Our bold list of 10 lesser-known PGA Tour players we expect big things from in 2012
Seung-yul NohFor the past two years, the South Korean phenom has popped up in World Golf Championships and majors, but we'll see more of him in the U.S. in 2012 after the still-20-year old finished T-3 at Q School. The owner of one of the sweetest swings in the world, Noh won a European Tour event at the age of 18 in 2010, and he made the cut in all three majors in which he played last year.
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Bud CauleyIn just eight starts on the PGA Tour last year, the 21-year old made $735,150. How good is that? The University of Alabama star joined Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Justin Leonard, Ryan Moore, Scott Verplank and Gary Hallberg as the only players to go straight from college to the PGA Tour -- avoiding a trip to the dreaded Q School. Cauley enters the season as the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year.
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Jeff Overton"JO," aka "Boom baby!" (who can forget his primal scream at the Ryder Cup in Wales?) was a darling heading into last year after three runner-ups in 2010. His 2011 didn't go nearly as well, but don't forget about the Indiana University product. He played consistently, making 21 cuts in 26 starts. He just couldn't ever seem to put four great rounds together, resulting in his 74th spot on the money list.
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Kevin ChappellChappell had an odd rookie year on the PGA Tour in 2011. Despite making the cut in only half of his 26 starts, he finished 66th on the money list thanks to three top-3 finishes, including a T-3 at the U.S. Open. Don't be surprised to see the streaky Californian get hot one week and pull out his first win in 2012.
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Kyle StanleySomehow his rounds of 65-67-65-66 weren't good enough to win the John Deere Classic. Oh right, Steve Stricker wins that event every year. Still, a first career runner-up did wonders for the 24-year-old Clemson product. He missed just one cut in his final 11 starts and added three more top 10s following his close call in Illinois to end the year 55th on the money list and 35th in scoring average.
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Greg ChalmersOK, we're cheating a little here since he won twice at the end of 2011 in his native Australia. Still, Chalmers has never won on the PGA Tour despite his 285 career starts. That could very well change in 2012 and it all starts with his prowess on the greens. The lefty has finished fifth on tour in strokes gained-putting in each of the last two seasons.
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Danny LeeThe former youngest winner ever of the U.S. Amateur (Breaking Tiger Woods' record that has since been broken by An Byeoung-hun) quickly picked up his first pro victory on the European Tour early in 2009, but struggled until finding his game last year on the Nationwide Tour. He led the developmental tour in scoring average, while finishing sixth on its money list, highlighted by a win at the WNB Golf Classic in October.
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Harris EnglishHow good of a prospect is the 22-year old from the University of Georgia? He picked up his first pro win at the Nationwide Tour's Children's Hospital Invitational before he even turned pro. After playing for the U.S. in the Walker Cup, English earned his PGA Tour card by finishing T-13 at Q School.
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Sang-Moon BaeThe 25-year-old South Korean won three times on Japan Tour in 2011 to reach as high as No. 30 in the Official World Golf Rankings. Despite his lofty status, he needed to earn his tour card though Q School, which he did with a T-11 finish. The winner of three other Asian Tour events made the cut at last year's U.S. Open.
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Jamie Lovemark2011 was a rough rookie season for the former college star at USC and youngest winner of the money title in Nationwide Tour history. He played poorly before a back injury cut his year short. Since he didn't make 10 starts, he regains his rookie status this year on a major medical exemption, but will have to make $633,473 (the amount that when added to his earnings last year would put him in the top 125 on the PGA Tour's 2011 money list) in 16 starts this year to keep his card. If he doesn't, well, he could wind up on this list next year for a third-straight time...
