What…who…that is the common response when one hears the name John Huh.  Even though he still remains a relatively unknown commodity, Huh has already won his 1^st PGA Tournament at the 2012 Mayakoba Golf Classic.  Undoubtedly, Huh has taken the early season lead for Rookie of The Year, however I have a sneaky suspicion that he is not done just yet.  Don’t be the least surprised if he captures another victory this season and a well deserved birth on the 2012 US Ryder Cup team.

Just as an interesting side note, in his last tournament, the 2012 Valero Texas Open, Huh began the tournament 8 over par through the first seven holes.  He then went on to finish the tournament T2 at 7 under par, only two strokes behind the tournament winner Ben Curtis.  Just for sake of speculation, let’s just erase Huh’s first seven holes and he would have won the tournament by 6 strokes.

Now…that my friend is my definition of Won 2 Watch.

Even though Leonard is 12 time PGA Tour winner and a major champion, the lasting memory that most people have of him was his miraculous 45 ft. putt at Brookline that propelled the United States to the 1999 Ryder Cup victory.

Fast forward 8 years and Leonard had become more of an after thought in the world of golf, as Leonard’s game had faded and many were wondering if he would ever return to elite status.

To his credit, Leonard made the difficult decision in 2007 to leave the world renowned Butch Harman to rejoin with his first coach Randy Smith.  Under Smith, Leonard was able to rediscover his game, marked by 2 PGA Tour wins and a Ryder Cup victory in 2008.

Fast forward to 2011 and Leonard ended the season with a 2^nd at the Children’s Miracle Network Classic.  Leonard has also begun the 2012 season with increasing momentum, marked by finishes of 70^th, T54 and a T8 in successive tournaments.

So what does all this mean?  Shhhhh…Leonard is eyeing another PGA Tour victory to add to his collection and a birth on the 2012 US Ryder Cup Team.

Here we go again…the 2012 PGA Tour season is rounding the corner, as the opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions begins on January 6^th.  Winners from the 2011 season will not only be vying for this year’s title, but also will be looking to amass  valuable 2012 Ryder Cup points.

So what should we all expect for the 2012 PGA Tour season?  Hard to say, when no one suspected that there would be 14 first time winners in 2011.  The depth on the PGA Tour has never been more evident by this fact, as we can expect much more of the same this year.

Looking at the season from the 1^st time winner perspective, let’s highlight some players most likely to break though in 2012.

Rickie Fowler:   It’s not a matter of if but when.  With that said, it is hard to imagine that Rickie is still looking for his first PGA Tour victory.  For Rickie to break though this year, he will need to improve his course management skills and accept par when par is actually a good score.  Rickie has a tendency to go flag hunting and would prefer to play exciting “birdie style” golf.  His chances of winning will drastically improve, once he finally accepts what the course is giving to him.

Greg Chalmers: Not exactly a household name in the US but certainly one in his native Australia.  Recently, Chalmers was attempting to become only the 2^nd golfer behind Robert Allenby to capture the Australian Triple Crown, winning the 2011 Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship.  Unfortunately he came up short at the Australian JBWere Masters finishing T12.  Nonetheless, Chalmers is a seasoned veteran and will be looking to parlay his Austrialian Tour victories into his first PGA Tour win.

Bud Cauley:  Cauley was a collegiate stand out at the University of Alabama and rolled the dice in deciding to turn professional after his junior season.  Turned out to be a wise decision, as Cauley became only the 5^th  player behind (Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Justin Leonard, Ryan Moore and Gary Hallberg) to turn professional and obtain his PGA Tour card without attending Q School.

Kyle Stanley:  Stanley had a very successful 2011 season, finishing 55^th on the PGA Tour money list and apart from Steve Striker miraculous bunker shot on the 18^th hole, would have won the 2011 John Deere Classic.  Stanley did lose his caddy Bobby Brown, who he  picked up after Brown was fired by Dustin Johnson midseason, only for Brown to jump ship and return to DJ’s bag again in the off season.  Provided that Stanley can find another respectable looper, he should continue where he left off last year.

Seung-Yul Noh:  A Butch Harmon pupil, great things are expected out of Noh.   At the young age of 20, Noh already has 2 professional victories under his belt and captured his 2012 PGA Tour Card the old fashioned way…Q School.

Danny Lee:  The can’t miss prodigy has taken the long round to the PGA Tour, having played on the European, Asian and the Nationwide Tour.  Fortunately for him, everyone takes different roads to the same destination, so let’s hope that Danny has matured enough over the past several years to succeed on the PGA Tour.

Harris English: University of Georgia product, English captured his first professional victory while still in college, when he won the 2011 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational. English then went on to secure his 2012 PGA Tour card through Q School, so he should be ready to go at seasons start.

Kevin Chappell:  Chappell reminds me of when Anthony Kim began his professional career, young and a bit over confident. Unfortunately AK had to learn the hard way that winning doesn’t come so easy on the PGA Tour.  Chappell had his chances in 2011, finishing T2 at the Valero Texas Open and was in contention to win again at the season ending Children’s Miracle Network Classic before finishing T3.  If Chappell can keep his ego in check, which is not always the easiest thing to do when you’re young and talented, then his 1^st win will come in 2012.

Bae Sang-moon: Ranked 30^th in the Official World Golf Ranking, Moon has amassed his ranking points primarily on the Asian and Japan Tour.  However, don’t let this unknown commodity fool you, as Moon also has 11 professional victories under his belt.  Therefore look for his emergence on the PGA Tour in 2012.

Jason Kokrak:  Kokrak had a stellar year on the 2011 Nationwide Tour, finishing 4^th on the tour’s money list with 2 victories.  Kokrak is also long off the tee ranked 1^st in driving distance in 2011, so look out Kokrak to blaze a new trail on the PGA Tour.

Michael Thompson: Quiet and unassuming, you probably won’t here about Michael Thompson until after he is holding a championship trophy over his head.  A former #1 ranked amateur, Thompson earned his 2011 PGA Tour card through Q School and finished 98^th on the 2011 money list.  Thompson also finished the year strong with a T3 at the McGladrey Classic, where he was in contention for his first PGA Tour victory.

Ted Potter Jr.:  Potter is considered a bit of a wild card, as he will either win multiple times wins in 2012 or struggle to retain his PGA Tour card.  With that said, which side are you on…will Jr. play in the 2012 FedEx Cup playoffs or will he play in the season ending Fall Series?

So there we have it folks…hopefully we will see many of these names on leaderboards this year, if not the winners circle.  Only at seasons end can we look back and see all the amazing stories that will unfolded, so let’s see what the PGA tour has in store for us in 2012.

Keegan Bradley, a rookie on tour won his first PGA tournament at the 2011 Byron Nelson Classic and was in contention two weeks ago at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational before faltering with a final round 74.  Little did anyone suspect that Bradley would have the resiliency to bounce back the following week to win his first major championship.

With that said,  Bradley is the first PGA Tour player in history to win a major with a belly putter, a interesting topic I highlighted in a previous Won to Watch article titled “The Belly Putter Debate”.  http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/06/01/won-2-watch-the-belly-putter-debate/

So does this make Bradley “The Next Great American Golfer”?  Of coarse that is also up for debate but unmistakably, Bradley is proving to be a great candidate.  Other candidates include Dustin Johnson, Ricky Fowler and Nick Watney, ironically all of which were upstaged by Bradley.

However, not every time a superstar is born do you always see it coming.  Take for instance, John Daly, who was the 9^th and final alternate at the 1991 PGA Championship when he won his first major.

So who is another American golfer on the horizon, capable of the meteoric rise of a Keegan Bradley?  Dare I suggest the relatively unknown commodity, named Kyle Stanley.

Stanley has been going about his rookie season like a seasoned vet, currently ranked 47 in the FedEx Cup.  Stanley also held the lead at the 2011 Honda Classic before a 3^rd round 74 pulled him out of contention.  Kyle then nearly got it done at the 2011 John Deere Classic before Steve Sticker closed with a miraculous birdie on the 18^th hole to three peat as John Deere Champion.  However, the second place finish afforded Stanley a spot in the 2011 Open Championship, where he finished a respectable T44.  Most recently, Stanley closed with a final round 66 at the 2011 Greenbrier Classic to finish T9.

Now, Stanley has a nice pedigree to go with all this speculation, as he had a great collegiate career at Clemson University.  After all, Stanley won the 2007 Ben Hogan Award and played alongside his compadres Dustin Johnson and Ricky Fowler in the 2007 Palmer Cup.

Granted…Stanley does not have the physical stature of a Dustin Johnson or the bravado of a Rickey Fowler, however what Stanley does have is an unassuming personality, a dose of obscurity and a world of talent, just as Keegan Bradley had before he won the 2011 PGA Championship.

With Rory McIroy on the brink of his first major championship victory at the 2011 US Open, Chubby Chandler is also on the cusp of managing the 2^nd major championship golfer this year, the other being Charl Schwartzel at the 2011 Masters.  Go back another year to the 2010 Open Championship and Louis Oosthuizen was managed by Chubby as well.  That’s right folks, 3 out of the last 4 major champions are in the Chubby stable.

So who exactly is Andrew “Chubby” Chandler anyway?

Chubby is the founder of International Sports Management (ISM), a premier sports management company for primarily European Tour golfers, soccer players and cricketers.  Chubby’s stable includes most notable names like Ernie Els, Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, however his camp also includes lesser known players that are now coming to the forefront.

For example, take a look the 2011 PGA and European Tour list of winners from the Chubby Chandler Camp:  Rory McIlroy-US Open, Charl Schwartzel-The Masters & Joburg Open, Lee Westwood-Ballintine’s Championship, Darren Clarke-Iberdola Open, Open, Louis Oosthuizen-African Open, Thomas Aiken-Open de Espana, Alexander Noren-Saab Wales Open, David Horsey-Hassan II Golf Trophy and S.S.P Chowrasia-Avantha Open.

So what is the blue print for Chubby’s success and just how is he separating himself from the typical agent/player relationship?

Well Chubby is one of the friendliest personalities on tour and has no shame in kicking back a few “cold ones” with his players.  Chubby is present at major championships, creating a great atmosphere by renting out restaurants for his players to eat and socialize with their friends and family.  Chubby is also notorious for not having contracts with his players as well.

No contracts???  Now that may be unheard of…after all, most of us have contracts with everything from our cell phone carriers to our local gym memberships.  With that said,  we all know how much better it feels when you don’t have to sign a contract.

After all, he borrowed this ingenious idea from Arnold Palmer and Mark McCormack, founder of IMG and we all know how Arnold’s career turned out.

Nonetheless, what ever is happening, it is clear that the pressure is off in the Chubby Chandler Camp, as Chubby is providing the platform and his player’s are certainly delivering.

With that said, who should we look forward to winning the 2011 Open Championship?

Here’s another ingenious idea, someone ask Chubby Chandler!

Remember the days when you would not have found a hybrid in a PGA Tour player’s golf bag?  The assumption was that only women and short hitting men used hybrids, therefore years went by where the collective golf conscious held onto the inherent difficulty of the long irons.

For example,  David Toms, a notoriously short hitter on the PGA Tour was one of a few players with hybrids in his bag.  Toms to his credit has always played to his strengths and used precision and control of his golf ball to have success on tour.  Just look at the 2001 PGA Championship where he successfully navigated the Atlanta Athletic Club for his 1st major championship.

It may not be the sole reason but the way in which Toms won the 2001 PGA Championship, definitely served as a catalyst for other tour players to venture into the world of hybids.  Now…I dear to ask, how many tour players still have long irons in their golf bag today?

Granted, technology has revolutionized the game of golf and trends will continue to come and go.  However, tour players finally came to the realization that fairway woods had its advantages such as improved distance and more control out of the rough.

Fast forward to today and we have another trend forming…the belly putter.

Looking back at history, the belly putter was viewed as the “old man putter” or typically used by senior players that were having back ailments.  However those days are long gone, as multiple players are now utilizing the belly putter with measurable success:  Tim Clark-2010 The Players Championship, Martin Laird-2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Brendan Steele-2011 Valero Texas Open and Keegan Bradley-2011 Byron Nelson Championship.

Detractors suggest that the belly putter is serving as a competitive advantage, since the putter is actually attached to the player’s body.  Other suggest that there is no competitive advantage, as the belly putter is available to everyone and that putter selection is a matter of feel, comfort and personal preference.

As you know, most tournaments are won and lost on the putting green and it will be interesting to see where the USGA’s position will be on the belly putter going forward.  All we need now is a major championship victory and “The Belly Putter Debate” can take full affect.

What do you think?

Chris Kirk had a stellar collegiate career at the University of Georgia, assisting the Bulldogs in winning the 2005 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Golf Championship and was a member of the victorious 2007 US Walker Cup team.  Kirk then began his professional career on the Nationwide Tour in 2008 and experienced a beak out season in 2010, securing two wins and eight top 10 finishes.  As a result, Kirk concluded the season 2^nd on the 2010 Nationwide Tour money list, thereby securing his PGA Tour card for 2011.

Kirk then kicked off his rookie campaign with a T7 finish at the 2011 Bob Hope Classic, ironically the same tournament that his fellow Nationwide graduate, Jhonattan Vegas won for his 1^st career PGA Tour title.  Kirk then experienced a decline in his game, missing the cut in 4 out of the next 7 tournaments, before arriving at the 2011 Shell Houston Open.

Needing to win the Shell Houston Open to secure the 100^th and final spot in the 2011 Masters; Kirk held the 2^nd round lead before finishing T2 behind an in form Phil Mickelson. Mickelson, who shot a blistering 3^rd round 63 and 4^th round 65, effectively closed the door on the rookie for the final Masters invite.

Even though Kirk narrowly missed his mark, it wasn’t for a lack of effort.  Playing in the 2^nd to last group alongside a seasoned Aaron Baddeley; Kirk was unwavering in the final round of the Shell Houston Open, converting 4 birdies on the back nine on Sunday to make a strong push for his 1^st PGA Tour title.

If there is any consolation, these are the kind of experiences that build character and maturity in a golfer; therefore be on the look out for Chris Kirk for the remainder of the 2011 PGA Tour season.

The youth movement has officially arrived and apparently has no intentions of going back into hiding. There have already been 3 first time winners in the 2011 PGA Tour season and from week to week the leaderboard is littered with young talent seeking their 1^st victory.  So will the youth movement continue at the 2011 Masters and who are some of the golfers flying below the radar that would make for an amazing storyline this week? There is more than enough to choose from, anything from The Young Guns, to The New Breed, to The Aussie, to The Euro Tourian, to The Redeemer…so let’s jump right in there and take a closer look.

The Young Guns: 2011 is showing just how quickly the young talent has emerged with the “win now attitude”.  With that said, the two Young Guns that stand out this year are Jhonattan Vegas & Gary Woodland. Ironically, Vegas beat Woodland in a playoff early in the season at the 2011 Bob Hope Classic.  Since then, Woodland strung together two top 10 finishes in four tournament starts before capturing his 1^st victory at the 2011 Transitions Championship.  Both come to the Masters playing the tournament for the first time and history be told, Fuzzy Zoeller is the last player in the past 75 years to have won the Masters on their first try.  So, will history repeat itself again this year?

The New Breed: Ricky Fowler and Ryo Ishikawa represent the future of golf. Young, aggressive, confident and need I say fashion conscious.  Both have immense talent and will win their fair share of majors throughout their career.  What would make for a special story would be to see either one capture their 1^st PGA victory at the Masters.

Fowler has been banging on the door for his 1^st win ever since he turned professional, finishing 2^nd at the 2009 Frys.com Open in only his 6^th career start.  Fowler then had a stellar 2010, capturing the Rookie of the Year Award with eight top 10’s, including two 2^nd place finishes.  Other than his colorful display of clothing and oversized caps, Fowler is best known for his impressive Ryder Cup display against Eduardo Molinari, birdying the last 4 holes of his singles match to keep the USA in the hunt for the Cup.  Now that’s the mental fortitude of a major champion!

Ishikawa has been a little quieter, considering that he doesn’t play regularly on the PGA Tour.  Nonetheless, at the age of 19, he already has 9 professional victories from the Japan Tour and valuable Masters experience, having played the event in 2009 & 2010.  Considering the tragic events that have transpired from the tsunami in Japan, Ishikawa is donating all of his 2011 prize money to the relief efforts. Ishikawa is also eager to bring home some inspiring news to Japan and there is no better way of doing that but to win the Masters!

The Aussie: Very few are aware that an Australian player has never won the Masters.  Hard to believe when you look at the great Aussies like Peter Thomson, Greg Norman, Steve Elkington, Ian Baker-Finch, Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby, Geoff Ogilvy and Adam Scott.   For this very reason, who will become the first?  My guess would be to look forward to a young Aussie that is remerging into golfing consciousness Aaron Baddeley A.K.A “Badds”. Great things were expected out of Badds when he turned professional in 2000, however Badds struggled to create a name for himself on the PGA Tour.  Following a successful 2007 PGA Tour season with one win and six top 10 finishes, Badds golf game derailed for several years, as he experimented with the Stack & Tilt golf swing. Bad idea Badds…but thankfully, in 2009 he reunited with his original golf coach Dale Lynch and returned to the swing mechanics that brought him early career success.  Badds then captured his first tournament victory in 4 years at the 2011 Northern Trust Open and is coming off a solid T4 finish at last week’s pre Masters tournament, the 2011 Shell Houston Open. Therefore look for Badds down the stretch at the Masters.

The Euro Tourian: Charl Schwartzel who???…that is usually what happens before someone emerges as a major champion.  Take for instance his fellow countryman from South Africa, Louis Oosthuizen.  Oosthuizen also went unnoticed before he won the 2010 Open Championship with only one previous European Tour victory to his credit.  Schwartzel actually has 6 European Tour victories under his belt and is one of a few players that not only made the cut at all four majors in 2010 but also finished inside the top 30.  Following a successful 2010 season as a nonmember, Schwartzel wisely took up membership on the PGA Tour in 2011, thereby giving him access to the FedEx Cup. Therefore, do not overlook the young South African this week.  After all, Ernie Els is his mentor and Els has already endorsed good ole Charl as the future #1 player in the world.

The Redeemer: I beg to ask, how many more times can Steve Marino come close to winning his 1^st PGA tournament before it starts to take a psychological toll on his ability to ever win on tour?  If you have not done so already, please read my article on Marino that profiles his struggle to win over the past several years. http://prosportsblogging.com/pga-tour/pga-tour-sleeper-steve-marino/ Since that article was written in early February; Marino had opportunities at the 2011 Pebble Beach National Pro Am and the 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational to secure his first victory.  Fortunately, what Marino has going for him these days is only his perseverance but valuable experience having played in the 2010 Masters.  No doubt, Marino remains a long shot to pull off his 1^st PGA Tour win at the Masters, however if there is anyone right now that deserves this improbable feat, it would be him.

Couples relaxed demeanor and carefree attitude on the golf course has always endeared him to golf fans and players alike.  For this reason, he is one of the most popular golfers on tour, garnering attention everywhere he goes.

Following a successful PGA Tour career of 15 PGA Tour titles including the 1992 Masters, Couples transitioned to the Champions Tour in 2010.  To no surprise, Couples experienced immediate success, winning 3 out of his first 4 tournaments, finishing the season as Champions Tour Rookie of the Year.

As a result, Couples continues to play sparingly on the PGA Tour, in many respects to keep an eye on the players vying for a position on his 2011 US Presidents Cup team, as well as the desire to capture one more PGA Tour title from the likes of his younger compadres.

Confidence certainly goes a long way when it comes to winning and Couples is not short on that.  Much of his confidence can be attributed to his leadership as the 2009 US Presidents Cup captain, coupled (no pun intended) with the success from the 2010 Champions Tour.  Least not forget Couples recent stellar play, where he was one stroke off the lead heading into the 4th round of the 2011 Northern Trust Open before falling out of contention with a final round 74.

Fortunately, this week’s Shell Houston Open looks like another great opportunity for Couples, as he won this tournament in 2003 and since then has two top 10 finishes at this event.  Couples typically plays the Shell Houston Open as a tune up for the Masters and with previous success on his side, Couples looks like a great sleeper pick for his 16^th PGA Tour title.

Manassero is quietly rewriting history before our very eyes.  At the age of 16, Manassero became the youngest British Amateur Champion and the youngest to make the cut at the 2010 Masters. Turning professional shortly thereafter, at the age of 17, Manassero then became the youngest to win a European Tour event, the 2010 Castello Masters.

Securing his playing privileges for the next two years on the European Tour, Manassero has now ventured state side to challenge the world’s best players.  Thus far in his 2011 PGA Tour campaign, he has played anything but his age.  Manassero reached the 3^rd round of the 2011 WGC Accenture World Match Play Championship, beating the likes of Steve Stricker and Charl Schartzel before losing to the eventual champion, Luke Donald.  Manassero then backed up that performance with a top 20 finish at the 2011 Transitions Championship, on a challenging layout to play for the first time, the Innisbrook-Copperhead Golf Course.

Performance Outlook: Currently ranked 55 in the World Golf Ranking, Manassero needs to eclipse the top 50 to be eligible to play in the 2011 Masters.  That would require a strong finish at the 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational, another tournament he will be playing for the first time.  However even if Manassero doesn’t automatically qualify for the 2011 Masters, he remains a talented player to watch in the future.  Let’s not forget that in the two majors that Manassero has played thus far in his young career, the 2009 Open Championship and 2010 Masters, he finished T13 and T36 respectively, a definite sign of great things to come for the young Italian.