First of all hello, I haven't posted here for a wee while (December 13), so all the very best of luck to you all for 2018 with health and happiness at the top of the list !!
Yesterday Brooke Henderson capped off a solid year winning the Bobby Rosenfeld award as Canada's female athlete of the year for the second time, with 35 of 63 votes. She had 2 wins and 8 top 10's, was 6th on the money list with over $1.5m, and ended up 13th in the world rankings.
She and Adam Hadwin were atop the Canadian pro stories. Adam of course had his best PGA season with his first win in March at the Valspar Championhip after shooting a magical 59 in the desert at La Quinta at the old Bob Hope. He qualified for the Masters (T36), played in the Presidents Cup, got married, went on honeymoon and bought a new house !!
Probably the biggest story for golf, came at the end of the year in the Bahama's where Tiger held his annual Hero World Challenge, a golfing holiday for 18 invitees which Tiger turned into world wide news by playing decently and declaring himself fit to return to golf in 2018.
For me this year was all about young guns showing up to take win after win in the absence of any dominant play by the big 4 of Jordan Spieth (Open Championship), Rory McIlroy (injury), Jason Day and Dustin Johnson, who all had their moments but didn't dominate.
Justin Thomas was the biggest winner of those new young guns, winning the Fed Ex Cup along with 5 tournaments including the PGA Championship, shooting 59 at the Sony in Hawaii, and setting a US Open single round record of 63 at Erin Hills, and of course was part of the USA Team that routed the Internationals at the Presidents Cup. He begins this season in Hawaii ranked #3 in the world.
Sergio Garcia had his career year with that final majors break through winning the Masters, and finally getting married and his wife is expecting their first baby.
Other young guns who won big time were Sergio's countryman Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka (US Open), Jordan Spieth (Open Championship), MacKenzie Hughes (RSM Classic Nov. 2016), Kim Si Woo (Players), Xander Schauffele (Greenbrier, Tour Championship), Bryson DeChambeau (John Deere) just to name a few.
England's Tommy Fleetwood hung on to win the Race to Dubai by a shot over Justin Rose who was the hottest golfer in the world during October and November with 3 wins.
On the LPGA the Asian girls were atop the leaderboard more than any other nationality, but it was American Lexi Thomson who won the CME Race to the Globe despite missing a 2 foot putt, but will be remembered for losing the ANA Inspiration by a television viewer who emailed in to say she hadn't marked a tap in putt accurately.
Another big story as a result is that world golf authorities have since created a ruling banning the outcome of tournaments to be decided by television viewers call or writing in.
Despite the phenomenal games of so many of the young guys who all just hit the present day ball miles, making most par 5's obsolete, TV ratings for golf have not reflected their brilliance, so Tiger's announced return has the PGA Tour, their sponsors and all the TV networks giddy. His persona win or lose draws an extra 30% of viewers who simply don't tune in whatever shape his game is in.
Whether this is good or bad for the game is debateable and that's one of the things I will be doing in 2018.
There are 6 Canadians playing exempt on the PGA Tour next year, Graham DeLaet, Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor, MacKenzie Hughes, Ben Silverman, Corey Connors and David Hearn who does not have exempt status but will get into around 15 events.
So the 2018 season which began with the wrap around back in October resumes in Hawaii at Kapalua on January 4 and I'll be back with a preview in the New Year.
All the best my friends,
Bryan Angus
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