Learning from legends
Ansley Brock, Staff Writer
One of golf’s most iconic and accomplished champions, Sam Snead once said, “of all the hazards, fear is the worst.” Snead practiced what he preached. He never feared a shot on the course, no matter how challenging. His courage and fearless approach to golf helped him become golf’s most accomplished athlete.
By the end of his career, Snead won a record 82 official PGA events and 140 worldwide tournaments. Nicknamed “The Slammer,” Snead relied on booming tee shots, precise touch on and around the greens and a calm demeanor to help him win seven major championships.
Rookies on the PGA tour should study Snead’s ideological and mechanical approach to golf. There are five contemporary rookies that require special attention not only for their ability to play golf at the highest level but their potential to be mentioned next to Snead’s amongst the greatest names of golf at the end of their careers.
Sungjae Im. The 20-year-old South Korean native is number one on the rookie list after finishing on top of the Web.com Tour Regular Season. He was successful all the way through, never losing his top position.
Im won the season-opening The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay and the season-ending WinCo Foods Open along with 11 more top-25 finishes in between. His success has granted him to be fully exempt on TOUR in 2018-19 and exempt into THE PLAYERS Championship. While Im might be young, his golf intellect is wise beyond his years.
Cameron Champ. At only 23 years old, Champ is the longest hitter on the TOUR and quite possibly the straightest as well. He averaged 343 yards off the tee this past season making him first in driving on the Web.com Tour. He also earned second in scoring average, first in total eagles, second in ball-striking and fourth in greens in regulation. With his golf knowledge increasing on top of his distance, consistency will be his friend and that could be dangerous for other TOUR members.
Kramer Hickok. While some know the 26-year-old Longhorn graduate best as “Jordan Spieth’s roommate,” soon it’ll be for his low scores on TOUR. In 2017 he was the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada Player of the Year and finished in the top 25 on the Web.com Tour this year. He improved his PGA record this year while shooting a final score of 14-under 226 at Canterbury Golf Club on September 2, 2018. He matched the course record with a 63 on Thursday and a 67 on Friday.
Aaron Wise. The 2016 NCAA men’s individual champion is close to making his name be known on the PGA TOUR. Ranked 31st in driving distance (303.7) and 14th in birdie average (4.12), Wise is showing what it takes to make it on TOUR. He tied second at the Wells Fargo Championship, only two shots behind the winner Jason Day. He has made the cut for 10 out of 17 tournaments. He hasn’t snagged a victory on TOUR yet but he has won on the Web.com and Mackenzie tours.
Wyndham Clark. Slow and steady wins the race. This saying can be used when describing Clark’s golfing career. While he has been slow with victories the past few seasons, he has been steady. Clark had four top-five finishes on the Web.com tour. He finished 16th on the Web.com Tour Regular Season money list. Along with his amazing putting, his maturity and confidence will be what sets him apart from other young golfers.
What trait does each of these young golfers possess? They have all faced defeat and used that failure as the catalyst for their growth. This trait was held on by Sam Snead who said, “The great champions have all come back from defeat.” While it is too early to predict these five rookies have the capability of being the next great Sam Snead, they all possess the athleticism and mentality that forms a great champion.
