the second a modest 10-under on a tough TPC track.
2013 Expectations: After posting his first Web.com Tour win as an amateur in 2011 and adding two more in a three tournament span in 2012, it’s clear that when he gets the hot hand you have to ride him. That is the biggest thing to watch with Henley on the PGA TOUR. If he posts a top 10 one week, take a very close look at burning him the following tournament because he surfs waves of momentum. Winning in Jacksonville with a 10-under total after a third-place finish in Miami the week prior could make him a candidate to make some noise on the Florida swing, so pay particular attention to how he fares in his first tournament in the Sunshine State. As quickly as he acquainted himself to life on the Web.com Tour, it leaves me to expect nothing less than a top-125 finish on the money list.
Reminds me of: John Rollins
Impact Tournaments: Farmers Insurance Open, Zurich Classic of New Orleans, True South Classic
Name: Luke List
Age: 27
Record: 24 events; 16 cuts made; six top 10s
Wins: 1 (South Georgia Classic)
Notable South Georgia Classic past winner: Ted Potter Jr.
Earnings: $363,206
Money List Rank: 4
Summary: After a tie for second in his second event of the season in Panama, the Vanderbilt product never strayed far from the top of the money list. He followed up his lone win at the end of April with his second of three runners-up the very next week in Athens, Georgia. The bomber led the Web.com Tour in driving distance, birdie average and birdies or better on par 5s.
2013 Expectations: I worry that his win came at a course where the past champions don’t boast a very strong PGA TOUR résumé. Further, the same can be said of each of his runners-up with the lone exception of Martin Laird having captured a win in Athens. List has made just two of 11 cuts on the PGA TOUR, with his T33 at the Masters as an amateur in 2005 the best. The perfect course for the soon-to-be TOUR rookie is one that is long, with forgiving fairways and scorable par 5s. Following the courses that a guy like Laird has performed well on would actually be a good guide. Much like Ted Potter Jr. did at The Greenbrier Classic, List will have to take advantage of what will likely be a precious few chances to earn big money. I’ll take him in the 126-150 slot.
Reminds me of: Martin Laird
Impact Tournaments: Waste Management Phoenix Open, Tampa Bay Championship, John Deere Classic
Name: James Hahn
Age: 31
Record: 24 events; 14 cuts made; five top 10s
Wins: 1 (The Rex Hospital Open)
Notable The Rex Hospital Open Past Winners: Eric Axley, Kyle Thompson (twice)
Earnings: $337,530
Money List Rank: 5
Summary: Wrapped up a sporadic but successful year with a runner-up in the Web.com Tour Championship. He opened the year almost as strong, with a tie for fourth in Colombia before missing his next three cuts. His win in June was the end of a three-tournament run that began with a tie for seventh in the Stadion Classic at UGA and continued with a tie for 12th at the BMW Charity Pro-Am. He also had a tie for second in Utah in mid-July. He finished the year 11th in putting average, but 98th in driving accuracy.
2013 Expectations: It has taken him three years of consecutive Web.com Tour play to earn a PGA TOUR card. In many ways, he reminds me of 2011 Web.com Tour money leader, J.J. Killeen. He advanced after having become very familiar with the courses of the junior circuit. I worry that it will take him too long to acquaint to the PGA TOUR. Not in his favor, the past champions of the event he won are weak in terms of success on the PGA TOUR. His putter will help him in certain events, but I’m not sure he’ll find the fairway enough on tighter courses to duplicate his 2012 success on courses he’s never played before. His lone PGA TOUR start was a missed cut at this year’s U.S. Open. I expect him to finish outside the top 150, and fight for a 2014 card in the four-tournament qualifier.
Reminds me of: J.J. Killeen
Impact Tournaments: Shell Houston Open, Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Travelers Championship
Name: Shawn Stefani
Age: 31
Record: 23 events; 14 cuts made; four top 10s
Wins: 2 (Midwest Classic; Miccosukee Championship)
Notable Midwest Classic past winners: Michael Sim and James Nitties, noteworthy in that both are Australians
Notable Miccosukee Championship past winners: D.J.Trahan, Bryce Molder, D.A. Points
Earnings: $307,371
Money List: 6
Summary: With only one prior start on the Web.com Tour entering the season, Stefani played like a seasoned veteran with top-17 finishes in three of his first four starts. He followed up his first win in August with another in October to clinch his PGA TOUR card. He finished the year fourth in all-around ranking, 23rd in ball-striking and was fourth in final-round scoring average.
2013 Expectations: If he cozies up to life on the PGA TOUR in his rookie season as quickly as he did on the Web.com Tour, he will have nothing to worry about. Perhaps the most promising sign in terms of his chances to maintain his card is his penchant for lowering his scoring average as the tournament progresses. He averaged 70.29 before the cut, 69.20 in the third round and 68.57 in the final round. It will be important for him to perform well early in tournaments like the Humana Challenge, Northern Trust Open and Waste Management Phoenix Open to lay the groundwork for a successful season, much like his three top 17s in his first four events did on the Web.com Tour in 2012. I’ll take him in the 126-150 category.
Reminds me of: Graham DeLaet
Impact Tournaments: Farmers Insurance Open, Zurich Classic of New Orleans, True South Classic
Name: Robert Streb
Age: 25
Record: 24 events; 19 cuts made; seven top 10s
Wins: 1 (Mylan Classic)
Notable Mylan Classic Past Winners: Kevin Kisner and Gary Christian are the only two
Earnings: $305,591
Money List: 7
Summary: The Web.com Tour rookie showed a steady hand from the early events, cracking the top 25 in six of his first eight events highlighted by two top-four finishes. His lone victory ended a run of eight consecutive cuts made that included a couple of other top 10s. Though small in frame, he was 22nd in driving distance with a 302.5-yard average, but is better known as a smooth putter. His 1.746 putting average allowed him to circle 4.14 birdies per round, also ranking seventh in that category. To boot, he was second in scrambling, able to get up-and-down 64.69 percent of the time.
2013 Expectations: Statistically, there is plenty over which to drool. A combination of length, solid short game and a silky putter should bode well on the PGA TOUR. He also quickly adapted to life on the Web.com Tour, and adjusted admirably to seeing courses for the first time. Perhaps as impressive as his win was his tie for third at the BMW Charity Pro-Am that utilized a three-course rotation; meaning he could have played no more than one practice round on any of the courses and still almost dusted the field. My concerns are few, but it could take him a little time to get his sea legs, as he’s never teed it up in any PGA TOUR event. That said, I could see him being 2013’s Brian Harman or Gary Christian on the PGA TOUR. I’ll take him to finish inside the top 125 and avoid the need to further qualify for 2013-14.
Reminds me of: Brian Harman
Impact Tournaments: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Puerto Rico Open, Tampa Bay Championship
Name: Ben Kohles
Age: 22
Record: 10 events; eight cuts made; three top 10s
Wins: 2 (Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational; Cox Classic)
Notable Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational past winners: Daniel Summerhays, Bill Lunde, Harris English
Notable Cox Classic past winners: Johnson Wagner
Earnings: $303,977
Money List Rank: 8
Summary: Just days after turning professional, he took down one of the strongest fields of the year for his first win and went back-to-back the very next week. Essentially, in 11 days he went from hitting his first tee shot as a pro to securing a 2013 PGA TOUR card. He sputtered to the finish, with two missed cuts and zero top 25s in his last five tournaments.
2013 Expectations: I’m cautious on the 2013 rookie. We’ve seen two amateurs win the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational in the recent past in Daniel Summerhays and Harris English, as a number of top amateurs receive invitations to this event. Kohles won this event before understanding the pressures of being a professional golfer. He hadn’t had to deal with struggling for entry fees or travel money that every other pro in the field has faced at one time or another. He didn’t have responsibilities to anyone other than himself. To knock off a win in the next event was riding the wave. The big question for him in 2013 will be how he handles adversity. If he misses two of his first three cuts, for example, will he start to press? I’m leaning towards too much having happened too fast, and see him finishing outside the top 150 and headed to the four-tournament race for a card in the Fall.
Reminds me of: Daniel Summerhays
Impact Tournaments: Puerto Rico, FedEx St. Jude Classic, True South Classic
Name: Justin Bolli
Age: 36
Record: 24 events; 17 cuts made; four top 10s
Wins: 1 (Web.com Tour Championship)
Notable Web.com Tour Championship past winners (note the venue rotates): David Duval, Stewart Cink, Nick Watney, Brendan Steele, Ken Duke
Earnings: $300,924
Money List Rank: 9
Summary: With three top 25s in his first four weeks, it looked like he would cruise to the 2013 PGA TOUR, but his year had a few lulls. After a tie for seventh on his alma mater’s course in Athens, Georgia in early May, he had to wait all the way until August for a follow-up top 10 at the Cox Classic. A veteran of 156 events and a four-time Web.com Tour winner, he began the year’s final event 44th on the money list, so anything short of his best week of 2012 would lead to another year on the junior circuit. His win in the season’s final event was a mild surprise, as he missed the cut in two of the three events leading up to it. His 11th all-around ranking was all about his short game. He was second in putting average and sand saves, while finishing 25th in scrambling.
2013 Expectations: I’m always wary of a guy who’s already had multiple shots to navigate the PGA TOUR, but he's been unable to put together a top-125 season. With 76 starts on the PGA TOUR and just six top 25s and a lone top 10, it’s hard to be overly confident that this will be the year he turns the page. That said, a player with his short game always has a chance when the right variables come into play. Consider him a play when total driving isn’t a premium. More specifically, look for courses where greens are either really easy to hit and his putter can shine, or courses where the opposite extreme is true and his short game can pick him up strokes relative to the field. With history not on his side, I’ll take him outside the top 150.
Reminds me of: Brian Gay
Impact Tournaments: RBC Heritage, John Deere Classic, True South Classic
Name: David Lingmerth
Age: 25
Record: 26 events; 14 cuts made; five top 10s
Wins: 1 (Neediest Kids Championship)
Notable Neediest Kids Championship past winners: none (new site in 2012)
Earnings: $287,148
Money List Rank: 10
Summary: His second year on the Web.com Tour mirrored his first in many ways. He had the exact same number of starts with just one more payday in 2012, and had five top 10s each year. The biggest difference is he traded in two third-place finishes in 2011 for a win and a runner-up in 2012. There were 10 events between his playoff loss at the United Leasing Championship and his victory in the Neediest Kids. He finished the year 45th in all-around ranking, and did not crack the top 25 in any major statistical category, though he was fairly steady across the board.
2013 Expectations: Having missed one shy of half his cuts in two Web.com Tour seasons, he will be a risky play in every game format. He’s also prone to streaks of missed cuts, and if he has one to start the 2013 season he could have trouble getting the tee times he needs to begin a hot streak later in the year. Gamers will likely have a good idea very early on as to his value, but the best guess is he must take advantage of the few times he puts himself into contention, much like Ted Potter Jr. did this season, or he’ll be back to trying to qualify for the 2013-14 TOUR in the new four-tournament system. The odds are against him, so I’ll say outside the top 150.
Reminds me of: Richard H. Lee
Impact Tournaments: Valero Texas Open, The Greenbrier Classic, True South Classic
Name: Justin Hicks
Age: 38
Record: 25 events; 17 cuts made; 10 top 10s
Wins: 0
Earnings: $277,159
Money List Rank: 11
Summary: He was a top-10 machine, leading the Web.com Tour with 10. He was second on Tour in ball-striking, first in greens in regulation, seventh in driving accuracy and 17th in putting average, all of which contributing to a seventh in the all-around ranking. Absent a win, there wasn’t much he didn’t do. In that sense, he was the Bo Van Pelt of the Web.com Tour.
2013 Expectations: He was a rookie on the 2011 PGA TOUR, making just seven (of 23) cuts and notching three top 25s and zero top 10s. He ranked 185th in strokes gained-putting on the 2011 TOUR and 180th in the all-around ranking. It’s hard to say if he tried something different in 2011 and it just didn’t work, and a year on the Web.com Tour fixed things, or if the problems were something other than physical. His inability to close the door on a Web.com Tour win coupled with fewer starts for all golfers in 2013 due to the elimination of the Fall Series and his record in 2011, doesn’t give me confidence to take him in anything other than an outside the top 150 category.
Reminds me of: Brendon de Jonge
Impact Tournaments: Tampa Bay Championship, Shell Houston Open, John Deere Classic
Name: Paul Haley II
Age: 24
Record: 23 events; 12 cuts made; four top 10s
Wins: 1 (Chile Classic)
Notable Chile Classic past winners: None (inaugural edition in 2012)
Earnings: $263,841
Money List Rank: 12
Summary: In a feast-or-famine season for the Georgia Tech product, a win in the season’s third event was followed by a tie for second at the TPC Stonebrae Championship in April and a runner-up at the Mexico Open in June. After that, he made just six cuts in his final 13 events with a lone top 10 the tournament after his trip to Mexico. It’s not surprising that a true rookie on the Web.com Tour would struggle with consistency, but fortunately he was able to take advantage of the times he put himself in contention.
2013 Expectations: His win and his solo second came outside the United States, so keep an eye on him in PGA TOUR events with an international flair. He’s going to be one of the many guys that must get off to a good start and take advantage of weekends where he is in contention in order to maintain his pecking order in the reshuffle. If he gets off to a rough start, it could be very hard for him to recover. He was 106th in ball-striking on the 2012 Web.com Tour, so there will be considerable pressure on his short game in 2013. I expect him to finish outside the top 150.
Reminds me of: Ted Potter Jr.
Impact Tournaments: Puerto Rico Open, The Greenbrier Classic, RBC Canadian Open
Name: Cameron Percy
Age: 38
Record: 24 starts; 15 cuts made; five top 10s
Wins: 0
Earnings: $256,238
Money List Rank: 13
Summary: The veteran failed to capture a title in 2012, but did find himself as a runner-up three times. One of those was a playoff loss at the BMW Charity Pro-Am, where he fell to fellow Australian, Nick Flanagan. Percy was fairly streaky, finishing inside the top 25 in nine of his 15 paydays. Ranking third in greens in regulations, it’s fair to say he went as far as his putter took him on a week-to-week basis.
2013 Expectations: A veteran of 38 PGA TOUR events, he is best remembered for the front-row seat he had for Jonathan Byrd’s walk off hole-in-one in a playoff at the Justin Timberlake Open in 2010. Ironically, Byrd is a past champion of the BMW Charity Pro-Am where Percy fell in a playoff this season, but at a different venue. Percy’s two career top 10s on the PGA TOUR came at the aforementioned Timberlake and the John Deere Classic. Both have reputations for weak fields and are easy courses to maneuver. Nothing suggests that Percy will finish inside the top 125. It’s much more likely that he will end up outside the top 150; which is where I’ll peg him.
Reminds me of: John Senden
Impact Courses: The Honda Classic, RBC Heritage, John Deere Classic,
Name: Andres Gonzales
Age: 29
Record: 23 starts; 14 cuts made; three top 10s
Wins: 1 (Soboba Golf Classic)
Notable Soboba Golf Classic past winners: Ted Potter Jr.
Earnings: $235,505
Money List Rank: 14
Summary: His year started off with a bang, including a win and a tie for second in his first five events. Thereafter, he had just one top 10 and missed eight cuts, as he apparently took the foot off the gas. With a 1.755 putting average ranking him 11th on the Web.com Tour on his side, his struggles were with ball-striking, coming in at 120th on Tour.
2013 Expectations: In 25 PGA TOUR starts, he has racked up three top 25s, but has yet to crack a top 10. With his statistical breakdown, he needs to run into a course that doesn’t require ball-striking prowess or have a much better than average week with his driver and irons to contend. Like others, there may be precious few events where Gonzales will contend, and he must make the most of them. I think he finds some degree of success and finishes in the 126-150 range; earning a spot in the four-tournament qualifier for the 2013-14 TOUR, but with some status to fall back on.
Reminds me of: Martin Flores
Impact Courses: Farmers Insurance Open, FedEx St. Jude Classic, John Deere Classic
Name: Scott Gardiner
Age: 36
Record: 25 events; 17 cuts made; six top 10s
Wins: 0
Earnings: $234,145
Money List Rank: 15
Summary: Though he didn’t earn a win, he did rack up two runners-up in a three-week span. He has 199 Web.com Tour starts under his belt, but has yet to tee it up on the PGA TOUR. He was second in all-around ranking, fourth in ball-striking and fifth in birdie average.
2013 Expectations: With $1,156,841 in career earnings on the Web.com Tour, he’s shown the ability to post steady finishes for a long period of time once comfortable. My concern is that he won’t have enough time to find that level of comfort on the PGA TOUR in his rookie year. His stats are great, but there has to be a reason it took a guy 199 events to reach the PGA TOUR for the first time without ever having made it through Q School or the Web.com Tour until now. I’ll stick with my gut and take him outside the top 150.
Reminds me of: Scott Brown
Impact Tournaments: Puerto Rico Open, Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Valero Texas Open
Name: Lee Williams
Age: 31
Record: 25 events; 19 cuts made; four top 10s
Wins: 1 (Mexico Open)
Notable Mexico Open past winners: Troy Merritt, Jamie Lovemark, Erik Compton
Earnings: $223,468
Money List Rank: 16
Summary: The Auburn product backed up a tie for 10th at the Rex Hospital Open with his sole Web.com Tour win the next week in Mexico. A little over a month later, he record his only other top 10s in back-to-back fashion, demonstrating that he plays his best golf in highly concentrated spurts.
2013 Expectations: He will have a hard time competing week in and week out due to his 286.7-yard average off the tee; good for 104th on the Web.com Tour in 2012. Like the majority of Web.com Tour and Q School grads, it will be key for him to make the most of the weeks he’s in contention. With two paydays in four PGA TOUR starts entering what will be his rookie season, I see him outside the top 150.
Reminds me of: Kevin Kisner
Impact Tournaments: Puerto Rico Open, Valero Texas Open, FedEx St. Jude Classic.
Name: Darron Stiles
Age: 39
Record: 24 events; 13 cuts made; five top 10s
Wins: 1 (News Sentinel Open)
Notable News Sentinel Open past winners: J.J. Henry, Heath Slocum, Vaughn Taylor, Chez Reavie, Chris Kirk
Earnings: $213,031
Money List Rank: 17
Summary: The elder statesman of the 2012 Web.com Tour graduating class, it’s fitting that his win came at one of the longest-standing stops on the circuit. With $1,827,808 in earnings, he is the career leader in money on the Web.com Tour. He’s short and straight, ranking 124th in distance, but fifth in driving accuracy and 16th in greens in regulation.
2013 Expectations: In 117 career PGA TOUR events, he owns just three top 10s and 11 top 25s. There are a number of guys like this that bounce from the Web.com Tour to the PGA TOUR and back again, and many of them have distance issues. Point being, don’t expect too much out of Stiles. I project him outside the top 150.
Reminds me of: Gavin Coles
Impact Tournaments: Sony Open in Hawaii, FedEx St. Jude Classic, The Greenbrier Classic
Name: Brad Fritsch
Age: 35
Record: 26 events; 18 cuts made; seven top 10s
Wins: 0
Earnings: $212,168
Money List Rank: 18
Summary: A veteran of 95 Web.com Tour events, he had his best season in 2012 with a share of second at the Mylan Classic the highlight. With six other top 10s on the résumé, he had it all going except a win. He sprinkled those top 10s across the entire season, preventing any dry spells from sneaking into his race for a card. At 12th in greens in regulation and 17th in the all-around ranking, it’s not hard to understand why the Canadian had a banner year.
2013 Expectations: With a combination of length, solid iron play and a decent putter, he will have a chance to make a mark on the 2013 PGA TOUR. He will be a rookie, and his five starts on the TOUR have resulted in one payday. He’s around that spot where you have to be concerned about the numbers of starts he will receive early in the year, putting pressure on him to perform well in his first few events. He’s got enough going to the good for me to take him in the 126-150 range.
Reminds me of: Will Claxton
Impact Tournaments: Puerto Rico Open, Travelers Championship, True South Classic.
Name: Morgan Hoffmann
Age: 23
Record: 13 events; 12 cuts made; seven top 10s
Wins: 0
Earnings: $207,540
Money List Rank: 19
Summary: The rookie began the year with no status on the Web.com Tour and fought his way into the top 25 with about half the starts of his peers. After three cuts made that resulted in nothing better than a T35 to start the year, he had seven top 10s in his last 10 starts, including a playoff loss at the Chiquita Classic that all but assured him a spot in the Web.com Tour Championship. It took all 13 of his chances, but a T3 at the Web.com Tour Championship gave him the boost he needed to crack the top 25 and earn a PGA TOUR card.
2013 Expectations: Of those further down the line fighting for starts early in the 2013 season, Hoffmann may be the most dangerous. He had to battle for every start this past season, and the Oklahoma State product has the pedigree to become a staple on the PGA TOUR. It’s a small leap of faith, but I’ll take him to do something dramatic at some point in 2013 to keep his card, finishing inside the top 125.
Reminds me of: Billy Horschel
Impact Tournaments: Farmers Insurance Open, Zurich Classic of New Orleans, John Deere Classic
Name: Brian Stuard
Age: 30
Record: 26 events; 19 cuts made; four top 10s
Wins: 0
Earnings: $205,711
Money List Rank: 20
Summary: Jumped out to a nice start in securing paychecks in five of his first six events, including a runner-up in the South Georgia Classic at the end of that stretch. He was amazingly consistent, never going more than two starts without a top-30 finish. He ranked inside the top 25 in driving accuracy, greens in regulation and putting average. He was third in scoring average before the cut, but faded to 68th in the final round.
2013 Expectations: He’s been to the big dance before with a moderate degree of success. In his rookie year of 2010, he made 13 of 28 cuts and tied for second at the Mayakoba Golf Classic. His third best finish was a T25 at the Sony Open, which could be very important in terms of the first reshuffle should he gain entry into that event this year. I like him to make a couple of early cuts and have a few nice weeks en route to a 126-150 finish on the money list.
Reminds me of: David Hearn
Impact Tournaments: Valero Texas Open, The Greenbrier Classic, True South Classic
Name: Andrew Svoboda
Age: 33
Record: 24 events; 17 cuts made; four top 10s
Wins: 0
Earnings: $203,717
Money List Rank: 21
Summary: It took 84 starts, but he’s now broken through to earn a PGA TOUR card due in large part to two runner-up finishes. A T2 in Colombia to start the season and a solo second at the Soboba Golf Classic made him look like an early favorite to nab a card. It would be a grind to the finish, as he failed to crack a top 10 in his last 14 events. He finished the year ninth in putting average.
2013 Expectations: It took him a little time to acquaint himself to life on the Web.com Tour, and that’s time he most certainly will not have in 2013. While his iron game and flat stick performed well, he struggled to find fairways off the tee, which could hinder him on the PGA TOUR more than it did on the junior circuit. If he gets into the Sony Open to start the year, he will face a tight course right out of the gates. I don’t see him having the time to adjust to the big stage, and find it likely that he will finish outside the top 150.
Reminds me of: Jimmy Walker
Impact Tournaments: Zurich Classic of New Orleans, True South Classic, Wyndham Championship
Name: Nicholas Thompson
Age: 30
Record: 26 events; 15 cuts made; seven top 10s
Wins: 0
Earnings: $192,751
Money List Rank: 22
Summary: He finished inside the top 10 in almost 27 percent of his starts, showing he took advantage of the opportunities he had on the weekends. His best week was a T2 at the News Sentinel Open Presented by Pilot. While he missed his fair share of cuts, only once did he miss more than one in succession, and that was the three his missed to start the season. He was first in total driving, seventh in greens in regulation and led the Web.com Tour in ball-striking.
2013 Expectations: He has 130 starts on the PGA TOUR and has cashed in just over 50 percent of those events. He owns nine top 10s and 20 top 25s. His experience and level of success will give him a leg up on his competition, and a strong week in ball-striking coupled with an above average week with the flat stick early on could lead to a good enough season to keep his card. Because of his poor starting number, I like him more in the 126-150 range.
Reminds me of: John Merrick
Impact Tournaments: Puerto Rico Open, Shell Houston Open, Travelers Championship
Name: Alistair Presnell
Age: 33
Record: 26 events, 12 cuts made; four top 10s
Wins: 0
Earnings: $190,567
Money List Rank: 23
Summary: His lack of consistency is concerning, but half the time he saw the weekend he grinded for a top 25. Of his four top 10s, three of them were top-three finishes and two of those were in the last four weeks; salvaging an otherwise unimpressive season. He ranked 86th in the all-around category, and his stats were all over the place, illustrating his penchant for missing more cuts than he made.
2013 Expectations: He’s a risk from a fantasy standpoint in 2013. His number for getting into early events is poor, and his inability to grind out cuts when he doesn’t have his best stuff is a problem. It’s taken him 104 events on the Web.com Tour to earn a TOUR card for the first time, and I don’t see a short 2013 TOUR season as a good formula for success. He should finish outside the top 150.
Reminds me of: Charlie Beljan
Impact Tournaments: Puerto Rico Open, Zurich Classic of New Orleans, True South Classic
Name: Doug LaBelle II
Age: 37
Record: 24 events; 17 cuts made; one top 10
Wins: 1 (Utah Championship)
Notable Utah Championship Presented by Utah Sports Commission past winners: Zach Johnson, Brett Wetterich, Josh Teater, J.J. Killeen
Earnings: $186,320
Money List Rank: 24
Summary: The event at which he hoisted the trophy is one of the stronger in terms of field and past champions, but he graduated to the PGA TOUR by the skin of his teeth. In his last three events, he went T26-T15-T13 to sneak through. He was sixth in driving accuracy, but 111th in driving distance.
2013 Expectations: It’s going to be very tough for him to get starts early in the season, but he has a chance at early success if he gets into the Sony Open to start the year. It’s a course that values accuracy over length, and he finished T4 in that event in 2008 and T10 in 2009. The combination of lack of distance and trouble getting starts make it likely that he ends up in the four-tournament playoff for a 2013-14 job. I’ll take him outside the top 150.
Reminds me of: Mark Wilson
Impact Tournaments: Sony Open in Hawaii, Humana Challenge, The Honda Classic
Name: Jim Herman
Age: 35
Record: 26 events; 17 cuts made; three top 10s
Wins: 0
Earnings: $182,001
Money List Rank: 25
Summary: While he didn’t put himself in the spotlight all that often, he quietly amassed 10 top 25s. A tie for second at the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open and a T3 at the Cox Classic were the highlights, but the story of his season was how he finished inside the top 25 in just over 38 percent of his starts. As that might lead you to assume, he was fifth on the Web.com Tour in ball-striking; giving him plenty of opportunities for red numbers when the flat stick chose to cooperate.
2013 Expectations: He was a PGA TOUR rookie in 2011 and actually made more cuts (13) than he missed (nine). He couldn’t get it done on Sundays, ranking 177th in final-round scoring average that year. He could surprise some people this season, and I’ll take him in the 126-150 range.
Reminds me of: Harris English
Impact Tournaments: Puerto Rico Open, Reno-Tahoe Open, Wyndham Championship
That means, of the 25 Web.com Tour graduates, I expect five to finish the season inside the top 125, with an additional seven in the 126-150 conditional category. For the other 13, the hope is that they at least finish inside the top 200 to earn a trip to the four-tournament qualifier that replaces Q School as a conduit to the PGA TOUR.
Best of luck to all!