Golfers to follow in 2019: Ben Coley's first batch of players to watch

Sungjae Im

Winner of the Web.com Tour Money List having started the season as a 19-year-old Q-School graduate. Two wins and all kinds of records later, this prolific birdie-maker arrived onto the PGA Tour with a top-five finish in the Safeway Open, where he contended all the way.

Only one man has won at a younger age in Web.com Tour history and that man, Jason Day, is a major-winning world number one. It's soon to know whether that sort of future awaits Im, but the signs are promising and he's earned rave reviews from the likes of Ernie Els, Jack Nicklaus and many of those who he left for dead last season.

One called him "one of the best ball strikers I've ever seen" while a former professional touted the Korean as "one of the best putters I've ever seen", so with his family with him for support and a strong Korean contingent known for their closeness on the circuit, everything is in place for a smooth transition to the top table.

Im has already been earmarked for next year's Presidents Cup and that performance at the Safeway suggests he'll lock up his card in no time. After that, having won from the Bahamas to Boise there's no telling where he might pop up, but early indications do hint at tougher scoring conditions while his education on Jeju Island means he'll know full well how to meet the demands of a breeze.

In fact, he says Chicago is his favourite American city and while he can grind out a score, Im registered an eye-watering 397 birdies last season, more than anyone else on the Web.com Tour. Perhaps, then, the John Deere Classic, won last year by American-Korean Michael Kim, is among the more likely events for the full breakthrough. If it takes that long.

They say...

"He hits it far enough with the driver. He’s one of the best putters I’ve ever seen. And he hits his irons really high." (Brian Vanesh, ex-Web.com Tour winner)

"The kid is for real. He's only 20 years old and he's got a really unbelievable future ahead of him." (Ernie Els, of Ernie Els)

"He's got the full package. He's got the mentality and the game of a 30-year-old." (Kramer Hickok, fellow Web.com Tour graduate)

"He’s one of the best ball-strikers I think I’ve ever seen." (Jim Knous, fellow Web.com Tour graduate)

He says...

"My first year on the Web.com Tour was an incredibly happy time for me and it’s pretty surreal that I was able to win the first and last tournament of the season. I honestly thought I would spend about two to three years on the Web.com Tour before making it to the PGA TOUR, so I’m happy to have achieved my goal so soon."

Kramer Hickok

Winner of the Canadian Tour Player of the Year award in 2017, Hickok was expected to complete a swift transition to the Web.com Tour - but it took a little longer than expected for Jordan Spieth's former roommate.

One top-10 finish in the first half of the year left him with much to do to maintain his seamless progress through the ranks, but a runner-up finish at the start of July proved the turning point. Two months later, he secured his PGA Tour card with an all-the-way victory, opening with a round of 63 and never looking back.

That victory came in Ohio, where two years earlier, Bryson DeChambeau had secured his first professional title. DeChambeau returned to the Buckeye state to win the Memorial Tournament earlier this year and as an excellent driver of the ball, that's a tournament Hickok could well thrive in if able to secure a coveted invitation.

For now, he'll need to capitalise on his accuracy from the tee which tends to be rewarded in some of the early-season events, while later on he'll look forward to the spring visit to Texas, his home state. Watch for him to learn quickly as he bags practice rounds with one of the world's best and no doubt takes inspiration from what his peers have done on the course.

With three wins in little more than 50 events so far, Hickok has shown that he can take his chances. It'll be fascinating to see whether that still applies once he gets comfortable and earns a place in one of the final few groups at this, the highest level in world golf.

They say...

"This is massive for him. It’s so well-deserved and earned, and it’s honestly one of the coolest experiences I’ve had for a friend." (Jordan Spieth)

"He’s always been extremely talented. Now he believes that in himself and he closed tournaments out. He doesn’t feel like he needs anyone else to tell him he’s good, he knows he’s good. I really think it’s just a matter of time before he’s out competing on the PGA TOUR." (Jordan Spieth)

He says...

"I wanted to be the guy that no one outworked. I wanted to be the guy that, when everyone else I was sleeping, I was working, because the thing about it is… you get one shot."

Anders Albertson

Another Texan, Albertson was the man who confined Hickok to second place in the Lincoln Land Championship in early July. That was his first win in his third full season on the Web.com Tour and immediately secured his playing rights for a rookie PGA Tour campaign.

It's easy to underestimate those whose path to the top level is not as clear as the likes of Im and Hickok, but Albertson is still only 25 and was a standout college player at Georgia Tech, where he never missed a dance. In fact, his commitment to both his team and his studies earned him the Byron Nelson award in 2015 and he seems a grounded sort who will work hard to establish himself from here.

Perhaps it's been a question of belief, and he's certainly found a high level of consistency since that victory in Illinois, where a seven-birdie streak confirmed that he's deadly when he gets on a roll. We saw that again with a final-round 62 during the Web.com Tour Finals and while there's no room at this level for players who need a look around before getting comfortable, he'll probably figure it out at some stage.

They say...

"He’s an extremely tough competitor and full of perseverance. He has been able to overcome, and rise to any challenge to get where he is now, and it’s only a matter of time before he reaches the next level. He’s also one of the best ball-strikers, still, that I have played with." (Ollie Schniederjans, former classmate)

"He’s so tenacious. He’s not going to leave any stone unturned. Anything he can do to get better, he’ll do. He just works, works, and works. He’s a little bulldog." (Brennan Webb, former college coach)

He says...

"I’m better than I thought!"

"The Lord has truly blessed my life with great family and friends and mentors. I’ve just listened."

Sam Burns

Rewind to May, 2015, and the idea of Sam Burns as a PGA Tour behemoth-in-waiting would've appeared absurd, as he signed for an opening 89 when playing in the Texas Open. A second-round 77 did little to repair the damage and he finished last, three shots short of avoiding such ignominy.

Come 2017, Burns had learned plenty - enough to finish sixth on the PGA Tour despite playing as an amateur in the Barbasol Championship. Being fairly close to home no doubt helped this LSU standout, but most of all he'd improved immensely, learning to harness the power of an extremely modern game, the product of athleticism which had once seemed more likely to earn him a pro football career.

By spring of this year, there he was, teeing it up with Tiger Woods in the final round of the Honda Classic. He doesn't remember hitting his first tee shot but by the end of the round had outscored Woods, finished eighth and earned a place in the Valspar Championship field, where he finished 12th. Within a month, he was a winner on the Web.com Tour and beginning preparations for 2019 at this level.

Not only have we seen already what Burns can do, but he's built up experience at something close to the highest intensity. It is bound to serve him well as he begins the first challenge of what seems sure to be a lengthy PGA Tour career: to tough it out and earn some cheques while struggling a little for form and fitness.

A solid start at the Sanderson Farms Championship offered a step back in the right direction and that despite some poor putting, which had looked to be a strength back in the spring. In fact, this one-time NFL prospect has a touch of Daniel Berger about him and for now seems likely to be at his most comfortable in the south east, where he enjoyed so much success as an amateur.

The youngest child in a tight-knit family for whom a strong work ethic is considered most important, Burns has a very solid platform. Couple that with the sort of raw talent which gets people talking, and his willingness to work at it and not get complacent, and you have one of the most exciting graduates among a most exciting bunch.

They say...

"Dad, you won't believe this, you've got to come watch Sam. He's going to be a phenom." (Chase Burns, brother)

"I've seen kids come to my facility to practice and it's more social than anything. They don't turn off their phone. They are talking with others around them. Sam turns off his phone and goes to hit by himself. He's there to work. He knows what he wants and what he has to do to get it. It's a quality not all young people have in this day and age. He has the drive to be great." (David Toms, former major champion and Burns' mentor)

He says...

"I think I feel comfortable out here. I was telling someone the other day, I think with every start I start to know these guys a little better and become friends with them. I think that obviously helps, you know, knowing the guys out here and getting more comfortable playing on these golf courses and playing with people watching and stuff like that."

Cameron Champ

The one everyone is talking about, in fact they have been since Erin Hills and the US Open, where he blasted his way to the top of the driving distance stats. Reports there spoke of how, during a practice round, he left Louis Oosthuizen gobsmacked and engaged in a distance war with Rory McIlroy. He's a freak.

Geoff Ogilvy also name-checked Champ when voicing concerns about Augusta and how the modern game is going to end its significance, because Champ could "fly it onto the green" at the first hole. Ogilvy isn't alone. Everyone, it seems, who has witnessed Champ first-hand sees him not as another big-hitting youngster, but as something else altogether, a generational talent with the world at his feet.

So, here we have a player who represents the blueprint for a modern professional and could change the game. His swing speed and ball speed have people purring - he produces numbers the like of which have not been seen before, the like of which leads people to turn the machines off and on again.

The question is, does he have the rest? Because there are long-drive championships and there's the PGA Tour and the two are very different. To succeed at this level, you need more than to be able to hit it and find it, whatever Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson might say about their approaches to the game.

Evidently, the answer is yes. Champ bagged five top-10 finishes on the spin in the middle of summer, winning the fifth event in that sequence after an opening 61. The job now done, his form tailed off but any concerns as to where he game had gone were removed not only with 25th in the Safeway Open, but an opening 65 in the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Champ, it seems, is absolutely the real deal. He'll be inconsistent, and his desire to reach for driver at every opportunity will cost him shots and rounds and cheques, but when everything clicks he'll do serious damage. In fact he could out-date all of this by winning the Sanderson Farms Championship. The sky is the limit.

They say...

"I can't say in print what my reaction was, but wow! We spent the whole next day working on his game. And when you look at him now, he's got the accuracy of David Toms off the tee but hits it 30 yards past Dustin Johnson." (Coach Sean Foley on when he first saw Champ, aged 14)

"When he swings, he applies so much force to the grip of his club, he's capable of snapping a graphite shaft in the middle. Any idea how hard it is to do that? That's Bruce Lee stuff right there." (Foley)

"He is just super long off the tee and he’s always in the fairway. I’m not the shortest guy, and I can’t even sniff where he’s hitting the ball." (Xander Schauffele)

"The future of the game." (Ernie Els)

"This might well be the 'big man' I have been predicting would come along and change the game as we know it." (Gary Player)

He says...

"I don't say anything. I'm a pretty humble person. I don't talk much when I play. I stick to myself."

Scott Langley

Tough, accurate left-hander who won in Panama back in February to all but secure his PGA Tour return. The battling qualities required to win that event in seven-under have been in evidence for a long time - in fact, one of his notable achievements so far has been to make four cuts in as many US Open starts, including a fantastic T16 on debut.

Go back to 2013, and Langley started his PGA Tour career with a round of 62 on the way to finishing third and while performances of that level have been rare since, he did add another top-five at the Valspar before dropping down a level. Prior to winning on the Web.com Tour his best effort came at the devilishly tricky Victoria National and one way or another he's likely to be at his most comfortable when the going gets tough.

Other notable fact about Langley is he once sold 15% of future earnings for around $3m. He's so far getting the better of that deal but he'll hope, perversely, that changes in the months and years ahead.

Martin Trainer

Son of a French-born mother and was in fact born in Marseille, France, before moving to America as a child. An unusual route, then, but no suggestion that he'd be switching allegiance were he to qualify for a Ryder Cup side.

On the course, he's a two-time winner in 2018, the only player other than Im to have done so on the Web.com Tour, but also missed a lot of cuts. That supports what Monday Qualifier specialist TJ Vogel says of Trainer: "When he's good, he's very good." Gives it a good whack off the tee and has talent.

Kyoung-Hoon Lee

Back-to-back winner of the Korean Open before earning his Web.com Tour card, but it was his play at the start of 2018 which got him to the top level and more recently he's struggled.

That includes in his native Korea where he was 61st of 78 players in the CJ Cup, but there were some encouraging signs over the weekend and, at 27, he remains with abundant potential.

Chase Wright

Looks a solid operator and that was in evidence at the Safeway Open, where he bagged an encouraging 10th place to build on third at the Web.com Tour Championship. All aspects of his game fired in California and he's come a long way since missing a series of cuts on the Asian Tour five years ago.

With wins on the Canadian Tour and last season in Illinois, where he triumphed via a play-off, this relatively slow burner is full of confidence and looks the type to pick up his share of cheques. Solid but unspectacular would be the prediction.

Sebastian Munoz

Dynamite putter who had the Greenbrier Classic at his mercy in 2017, until Xander Schauffele stepped up and took it from him. Carded an opening 61 there and has often been fast out of the gates, so there's more to comparisons with Camilo Villegas than "he is from Colombia".

Suspect he'll ping the lids and lead something, somewhere over the next year, but otherwise it'll be a battle to keep his card. One to watch in the first-round leader market without question.

Kyle Jones

Burly operator who shot 63-65-63 at the KC Golf Classic for a 54-hole scoring record, taking a one-shot lead into the final round and eventually finishing second, his best finish to date in just shy of 50 professional starts.

This Baylor graduate relies on a fairways-and-greens game and, as he's Californian, perhaps the CareerBuilder Challenge will do exactly that for him. Certainly looks one for short, low-scoring tests but there's much still to learn - for him as well as us.

Adam Svensson

Canadian who has a superstition which means he does not like the number four, something of a worry for a professional golfer. Perhaps we shouldn't expect him to yell 'fore' when he misses one. Won early on last season, denying Im in the Bahamas, and while form has been patchy since he's got scope.

Now plays out of Florida so watch out for him during the spring as he looks to build on the realisation of a "lifelong dream" and become the latest from north of the border to earn his stripes at PGA Tour level.

Alex Prugh

Comparatively experienced 34-year-old who gives the ball an almighty whack but has found himself in no man's land, stuck between being very comfortable at Web.com Tour level and not quite up to sustaining the effort on the PGA Tour.

There have been moments, chiefly on the west coast where he's at his most comfortable, and the first few months of 2019 will likely determine whether he keeps his card. Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines offer his best hope but it's approaching a decade since his sole pro win and he needs to improve.

John Chin

Twice runner-up last season but missed a lot of cuts and will need to improve to keep hold of a card he effectively earned with a nothing-to-lose performance in Oregon.

Jose de Jesus Rodriguez

Veteran Mexican whose nickname is The Shrimp for reasons I've not managed to uncover. He earned a first win on the Web.com Tour last season, beating the talented Wyndham Clark by a shot in tough conditions at Victoria National.

Very limited experience on the PGA Tour outside of the OHL Classic on home soil, in which he's struggled, and another for whom expectations can be set fairly low.

Josh Teater

Likeable veteran who turns 40 in the spring and will see this as his last shot at establishing himself on the PGA Tour once more, something which has been made more difficult by injuries. Peaked around five or six years ago with form such as second at Torrey Pines and sixth at Riviera and while Kentucky through-and-through, much of his best golf has come in California.

Once made his money driving the ball above average in terms of both length and accuracy and that will serve him well for the battle ahead, as will the fact he ranked second among this group of players in greens hit last year. In fact, if he can find the consistency which was missing even on the Web.com Tour, his vast experience and undoubted quality should just about be enough to hang on to a top-125 spot.

Carlos Ortiz

Approaching five years since this Mexican talent earned battlefield promotion with three Web.com Tour wins during a year which told us two things: that he's deadly when in the mix, but struggles to find any level of consistency. That means he's under immense pressure every time he makes a cut at PGA Tour level and so far he's struggled, with a solitary top-10 finish coming on home soil way back in 2014.

Only 27 though and the biggest positive to come from his 2018 season must sure have been the string of cuts he made after a mid-summer eighth in Kansas, perhaps suggesting that he's found the key to life as a touring professional. Possible that things just happened too soon at the start of the decade, even though he did keep his card for a year, and could be better prepared this time. One to watch.

Wyndham Clark

Long been earmarked as a potential star and can take inspiration from Aaron Wise, whose spot he filled at Oregon when Wise decided to turn pro ahead of time. For Clark, it was reward after a period of struggle, which included losing his mother while at Oklahoma State.

By all accounts that had a profound impact on Clark and threatened to derail his career altogether but thanks, he says, to his faith, he got back on the right path and that now means a PGA Tour card. All being well he should be around for a long time, with a power-packed game and lauded imagination assets which should take him a long way.

Patience is required here, but Clark is expected to prove an almighty talent in time.

Adam Long

Been around a little while now and yet to make all that much of an impact, although opened PGA Tour career with an encouraging 66 in the Safeway Open, where his approach play and putting were both solid.

Had previously dabbled with the European Tour Q-School process, eliminated at the second stage, and looks like he'll need to take his game to a new level to be competitive.

Julian Etulain

Turned professional a decade ago and quickly established himself in South America, but it took until this year for a Web.com Tour breakthrough. That came in Louisiana, where various compatriots have played well before for one reason or another, so watch for him in the Zurich Classic if he can find a spot in the field and a willing partner not named Angel Cabrera.

No great shakes on previous PGA Tour attempt in 2017 but did bag some top-30 finishes, typically in the south once more, so the loss of the FedEx St Jude Classic as a regular-season event is a blow. Still, watch for him popping up at some point in a low-key affair.

Chris Thompson

The old man of the party at 42, having toiled for years on minor tours before coming through Qualifying School at the end of 2017, and then enjoying a three-week run of top-five finishes to make it, at last, to the PGA Tour.

It's a phenomenal achievement, a triumph for perseverance, and he puts much of the success down to a chance link-up with aspiring caddie, Chevy. Let's hope they can keep the dream alive. You can read more about him at the foot of the page.

Joey Garber

Locks to rival Tommy Fleetwood and still has the potential to have a similar impact on the course, having won and graduated from the Web.com Tour at the first attempt following a few quiet years finding his feet.

Once enjoyed a spell as the top-ranked college golfer while at the University of Georgia and credits his turnaround in 2018 to a putter he borrowed from friend Ben Kohles, whose success was more immediate but, so far, less prolonged.

PGA Tour site says he "takes pride in penmanship and still writes in cursive" so there's another reason to root for a player who, like many, has made his home on Sea Island. Despite that he's from Michigan so will be desperate to play well at the new 3M Open in July.

Brady Schnell

One of the older graduates at 33, Schnell's progress has nevertheless been rapid over the last 18 months or so. It started with back-to-back wins on the Latin America Tour, which helped earn a Web.com Tour card. From there, while struggling for large spells he enjoyed a hot three-week spell in summer which included victory in Kansas, where he toughed it out in a three-man play-off.

Hit plenty of greens and putted well last year but expectations should still be kept fairly low as he feels his way at this altogether higher level.

Roberto Castro

Straight-hitting, deep-thinking lover of quality music who will always be welcome in my house. Loves Italy, apparently, but not sure how that'll help him keep his card. No doubt he has the quality though, despite an old-fashioned, short-hitting game which is always vulnerable in the modern sport.

Still, when the putter fires he's capable of absurdly low numbers, usually on courses others are struggling with, and if everything clicks at the right time he could earn his rights for 2020 with one almighty effort. Yet to win but he's good enough to change that.

Hank Lebioda

A remarkable success story having battled Crohn's disease en route to the PGA Tour. Along the way, he picked up a win on the Canadian Tour - by a whopping eight shots - and among his notable achievements at Web.com Tour level was climbing from 140th to second in the Rex Hospital Open.

Looks a solid all-rounder but whether he's quite ready for this remains to be seen although, clearly, he's used to defying the odds.

Still to come in this series...

Web Finalists

Completing our look at the Web.com Tour graduates is a rundown of those who came through the Finals.

The Graduates

Like The Grads, but European. Here we'll take a look at the Challenge Tour graduates in an attempt to uncover which are best equipped for the rise in grade.

The Schoolboys

A detailed look at those to earn their European Tour cards at Final Stage Qualifying School, which concludes on November 15.

Back On Track

Which players might be set to get their careers moving back in the right direction during the next 12 or so months? Find out here.

At The Top

Finally, we'll grade the world's top 50 players on their achievements in 2018 and profile the world's top 10, plus one or two more besides.

Sources

Various sources were used including the work of Adam Stanley, Will Gray, Jason Sobel and others. All can be found on twitter.

Click here to read about Sam Burns via nola.com. There's a feature on Chris Thompson here, while Sean Foley talks Cameron Champ here.

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