For goodness' sake, some Tour veterans have socks older than young rookies like Matt Kuchar, David Gossett and Charles Howell III and a two-year vet Sergio Garcia. Anyway, the point is these precocious young golfers have proven that they can take on anyone, regardless of age, at any given event.
Kuchar, who was featured in this space on October 5th after his runner-up finish at the Texas Open, played this year on the PGA Tour without a full-time PGA Tour membership. Thanks to an excellent Fall Finish in which he ended up eighth overall, Kuchar, 23, has earned the playing privilege on the Tour for 2002. He has displayed in the past majors that his game is ready for this level, and now with struggles of a typical young pro behind him, look for Kuchar to make some noise on the Tour in the future.
Gossett, 1999 U.S. Amateur champion, is the only one among the aforementioned rookie group with a Tour victory on the season, which came at the John Deere Classic. Not only did he earn the exemption on the Tour through 2003, Gossett also became the first golfer since Tiger Woods in 1996 to win on the Tour playing under a sponsor's exemption. After a stellar collegiate career that included First-Team All-American honours at the University of Texas, Gossett stumbled on his first steps to the professional stage. He missed cuts in all seven events he played as a pro and had to go through the dreaded Qualifying School, where even his 59 in the fourth round didn't give him a spot on the PGA Tour.
Instead, Gossett ended up on the Buy.com Tour, which is equivalent of a minor league affiliate to the PGA Tour. Sponsor's exemptions got him in about 15 PGA Tour events, and although he only made eight cuts, the win at John Deere was more than good enough. Gossett had only one other top 10, however, and unless he develops into a more consistent performer, the life on the Tour won't be that easy for the 22-year-old.
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