Five Golfers Set For a Major Breakthrough in 2015 #golf

Golf for Beginners is always on the lookout for insightful opinions and, when Craig Simpkin wanted to share a blog on five of the top professional golfers set for a breakthrough this year, how could we resist? Here is Craig's take on a few golf pros that you may, or may not, have heard of and why these players have what it takes to win.

Enjoy the article!
*************

With both the PGA and European Tours now in full swing, we’ve cast our net far and wide to find the players ready to take on Rory McIlroy for golfing dominance in 2015 and challenge the World Number one in the markets for this year’s majors.

Rickie Fowler

You could argue that Rickie Fowler has already made his breakthrough on the pro circuit following an incredible amateur career. Currently ranked 12th in the overall World Golf Ranking, Fowler has been a major tournament contender (tied for 5th-2014 Masters) but has yet to find himself in the winner’s enclosure. Rickie's clothes show spunk - this could well be his year.

The American is the only player in golfing history to record top-5 finishes in all of the four majors, while enjoying ten top-10 finishes in all during a fantastic 2014 campaign. His performances at the Open Championship and the PGA Championship, where he finished two shots behind eventual winner Rory McIlroy, highlight just how close he is.

With only one PGA Tour win to his name, Fowler has enlisted the services of Butch Harmon to help take his game to the next level. That could well be the added ingredient he needs to complete a winning recipe.

Jordan Spieth / Rickie Fowler

Jordan Spieth

It’s fair to say that Jordan Spieth announced his arrival on the golfing scene with aplomb in 2013/14, and so this year he’ll be hoping to go from ‘hot young prospect’ (and hit with the ladies) to bonafide major winner.

Spieth was within a whisker of becoming the youngest Masters champion in history at Augusta – leading the field by two shots at one point during the final round. He was eventually usurped by Bubba Watson, and, at just twenty-one, is the tournament’s youngest ever runner-up.

A flash in the pan? No chance! In November, Spieth won two tournaments, shooting a course-record at the Australian Open to win by six clear shots, and then just one week later he shot a mind-boggling -26 to claim the Hero World Challenge in Orlando.

Shane Lowry

The latest player off the Irish conveyor belt of talent is Shane Lowry, and the 27-year-old enjoyed his best year on the tour to date in 2014 with seven top-10 finishes securing him a tenth-place finish on the Race to Dubai ladder.

His finest hour came at the BMW PGA Championship, where he carded -13 to finish in second place - one stroke behind the champion McIlroy. That performance was the catalyst for a catalogue of top twenty finishes – including T-9 at The Open - that would fire Lowry into the world’s top 50.

Hideki Matsuyama

Another young gun making waves is Hideki Matsuyama. With top-10 finishes at three of the majors to date, the 22-year-old is already showing that he has the technique and belief to remain in the mix for big tournaments heading into the final day.

In 2014, Hideki secured his first win on the PGA Tour at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio and that helped him rise up the world rankings to a heady 13th position. 

With six other top-25 finishes in Tour events last season, Matsuyama clearly has the all-around game to make a more sustained breakthrough in 2015.

Branden Grace

South African Branden Grace has started the 2014/15 campaign like a runaway train; lifting two trophies – including a sublime -19 to triumph in the Qatar Masters - and finishing in the top-20 in three others.

They say that winning becomes a habit, and Grace is certainly displaying all the hallmarks at the moment. His numbers are up in 2015 too; he’s added an average of ten yards to his drive and his ‘greens in regulation’ stat is at 75% - a career high.

While his record in majors isn’t the best – he’s only achieved one top-25 finish in his career thus far – there’s enough evidence to suggest that the improving Grace now has the belief to kick it up a notch and become a major player on the tour.


About Craig Simpkin: 

Craig is a UK-based freelance writer and keen golf enthusiast whose
work can be found at Unibet and the Sabotage times, amongst many other sites

Do you agree that one of these five golfers will make a major breakthrough this year? Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners or on this blog!

photo: The Local Golfer

Autographed Book Giveaway by Author James Ross - Shari's Shot

Intrigue, shaken not stirred, craftily blended into the backdrop of a high-end private golf course - my kind of chicanery! I am currently in the middle of the sixth book in a series written by accomplished writer James Ross whose previous works include Pabby's Score and Opur's Blade.

A brief excerpt of Shari's Shot can be read on James Ross's website but, suffice it to say, I'm hooked...and you can be too! In brief, the setting is "Prairie Winds Golf Course which sits high atop the Mississippi river bluffs east of St. Louis." The cast of characters include a real estate tycoon, his spendthrift wife Shari Daniels-Donnelly (title character) as well as a cast of dramatis personae who build suspense and discord among the Missouri elite.

Ross is giving away several autographed copies of Shari's Shot on GoodReads.com - giveaway dates are Feb 23 - Mar 18, 2015 with copies ready to be won and enjoyed!

Enter to win today and post your comments about the book on this Golf for Beginners blog page!


A note about author James Ross: 

When he is not writing, Jim is out looking for a golf game around town or traveling to some warm weather destination to enjoy life. A graduate of the University of Missouri - Columbia, Jim is a licensed real estate broker and resides in the suburbs of St. Louis.

@ATTProAm and Pebble Beach Cultivate Camaraderie, Generosity and Robot Technology #ATTBlogger #ATTProAm

This past week at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, there were several stories in place other than professionals and teams playing for the win: one story was about a foursome's journey to uncover what really goes on behind-the-scenes at one of the most exciting golf events on the PGA Tour.

Probably the most memorable part of the journey was interacting with celebrities and professional golfers up-close-and-personal, something that most people dream of including this blogger (one day I will meet Phil Mickelson!)

Blushing teenager Katie Horsford received her wish to meet her hero Jordan Spieth. "The AT&T National Pro-Am is special because it brings together pros and amateurs and celebrities and people like us who are fans."

Got to meet Jordan Spieth today!!! Definitely can say, BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!! @JordanSpieth #ATTBLOGGER #ATTProAm pic.twitter.com/plIJaMzMFV
— Katie Horsford (@kthorsford) February 11, 2015

Dan McLaughlin hopes to play here one day as a professional and "Getting a glimpse of what the players are doing to prepare for this tournament is huge for me."

Celebrities are customary at the AT&T National Pro-Am but charitable giving is an avenue in which this tournament shines its brightest, having raised over $120 million dollars during its thirty-year tenure. The Foursome visited one of these charities, the Veterans Transition Center of Monterey County, which supports homeless veterans and their families.

"Before I came here, I had no idea a golf tournament could have this type of impact on a community," said Tiffany Fitzgerald of Black Girls Golf. "It's pretty inspiring."

Foursome member Tim Lang, a Marine who lost his leg during an explosion, felt a personal connection, "It's just a great example of veterans helping veterans, leaving no one behind."

From being led on a personal tour of Pebble Beach by the course historian to tackling the latest technology at the Golf Academy, the Foursome, and those interacting via social media, received a perspective that very few get to watch. Each member of the group received four lessons with different instructors...and a robot!

"What surprised me most today is where technology has taken golf," mentioned Katie who, as part of the Foursome, was given a very special lesson with a robot "instructor" at the Pebble Beach Golf Academy and Practice Facility. "There's a robot that can make you swing like a specific golfer."

"I was kind of afraid of the robot, said Tiffany Fitzgerald, "because you have to let everything go - you have to let it control you." Although it may sound frightening, when Tiffany was asked to hit a golf ball afterwards with her eyes closed in a simulator, the results were outstanding (check out her swing in the video below!)

Foursome member, Tim, made the most of the tech within the practice facility, "The robot's pretty strong - you can't fight it," continuing with "golfers really love technology because it gives them the edge over their competitors."   ... hashtag awesome, Tim!

The experience shared by the foursome is now in the history books but, thanks to the internet, can be remembered with the click of a mouse. A parting confession from Tiffany recounts, "I came to Pebble Beach to share my experience with others and help get other people excited about golf and I think I did that." You sure did, Tiff and we thank you for giving fans an insider's look at this awesome tournament!


Walk inside-the-ropes with this video of the Foursome at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am:



This post is in partnership with AT&T. All opinions are my own. Voice your opinion on this blog or on @Golf4Beginners.