Through the end of June, two American players younger than 30 had won for the first time on the PGA Tour this year: Nick Watney at New Orleans and Hunter Mahan at Hartford. Only one U.S. player under 30 -- Charles Howell III -- has won more than once in his career. Why hasn't a young American emerged with the potential to be special along the lines of Sergio Garcia or Adam Scott?
Sure the competition is strong. It isn't easy to build multiple-win seasons in the era of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and with strong international players. But it's more than that. Young American players don't have the confidence that was common among young players in the 1970s and '80s. Guys like Lanny Wadkins, Tom Watson, Hubert Green, Curtis Strange and Payne Stewart had a boldness bordering on cockiness that enabled them to finish on Sunday. Their desire to set themselves apart made difficult accomplishments possible. MickeIson showed this quality when he came along 15 years ago, but with the exception of Tiger, nobody has shown it since. This desire is something I wish more young Americans would develop and sustain.
