Whether the PGA Tour youngsters are in Scotland or Kentucky, they continue to pull the focus and show the bright future of golf.
Welcome to Playing Through’s morning ritual — Golf Talk Today.
Each morning will feature a Golf Talk Today, where the crew will discuss various elements throughout professional golf.
If the last few weeks on the PGA Tour have told us anything, it is that the young studs are taking over professional golf.
This group of players, spanning back to the Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland class, continues to provide what the future looks like.
However, it is not just that class of “young” players pulling themselves to the forefront of the storylines. The last few weeks have seen so many golfers in their early to mid 20s dominating.
Pierceson Coody shot an 11-under 61 in Kentucky Thursday at the ISCO Championship, while Ludvig Åberg is getting saucy in Scotland at the Genesis Scottis Open.
Before we get to most of the youngsters playing in the Bluegrass State this week, I wanted to take a moment and brag on the former Texas Tech Red Raider.
The young Swedish phenom has caught the golf world’s attention since he earned his PGA Tour status last year through the PGA Tour University route. He did not take that opportunity for granted.
Åberg went from being virtually unknown to being one of the hottest commodities on Tour. A win on both the DP World Tour and in the States shows he has what it takes to create a long career in golf.
The best part — the 25-year-old remains as humble as ever. He loves what he does and never wants to lose that passion for golf. That drive is one of the many things that make him likable — plus his absolutely gorgeous swing is pretty nice to watch.
He and Hovland give off these good guy vibes that make you want to have a beer and chat for hours.
Despite being young, they understand the importance of the game and why they are the future. Those two are exceptional, and the next five to 10 years with them on Tour will be fantastic to watch.
Now to the true “youngsters” stealing the thunder. Coody shot his personal best by two shots. The 24-year-old worked his way onto the PGA Tour, but that performance on Thursday just forced me to add him to the list. It’s truly wild to see these young guys destroy courses like that.
Luke Clanton is also in the field. He shot a 2-under 70 Thursday but came into the week as the outright favorite. An amateur as the outright betting pick is wild. However, his play the last few weeks has been mind-boggling to watch. For someone to be 20 years old and that talented is what this game needs.
Michael Thorbjornsen is another who continues to just drop jaws. His play last week on Sunday saw him record his best PGA Tour finish yet. While he shot a 1-over 73 at the ISCO Championship, he is still in this group.
Davis Thompson won last week’s John Deere Classic, and the strong play continued in Scotland.
These young guys are putting the pressure on the PGA Tour veterans and it is exciting to watch unfold.
Who is your favorite “youngster” playing in professional golf right now? Sound off below in the comments.
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Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
