TOUR Insider: No clear cut favorite for Rookie of the Year

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A year ago, the battle for PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year was essentially a two-man race. Anyone who didn't back either Rory McIlroy or Rickie Fowler probably had some sanity issues that needed to be resolved before their vote was allowed to count. Doctors were standing by if medication was needed.

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With only six events remaining in the regular season portion of the PGA TOUR, the rookie race has taken on a completely different tempo. It is neither cut nor dry. There are a couple of leaders, but that decision is clouded by the fact that so many first-year players have been successful.

Five rookies have won on TOUR this year, only the second time that's happened since 1970: Jhonattan Vegas (Bob Hope Classic), Charl Schwartzel (Masters), Brendan Steele (Valero Texas Open), Keegan Bradley (HP Byron Nelson Championship) and Chris Kirk (Viking Classic). Others who deserve possible consideration include Kyle Stanley, Bobby Gates, Kevin Chappell and Scott Stallings, as well as Robert Karlsson, a Ryder Cup player who's a rookie by rulebook only.

The leader in the clubhouse would probably be Schwartzel, based on his victory at Augusta National. He birdied the final four holes to surge ahead of the field on an exciting finishing day and won his first majors has made the cut in each of his 10 events this year and finished in the top 25 on seven occasions.

And if you weren't convinced after his performance at the Masters, Schwartzel tied for ninth at the U.S. Open presented by Rory McIlroy and tied for 16th at the British Open. Schwartzel has been the low rookie on five occasions.

Kirk may be the guy to challenge Schwartzel. The three-time All-American from Georgia picked up his first win last week in an impressive manner. He tied the tournament scoring record (22 under) and held off veterans George McNeill and Tom Pernice Jr. down the stretch. The reaction was quite Kirk-like. He gave a small fist pump, picked the ball out of the cup and looked like he was ready to move to the next hole.

Kirk

Don't confuse the low pulse rate with lack of competitive fire. Kirk may be quiet and calm on the outside, but he's deadly competitive on the inside. It helped him become NCAA Player of the Year and allowed him to endure a couple of years in the wilderness before finally earning his TOUR privileges.

Kirk has made 11 cuts in 21 starts. He could have won the Shell Houston Open, shooting four rounds in the 60s and closing with a 67, had it not been for a guy named Mickelson, who yielded no ground the final day. Kirk also tied for eighth at the AT&T National, one of four top-10s.

Vegas was the early rookie leader when he burst onto the scene with a win at the Bob Hope Classic and followed that with a third-place finish at the Farmers Insurance Classic at Torrey Pines. He even played his way into the field for the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship.

Vegas has the sort of infectious personality that causes fans to gravitate his way. He's big and strong and hits it a long way. He smiles a lot and seems to enjoy interaction with the fans. The electronic media fell in love with him and never hesitates to show him when given a chance. There's no question that he's got star power.

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But Vegas hit a snag in mid-spring and missed six of seven cuts. There were some high numbers posted during that stretch, too. He seemed to get back on the right path during the FedEx St. Jude Classic and has now made the cut in four straight starts.

Before the season, Bradley may have been best known as the nephew of LPGA Hall of Famer Pat Bradley. Now he's made a name for himself with a strong rookie season that included a win at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, when he beat Ryan Palmer in a playoff. Bradley has two other top-10s, both coming at events won by rookies (Bob Hope Classic and Valero Texas Open).

Steele has had the sort of season you might expect from a rookie, with waves of highs and lows. His only top 10 was the victory at the Valero Texas Open, but he's played well on some of the TOUR's difficult venues, including Torrey Pines (tied for 17th) and Harbour Town (tied for 21st).

All five players are safely within the field for the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. If the playoffs started tomorrow, only Steele (No. 38) would be outside the top 30. Schwartzel (No. 21), Kirk (No. 27), Vegas (No. 28) and Bradley (No. 29) would qualify for The TOUR Championship if the battle lines were drawn today.

In the meantime each one will continue to elbow for position, with a side benefit being voted on by their peers as the Rookie of the Year. Adding their names to a list of winners that includes Fowler, Brandt Snedeker, Stewart Cink, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods may not be their primary goal, but it's not a bad addition to the resume.

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