Golf has a new kid worth watching

The PGA Tour has a lot of characters. Obviously, the world’s #1 player gets the majority of attention and for good reason. There has been plenty of words devoted to who might emerge as his foil, much like Ali had Fraser and others. To date its really been a bit of a merry-go-round. Nothing against those who have helped to supply the drama but the point is that it hasn’t been consistently anyone in particular.
While the Fall Series is the focus of the tour, a new star is being born. Ricky Fowler has only two professional events under his belt, but he is already showing he can be a force. Fowler enjoyed a successful amateur career and was perfect in the Walker Cup in September. Pay for play seems to suit him just fine as well. First event (Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open) saw the kid finish in a tie for 7th. His first pay check was for $113,700. Imagine framing that one... But he was in for a pay raise the following week at the Frys.com Open. The Sonoran desert proved to agree with him as he tied for first, even though it eventually lead to a loss to Troy Matteson in a playoff. But he second check as pro pocketed him a $440,000. Two weeks of work and he has already amassed nearly enough to potentially earn his playing privileges for next year. Currently David Duval is sitting in 125th spot in earnings with $624,000 but Fowler it would appear has him in his sights “I knew I was capable of coming out and competing. But to finish tied for seventh and then tied for first and then losing a playoff, pretty quick start,” Fowler recognized after his playoff loss yesterday. “This is my second playoff I've been in in a professional event. I lost in a playoff in a Nationwide event end of July down in Columbus, and then in this one as well. The more playoffs you're in I think the more comfortable you feel. I'm always gonna feel nerves, but maybe next time I'll feel just a little bit more comfortable than I did today,” he said putting his loss in some perspective. “I'm gonna go to Viking. Gonna fly out in the morning. And then I'm not sure if I'm gonna get to second, possibly third stage (of qualifying school). The plans are still to go to Q-School. I'm gonna go into this week with the same game plan I did those last two. Seemed to work out pretty well these last two weeks, so we'll see what happens,” he said.
Don’t be surprised if you see his name near the top of the leader board again this week. While he has a ways to go before he can expect a tee time with Tiger in 2010, it would seem his future looks very promising.