One surprise of '09? Rookies shut out in win department

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Webb Simpson was among a select few q-school grads who kept his card in 2009.

Was this year's crop of rookies on the PGA TOUR inferior, or did it just seem that way because of the high standards set by the Class of 2008?

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It's kind of like going to high school and following in the footsteps of a big brother or sister who's smarter or prettier or more athletic. These guys had plenty of ability and did some nice things, but they didn't measure up to their older brothers.

The Class of 2008 included Andres Romero, Chez Reavie, Dustin Johnson and Marc Turnesa. They each won a tournament during their rookie year and established high standards for first-year success.

But the Class of 2009 didn't approach those standards. They failed to record a single victory, making it the first year a rookie hasn't won on the PGA TOUR since 1998.

Don't get the feeling that there were no bright spots among the first-year players, even though they failed to reach victory lane. There are a handful of first-timers who kept their cards and could become established PGA TOUR players.

The best of the 2009 lot was Marc Leishman, who finished strong enough to play his way into THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola. The big Australian wound up 47th on the money list thanks to three top-10s, including a tie for second at the BMW Championship.

"Just to get to the (Playoffs) was an achievement for me in my first year," Leishman said at East Lake. "And then to get here is just -- it's probably surpassed my goals a little bit."

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Marc Leishman finished tied for second at the BMW Championship after shooting 68-69 on the weekend.

• Webb Simpson started fast when he came out of the chute with two top-10s. But the former Wake Forest star lost his way in the middle of the season until a late-season rally enabled him to compete in the first three rounds of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. Because of his ability on the greens, Simpson is a low round waiting to happen, which could potentially make him the best threat among this year's rookies to win. His rookie results: No. 70 in earnings, $1.24 million.

• Jeff Klauk took a little longer to get to the PGA TOUR than some -- earning more than $1 million in seven years on the Nationwide Tour -- but he certainly proved he belonged in 2009. Klauk finished fourth three times and played in two events of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. He earned more than $1.2 million to land a comfortable 71st on the money list.

• James Nitties, another of the growing Australian contingent, had two top-10s. He tied for fourth at the FBR Open and tied for sixth at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, but after June, failed to finish inside the top 25. Still, he finished No. 92 and easily kept his card with winnings of $930,000.

• Bill Lunde, the old guy of the group at 34, performed his best at the beginning of the season (when he tied for sixth at Pebble Beach) and at the end of the season (when he tied for fourth at the Frys.com Open). In between, he made a lot of cuts -- but not a lot of money. Lunde was never really in a position to lose his card and he finished No. 102 on the money list with $825,000.

• Ricky Barnes, the 2002 U.S. Amateur champion, got most of his attention when he tied for second at the U.S. Open. Barnes didn't finish better than 39th from there out and missed six straight cuts at one point, but still managed to keep his card. Barnes was No. 120 on the money list, with $684,000 in winnings. Of that, $559,830 came from his run at Bethpage Black.

• The rookie class for the Champions Tour was pretty stout and included former major championship winners Steve Jones, Bob Tway, Tom Lehman, as well as Tom Pernice Jr., who won his debut on the over-50 circuit.

The importance of the PGA TOUR's Class of 2009 may also be diminished by the potentially strong group of rookies for the 2010 season. That contingent is led by Rory McIlroy, 20, who has already proven his ability on the European Tour and is considered by most to be the finest young player to come around since Sergio Garcia. McIlroy currently leads the European Tour's Order of Merit.

In addition to McIlroy, the Class of 2010 will likely include Rickie Fowler, Jamie Lovemark and Danny Lee. Fowler and Lovemark won more than $1 million between them after they became professionals in the fall and were in a playoff at the Frys.com Open that Troy Matteson eventually won. Lee, the former U.S. Amateur champion, won more than $350,000 on the PGA TOUR before running out of exemptions and spending the rest of the year on the European Tour.

Stan Awtrey is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR.