Top-20 American players to watch out for in 2012: Part-1
Another successful year on the PGA Tour has come to its logical conclusion with some new promising faces on the PGA Tour, all set to challenge the formidable European entourage starting next year.
American golf suffered a setback as the once-brilliant Tiger Woods continued with his downward spiral in 2011.
Although he shot back to form in the concluding months on the tour, American golf faced a painful realization that it should have been more careful with its budding players rather than celebrating Woods’ phenomenal success in the last 15 years.
The younger generation of golfers from the mainland have now taken up the difficult task of leading American golf and will be hoping to make it big next year.
PGA Tour will kick off in January next year, promising a brand new schedule of thrilling golf.
Some of the rising talent in American golf as well as the raging grizzled veterans, discussed below, will be spearheading the American charge next year.
Steve Stricker
Official World Golf Rankings: 6
FedExCup Rankings: 18
PGA Tour wins in 2011: 2
Steve Stricker is currently leading the American pack from the front as the highest ranked American in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) as Phil Mickelson’s downslide continued after the Open Championship.
Stricker pulled in an amazing 3-peat at the John Deere Classic in July, successfully defending the title for a consecutive third time.
He defeated Kyle Stanley, another emerging new talent in the American golf by one stroke at his favourite hunting ground, the TPC Deere Run.
Stricker sank a 30-foot birdie putt from a bunker to avert a last minute playoff, winning the title for the third time.
Starting the final round, Stricker was in a commanding position since the start of the day, but fell back when he dropped two shots on the back nine.
He birdied the 17th as Stanley fell for a bogey and birdied the 18th to pull in the grand feat of 3-peat.
Having already won the Memorial Tournament the previous month, Stricker surged to top-five on the OWGR.
He later had to suffer a devastating neck injury in the later months and remained off-course for a considerable period of time.
He underwent treatment for his Cortisone neck injury and returned to mainstream golf in the President’s Cup in November, leading the US Team to a stellar victory.
He has been under treatment for the dreaded disease and is likely to overcome the disastrous repercussions of the ailment.
Stricker has bagged 19 professional victories after turning professional in 1990, 11 of them coming on the PGA Tour.
He posted strong top-20 finishes in all the four major events in 2011 with his strongest performance coming in the Masters at Augusta National where he finished for a joint 11th.
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