PGA Tour Year in Review--Part III: Surprises© Jeeho Yoo
Nov 23, 2001
Following is a list of some of the surprising players on this year’s Tour. (Note: This list excludes those who have been featured before, such as John Daly, David Toms and José Coceres.)
- Chris DiMarco: A decent Tour pro until 2001, DiMarco burst on to the scene with 10th-place finish at the Masters, which he led after two rounds. His career-best season included nine other top-10s and a playoff win over David Duval at the Buick Challenge. Using the infamous claw putting grip (with proper left hand but having his right thumb pointing upward on a long putter), DiMarco rode through the momentum and confidence from his Masters showing and remained a consistent threat throughout the season. If that bizarre putting grip holds up, DiMarco will be a fixture on future Ryder Cup teams and win a major some time soon.
- Joe Durant: Here is a guy who caught fire in spring, with two victories and three other top-10s in the first 12 events, but faded into obscurity the rest of the year by missing nine of his next 13 cuts. That futility streak cost Durant, otherwise a solid golfer, a berth on the Ryder Cup team. His poor performance in the latter half of the season also precluded him from being one of captain’s picks. With such a deep talent pool of youngsters, it is doubtful that inconsistent Durant will break out again. Yet there’s no denying Durant’s perseverance after suffering assorted injuries in 1999.
- Scott Hoch: This 22-year Tour veteran had the finest season of his career, winning twice and earning nearly $3 million (all figures U.S.). Hoch also joined his second Ryder Cup squad thanks to his remarkable success this year. The soon-to-be 46-year-old excelled at an age when many other veterans begin folding, and his win at Western Open over young Sergio Garcia certainly made a statement for all 40-somethings on the Tour; We’re not ready to go to the Senior Tour just yet.
- Bernhard Langer: Another player in his 40s who had a great season, German stalwart Langer didn’t play often on the PGA Tour but played very well when he did. Of his seven top-10s, four came at The Players Championship, the Masters, the Open Championship and the Tour Championship. His equally impressive two-win season on the European Tour put him on his 10th Ryder Cup squad. This 43-year-old is still physically fit, and one look at his physique will have observers feeling Langer will compete for another several years.
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