New face of golf turns heads at Torrey Pines
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents
LA JOLLA, Calif. -- Michael Sim had to introduce himself to one of his playing partners, Ben Crane, on the first tee before the two set off in Sunday's final threesome at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Once those pleasantries were exchanged, the 25-year-old Australian went about his business. Sim later said he was more nervous before that first tee shot at Torrey Pines than in any of his three Nationwide Tour victories last year.
"It was just different," Sim explained. "You're out there to try and win your first PGA TOUR event. ... I was very proud of how I handled myself out there today."
Many more days like Sunday and introductions might not be necessary. Sim tied for second with fellow Aussie Marc Leishman, who was last year's PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, and American Brandt Snedeker. The three finished one stroke behind Crane.
The two Aussies were among four players -- rookies Alex Prugh and Rickie Fowler are the others -- in the top eight on the leaderboard who are 26 or younger. Prugh's tie for fifth was his second straight on TOUR, too. Two other rookies, Matt Every and Troy Merritt , tied for 15th.
Don't forget the names.
Sim was last year's Nationwide Tour Player of the Year. He set single season records for money earned, scoring average and putting average -- and made the cut in all three TOUR events he played, including a tie for 18th at the U.S. Open last year.
Sim also ended the 2009 season ranked inside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking, which gave him entry into some of the game's biggest events this year.
Still, the confidence he gained at Torrey Pines was huge for Sim, whose rookie season on the PGA TOUR in 2007 was hampered by a stress fracture in his spine. Even with a medical extension, Sim wasn't able to keep his card, but he's given himself quite a leg up with Sunday's $395,733 payday.
"I got off to a real shaky start, and to hold it together and hit some nice shots on the back nine and have a chance at winning and not swinging that good, it's definitely going to give me a boost for the rest of the season," Sim said.
Leishman's runner-up finish was his second on the PGA TOUR. He was the only rookie to play in THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola last year and ended up 20th in the FedExCup standings.
Leishman closed with a 68 on Sunday at Torrey Pines, making birdies on Nos. 13, 16 and 17 to slip into the mix late on this cool, breezy afternoon on the Pacific coast. He was pleased with his fourth top-10 but hardly looking to maintain the status quo.
"I knew that just because I got Rookie of the Year it didn't mean I was all of a sudden going to become an unbelievable player," Leishman said. "I knew I still had work to be done. I really didn't take that for granted and I'm not taking the PGA TOUR for granted."
Fowler, the young gun from Oklahoma State, cost himself a chance at his first TOUR victory when he made double bogey at the 17th hole on Sunday. He recovered with a birdie at the 18th but still ended up two shots shy of Crane.
Fowler, who took the TOUR by storm after turning pro last summer, is a q-school grad who missed his first two cuts as a member so Sunday's performance was big. He has three top-10s in just 11 starts, including a playoff loss at the Frys.com Open last year.
"Just knowing that I can compete out here, (this gives me) a little more confidence in that," Fowler said. "I played well for a couple events in the Fall Series last year at Vegas and Frys in Scottsdale.
"This just kind of reminds me that I can go out and win if I put myself in position."
Sim, Leishman and Prugh -- to name a few -- now know the same thing.
"I guess we're kind of the new face, kind of I guess just the younger generation coming in," Fowler said. "The new face of golf, we've still got a lot of great players out here, so we're just a group of kids trying to compete."
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