Up until very recently, the PGA tour was the only show in town when it came to elite-level golf. And it remains the standard by which others are measured. This year, the PGA tour has been especially exciting, with huge moments and stunning spectacle dazzling fans the world over.
The 2022 US Masters saw an increased total purse, with Scottie Scheffler banking $2.7 million after his stunning victory there. Rory McIlroy achieved an impressive 4-under 16 in the fourth round to secure the FedEx Cup.
Who to look out for
So, which up-and-coming golfers are worth paying attention to? Let’s take a look at a few golfers that are turning heads.
Justin Thomas
Justin Thomas scooped a prize fund of $15 million with his victory at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 2022 he won the PGA Championship, which was his second major title and fifteenth career win on the Tour. This makes him the sixty-fourth player to rack up fifteen wins.
Thomas is known for preferring older fairway woods, in combination with a more modern driver. The oldest in his bag is a Titleist 915fd, with its nineteen-degree loft. The American has been using Titlist clubs and balls for as long as he’s been playing professional golf. In late 2021 he played the CJ cup with prototype clubs, so it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see a change soon.
Scottie Scheffler
The aforementioned Scheffler scooped the Jack Nicklaus award in 2022, having been named the player of the year. He’s accrued four PGA titles in just six starts; this included his first major title at Augusta. He’s gotten to the position of world number-one and stayed there right up to the end of the season. He’s the first player since Tiger Woods in 2008 to win four out of six, which makes him extremely promising at the relatively sprightly age of twenty-six. Having just missed out on the FedEx Cup, he’ll be sure to come back stronger next year.
Scheffler’s bag has remained fairly consistent. He signed a contract this year with his signing of a contract with TaylorMade Golf, before which he was a free agent.
Patrick Cantlay
Thirty-year-old Californian Cantlay won two events in 2022, including the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He finished the FedEx Cup in seventh. His successful defence of the BMW Championship earned him his eighth career PGA tour title.
Cantlay started using a custom Scotty Cameron T5 butter late last year, and a new wedge from Titlist at the Masters. The latter features a t-grind on the sole, which makes it the manufacturer’s go-to option for minimising bounce.
