PGA Tour – the names to watch out for in 2007

So, the new PGA Golf season has come upon us. Here are some players to watch out for this season…With golf introducing the FedEx Cup, a NASCAR-style playoff where the top 144 point-earners on the PGA Tour enter into a four-week playoff to find a winner, Alex Ferguson looks at the Top 10 favourites to lift the Cup.

Tiger Woods

Probably the best player the world has ever known, Tiger fans will be hoping that the man can avoid the distraction of a pregnant wife and the sleepless nights known as early Fatherhood. He went through the heartbreak of losing his father by winning the British Open and Tour Championship. What are the odds of his repeating and then winning it all? Short.

Jim Furyk

Although he probably owns the ugliest swing in the professional game, Jim Furyk, who came second on the money list last year, still came home in 2006 with $7 million and the tag of being the better half of his pairing with Tiger Woods at the Ryder Cup. Because of his lack of ego, he’s not exactly going to be the world’s media darling, but he got on plenty of prime-time TV Sundays last year  by winning two tournaments and coming second in another four. Not bad, eh?

Phil Mickelson

After he won the Masters for the second time last April, I think it would be fair to say that `Lefty’ went cold, going winless in 11 other tournaments and woefully underperforming in the Ryder Cup. However, he still has a formidable reputation, and pocketed over $4 million last year, despite playing in less than 20 tournaments. Will 2007 do anything to dampen enthusiasm for the man from San Diego? We don’t think so – even the galleries may be ducking some of his drives!

Luke Donald

While Britain’s most prodigious talent for years is not one of golf’s longest drivers by any stretch of the imagination (145th last year), but he’s one of the world’s best at keeping on the greens (ranked 10th in putts per round average), and saving a par out of the sand. He’s also got a cool head, and he’s already been through heartbreak — US Open 2005 anybody? We’ve been waiting a long time to call him a home favourite, but if the accuracy continues, then the wins will continue to come. Look well for him to place well in the Masters, the US Open, the Open Championship, where `slow and steady’ seems better rewarded than `hit it as far as possible’.

Adam Scott

One of the great young players to come out of Australia in the last few years, the world #3 won the prestigious Tour Championship last year, came home with $4 million, and came in the top 10 at the Open Championship.. How will Carnoustie, one of the most feared golf courses in the world suit him? With someone that doesn’t often end up in the rough, he should be fine.

Vijay Singh

It seems that every week Vijay Singh is in a golf tournament. Chris-crossing the nation every week, the ultra-competitive Fijian played in 27 tournaments, earning over $4 million. In 2007, he’s already played in two tournaments, which included a win in the Mercedes-Benz Championship, which made him over $1 million richer. If he can continue with the consistency (17 top 25s last year), then he’ll be a big favourite to come home with the inaugural FedEx Cup.

Scott Verplank

Although he’s not as well known as the likes of Tiger, Phil, and Vijay, the Ryder Cup player was one of the bright lights for the US in the Ryder Cup, and is still one of the best players on the tour – despite not having one of the best seasons last year. However, he still finished in the Top 10 nine times but winning no tournaments, he still came home with over $1 million and he’s still great off the tee. Watch out.

Geoff Ogilvy

On the way to winning $4 million in 2006, the Aussie won the US Open and the Accenture World Matchplay, breaking British hearts in the process. Although his driving games (ranking 53rd) , and putting (ranking 66th) weren’t great, he was consistent enough to have 13 Top 10 finishes. In other words, if you were an Ogilvy fan, it was quite a ride. Another top 5 year? Don’t bet against it.

Justin Rose

`England’s Rose’ is still one of the game’s most exciting talents, and if he can sort out his final round foibles (he’s in the top 20 in scoring average for the first three rounds, but only in the top 50 on the last day), then don’t be surprised if he wins four or five tourneys this year. He’s great on the greens (fourth in the world in birdie average), but will he be great on Sunday? Britain hopes so.

JJ Henry

Quite possibly America’s best player in the Ryder Cup last year despite being a virtual nobody to anyone outside of the golf world, Henry showed something that the rest of the US team DIDN’T show at the K Club: poise. If he can keep that sort of poise in the Majors, then look for him to be there or thereabouts in the points race in September, when the FedEx Cup comes to a close.