Our definition of the word “sleeper” has changed through the years – this year, we’re going with any golfer younger than 30 who hasn’t won a US PGA Tour event or qualified for the Tour Championship – but our penchant for picking guys before they truly breakout as stars hasn’t. OK, so there have been plenty of whiffs along the way, and some of our past picks (like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau) were no-brainers. But there also have been others like Jimmy Walker in 2013 and Aaron Wise last year who have made us look good (thanks, guys). Anyway, here’s who we’re predicting (in no particular order) to have big seasons in 2018-’19.
Beau Hossler
It almost feels like cheating to include Beau on this list for a second consecutive year, but technically, he still meets our criteria. However, no one mentioned here came as close to a title as Hossler, who basically had a victory stolen from him at the Houston Open by Ian Poulter. But for a young man who putts this well (Hossler finished fourth on tour in strokes gained/putting as a rookie), there will be plenty more opportunities.
Joaquin Niemann
It took this 19-year-old Chilean just five starts this past season to earn a special temporary membership on the PGA Tour. Then he needed only three more to lock up full playing privileges for this coming season. Niemann is both the youngest golfer on this list (he turns 20 in November) and the one who most screams future superstar.
Sam Burns
Golf fans got their first good look at this former college star when he outplayed Tiger Woods in the final round of the 2018 Honda Classic. The resulting T-8 was one of several successful tour cameos, but he spent most of his time this past year finishing fourth on the Web .com Tour’s regular-season moneylist. With full playing privileges for the first time, expect to see the 22-year-old in more late-Sunday pairings this season.
Cameron Champ
What a name, what a talent. Able to produce ball speeds of more than 190 miles per hour, Champ arguably will be the longest hitter on the PGA Tour as a rookie. But he’s not just a bomber. While averaging 391 yards (Yes, 391 yards) off the tee during the Web .com Tour’s Utah Championship, Champ, 23, also hit two-thirds of the fairways on his way to picking up his first pro win. Previously, this Sean Foley student drew notoriety as an amateur when he was T-8 through two rounds at the 2017 US Open. With his jaw-dropping power, Champ should be an instant fan favourite on tour.
Cameron Davis
Another long-hitting Cameron, this 23-year-old Aussie was eighth on the Web .com Tour in driving distance (320.5 yards, 293.1 metres), third in putting average and second in birdie average. His rookie season on the developmental tour also included a Nashville Open win and finishing sixth on the Web .com Tour Finals moneylist. But his biggest win came back here at last year’s Australian Open.
Sungjae Im
The South Korean won the opening event of the 2018 Web .com Tour season and never relinquished the top spot on the moneylist, capping his fantastic year with a second win at the regular-season finale. In addition to that pair of four-shot victories, Im also had three runner-ups to earn a whopping $US534,326. Again, that’s on the secondary tour. Yeah, we’d be flashing a thumbs-up as well. Making Im’s accomplishment even more impressive is that he turned 20 in March and is the second-youngest player on this list behind Joaquin Niemann.
Abraham Ancer
The surprise 54-hole leader at the Dell Technologies Championship in the FedEx Cup Playoffs should become a more familiar name on the leaderboard after a second PGA Tour season in which he finished strong. Even with a disappointing Monday in Boston, Ancer’s T-7 was one of three top-10s over his final eight starts thanks in large part to his improved driving. The 27-year-old Mexican is only listed at 5-foot-7 and 73 kilograms, but he has plenty of pop as evidenced by ranking 41st in strokes gained/off-the-tee.
Julian Suri
A European Tour winner in 2017, Suri played a split schedule in 2018, but managed to make nine cuts in the 10 US PGA Tour starts he made. A T-8 at the Houston Open was his best result in the US, but he also finished T-19 at the PGA Championship. Since Suri, 27, didn’t finish in the top 25 of Web .com Tour Finals (35th), he’ll play on multiple tours again, but that won’t keep him from capitalising on US Tour opportunities.
Denny McCarthy
A former Junior Ryder Cupper with Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas and a former Walker Cupper with Bryson DeChambeau and Beau Hossler. McCarthy, 25, will get a second full season playing against his old teammates on the main tour after winning the Web .com Tour Championship in dominant fashion. Considering how well he played with his job on the line, we’re guessing his second go-round in the big leagues produces more than four top-25s and one top-10.
Kramer Hickok
Just when that whole Jordan Spieth-Justin Thomas best buddy narrative was dying down, golf fans will undoubtedly get sick of hearing about Hickok, 26, being a former roommate of Spieth’s after he graduated from the University of Texas. That’s where the two also played together on the golf team before Spieth put down the books and started picking up Major trophies. Now this geography major might just find his way to a PGA Tour winner’s circle as well after finishing second on the Web .com Tour’s regular-season moneylist in 2018.
C.T. Pan
Pan, 26, nearly made himself ineligible for this list with a win at the PGA Tour regular-season finale in Greensboro, but was undone by a disastrous double-bogey on the 72nd hole that dropped him to T-2. He added a T-4 at the Dell Technologies Championship and finished 35th in the FedEx Cup standings, nearly qualifying for the Tour Championship. A former world No.1 amateur during his time at the University of Washington, Pan certainly has the pedigree to be a star.
