One Wild Ride
Life on the Web.com tour is about to get really interesting
CHESSON HADLEY
FROM: Raleigh, N.C.BIO: Hadley, 26, is a former All-American at Georgia Tech. He had a win and a second-, third- and sixth-place finish in a five- tournament stretch this year.'When you watch PGA Tour events, you see guys you know. It's like, "Man, I played college golf against him. I beat him like a drum." That tells you you're very close to getting to the next level.'
BHAVIK PATEL
FROM: Bakersfield, Calif.BIO: Patel, 22, won the 2011 California State Amateur and the 2012 Southern California Amateur, and then made it through four stages of qualifying to earn his Web.com Tour card in 2012. The California native's parents were born in India.'It's like a college dorm or a fraternity out here. But make no mistake: This is big-boy golf. Everyone can flat-out play.'
HUDSON SWAFFORD
FROM: Lakeland, Fla.BIO: Swafford, 25, was teammates with PGA Tour winners Russell Henley and Harris English at the University of Georgia. He won the 2012 Stadion Classic on the Web.com Tour and missed earning a PGA Tour card by about $2,700 last year.'Every dollar counts out here. A lot of people don't see this aspect of being a tour pro—living out of your suitcase, driving to events, sharing hotel rooms. I haven't been home since the second week of May because you can't afford to miss an event if you want to get into the top 25 on the money list.'
MEEN-WHEE KIM
FROM: Seoul, South KoreaBIO: Kim, 21, was the gold medalist at the 2010 Asian Games in China. He also defeated Kevin Na in a playoff to win the 2012 Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea and was the rookie of the year on the Korean Tour.'How good is this tour? I thought it would be similar to the Asian Tour or European Tour, but on this tour, the players are playing at a higher level. You have to work even harder, but I know that it's making me better.'