Since when did covering the international golf scene turn into something more like an assignment for Teen Beat magazine?
This week alone, 18-year-old Paula Creamer earned her sixth top 10 of the season, 17-year-old Morgan Pressel petitioned the LPGA Tour to drop its age minimum just for her and 15-year-old Michelle Wie came within two strokes of making us rename this column the Wie-kly 18.
All of which makes 22-year-old John Deere Classic winner Sean O'Hair seem like a grizzled veteran.
But the Weekly 18 starts with defending British Open champion Todd Hamilton, a guy who left his youth long ago but may still have his best golf -- believe it or not -- ahead of him.
1. Todd almighty
He earned an exemption into last year's third major just before the event began. He played solid, mistake-free golf for four rounds and then went toe-to-toe with Ernie Els in a playoff and won.
And yet, is there a less heralded Open champion in recent memory than Hamilton?
Think about it: Ben Curtis was the guy who came out of nowhere, Paul Lawrie reaped the benefit of Jean Van de Velde's folly and Ian Baker-Finch was an up-and-comer when he grabbed the Claret Jug. But Hamilton simply scooped up his first major title and then took the large silver cup back home to Texas, showed it to some friends and kept going about his usual business.
So it goes without saying that if you're searching for a dark horse to sneak up on the world's elite and contend at St. Andrews, look no further than … Todd Hamilton.
While 30 of the world's top 32 players eschewed the PGA Tour this week (only No. 10 David Toms and No. 16 Stewart Cink competed), most in favor of honing their game in Scotland, the 44th-ranked Hamilton was busy toiling away near his boyhood home in Silvis, Ill., finishing T-13 at the John Deere. It's the same winning strategy that he used last year, when a T-59 at the pre-British event gave no clue that Hamilton was on the verge of something major.
Here are some other numbers that aren't exactly screaming back-to-back British Open champion: In 20 events on tour this season, Hamilton has reached the weekend 14 times but owns only four top 25s and, astonishingly, no top 10s. In fact, his T-13 at the John Deere was his top finish so far this season.
Still, don't count him out. While you'll hear plenty about prohibitive favorite Tiger Woods, fan favorite Phil Mickelson and fate favorite Els this week, Hamilton's still the champ until somebody knocks him off. Besides, we kind of think he likes being the dark horse. It's worked for him before and just might again this week.
2. Master Michelle?
Are you sick of the ongoing Wie media coverage that's been evident throughout the past week? You ain't seen nothing yet. Maybe. That's because Wie is competing this week in the U.S. Men's Amateur Public Links championship. A win in the 154-player field traditionally earns an exemption into the next year's Masters Tournament. What in the name of Martha Burk will Hootie and the boys down in Augusta do if this possibility becomes reality? You've got to think they'd embrace the young superstar for earning her way into the major rather than risk a PR nightmare by failing to issue an invitation.
3. Teen dreams
Outgoing LPGA Tour commisioner Ty Votaw finds himself in a precarious predicament these days. One of several talented amateur teens in women's game, Pressel petitioned the tour this week to allow her to join prior to her 18th birthday, which is the current age minimum. There's no reason Pressel won't be granted this exemption -- after all, two years ago Aree Song was given a similar dispensation as a 17-year-old and Pressel has shown equal or better poise both on and off the course. The next question is, when does the cycle stop? Some recent reports have said Wie will turn pro after her 16th birthday this October. She's obviously shown she is capable of competing on tour and would surely be a boost to its marketing appeal. But how about Carmen Bandea, the 15-year-old wunderkind golfer and tennis player who like Pressel has already issued a petition of her own? Or the next up-and-coming 12-year-old who decides to make a go of it on the professional circuit? It will be interesting to see if the tour continues to see these issues on a case-by-case basis. Its other options are simply to adhere to the current age requirement (which would mean Wie could not be a full-time member until 2008) or abolish it altogether, paving the way for all teens to compete on tour.
4. Pressing on
Speaking of Pressel, she sounds wise beyond her years and makes a terrific case for why she should be allowed to play full-time on tour. "People go to college to figure out what they want to do and get a decent job," she told Trey Wingo on SportsCenter this past Saturday. "I can get a great job right now, right out here because this is what I want to do with my life." Perhaps if prep superstars like Greg Oden and O.J. Mayo made similar claims to NBA commish David Stern, they would be able to petition that league's recent age requirement, too.
5. Happy birthday to me
We're guessing it will be a pretty happy birthday for O'Hair on Monday. He'll wake up as the owner of more than $1.7 million on tour so far this year, the leading contender in the race for rookie of the year and, perhaps most importantly, has secure employment through the 2007 season. His win at the John Deere comes less than two months after losing at the Byron Nelson by one stroke. How did he do it? By finishing third in driving distance, T-7 in driving accuracy and T-2 in greens in regulation. He also made only three bogeys in four rounds (and nothing worse than bogey all week) and eight birdies, 16 pars and no bogeys in his final 24 holes.
http://www.preciousgolf.com/
6. Hank's bankroll
We've said it before and we'll say it again: If anyone can figure out Hank Kuehne, call us. Please. One of the longest bombers on tour, Kuehne's game looked like it was rounding into form during the '04 season, as he finished 99th on the money list and kept his card for the second straight year. Then the calendar changed and, well, it seemed Kuehne's game changed with it. Entering the John Deere, he had entered 20 events, missing the cut in 12 and withdrawing from two others. His highest finish was a T-21 in New Orleans and he ranked a dismal 180th on the money list. That's when he came to the TPC at http://www.golfzonejp.com/ Deere Run and seemingly found his game again. Kuehne's T-2 finish was enough to garner $352,000 -- or roughly $213,000 more than he made in his previous 20 starts. With just one more top 10 finish he'll just about be able to secure a card for '06, too.
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