Predicting the Next Golfer to Win His 1st Tournament on the PGA Tour
Following Jordan Spieth's breakthrough success, which included his first PGA Tour win at 19 and his first major at 21 (his second major at 21 as well), it seems natural to ask, "Who will be the next to break through?"
The tour has seen a rash of first-time winners in recent years. This season alone has given us Ben Martin, Robert Streb, Nick Taylor, Brooks Koepka, James Hahn, Alex Cejka and Fabian Gomez.
No golfer is likely to match Spieth's prodigious success in his brief tour career, and indeed, all the golfers on this list are older than the 21-year-old Texan. Still, several exciting players are on the cusp of raising a trophy on tour, and we'll likely see a name added to the list above.
Five candidates stand out.
Who are they?
Read on to find out.
Justin Thomas
1 of 5
FedEx Cup standing: 50
Top-10s: 5
Best of 2015: Justin Thomas notched his first top-five finish on the PGA Tour with a T4 at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He finished tied for sixth at the Sony Open and tied for seventh at the Humana Challenge.
Key stats: Thomas is 17th on tour in driving distance (300.9 yards). He's ninth on tour in birdie average at 4.15 per round.
Bottom line: With five top-10s in his rookie campaign, plenty of firepower and no shortage of confidence, Thomas looks like he'll break through soon.
Kevin Kisner
2 of 5
FedEx Cup standing: 14
Top-10s: 5
Best of 2015: Kevin Kisner has finished second in a playoff twice this season, most notably at The Players Championship where Rickie Fowler was ultimately victorious. He's totaled five top-10 finishes and tied for 12th at the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.
Key stats: Kisner is 33rd on tour in strokes gained: total and 29th in scoring average (70.31). The South Carolina native is also 13th on tour in scrambling.
Bottom line: You don't get much closer to victory than losing in a sudden-death playoff. Kisner has done that twice this season. By this logic, he's nearer to victory than any other golfer on this list.
Daniel Berger
3 of 5
FedEx Cup standing: 27
Top-10s: 5
Best of 2015: Daniel Berger has made 14 of 22 cuts this season. His best showing came at the Honda Classic, where he lost to Padraig Harrington in a playoff. The Florida native tied for sixth at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and recorded an additional three top-10 finishes.
Key stats: Berger is 15th on tour in driving distance and 21st in greens in regulation (68.9 percent). He's averaging 3.9 birdies per round.
Bottom line: Much like Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger is blessed with an abundance of firepower. He stared down Padraig Harrington in a playoff and did everything but win the Honda Classic. Victory ought to be just around the corner, although Berger will need to improve his putting.
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Tony Finau
4 of 5
FedEx Cup standing: 46
Top-10s: 4
Best of 2015: A winner on the Web.com Tour last year, Tony Finau has recorded 11 top-25 finishes in 22 starts. He tied for seventh at both the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and the OHL Classic. He also impressively finished tied for eighth at the Memorial and tied for 14th at the U.S. Open.
Key stats: Finau is one of the longest hitters on tour, averaging more than 307 yards per drive. He's 15th on tour in birdie average at 4.07 per round. Finau's raw talent is indicated by his clubhead speed: 123.9 mph, the fastest on tour.
Bottom line: Finau will need to improve his putting to contend regularly (he's 150th on tour in strokes gained: putting). If he's able to do that, watch out, as his power game is off the charts and his approach play, respectable.
Russell Knox
5 of 5
FedEx Cup standing: 28
Top-10s: 3
Best of 2015: Russell Knox may not have as many top-10s as other members of this list, but his top-10 finishes were of high quality as the Scotsman finished third twice, first at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and then at the Honda Classic in March. He has nine top-25 finishes in 20 starts.
Key stats: Knox is ninth on tour in greens in regulation, hitting 70.32 percent. He's 25th in strokes gained: total, picking up .902 strokes on the field per round.
Bottom line: Much like other golfers on this list, the flatstick has held Knox back this season. He's presently 101st in strokes gained: putting, compared to 21st in strokes gained: tee-to-green. As he lacks distance, putting is critical. With a run of good putting, Knox could easily raise a trophy soon.
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