Cantlay uses 4-birdie finish to capture RBC lead

After a short offseason, the 2017-18 PGA TOUR season begins this week at the Safeway Open in Napa, California. The season-opener will also mark the beginning of a new journey for the latest class of Web.com Tour graduates as they kick off their TOUR careers at Silverado Resort and Spa. After putting in countless hours – and years – these rookies have finally reached the biggest stage in golf, and they’ll be primed and ready to start making a name for themselves on TOUR. In the past few years, rookies have had an immense amount of success in the fall portion of the wraparound season, and with the talent level found in the incoming rookie class, 2017-18 is sure to be no different. Which PGA TOUR rookies are best positioned to make an impact as the 2017-18 season progresses? Here are the top 10 first-time Web.com Tour graduates to watch out for on TOUR this season. 1. Peter Uihlein. Son of Wally Uihlein, chairman and CEO of the Acushnet Company (the equipment manufacturer that owns Titleist), golf is practically engrained in the 28-year-old. While in high school, Uihlein earned Rolex Player of the Year honors with the American Junior Golf Association twice, becoming just the fifth person in history to win multiple times. The phenom went on to attend Oklahoma State University, where he competed on a winning 2009 Walker Cup team and became the fourth player in school history to win the U.S. Amateur. The Massachusetts native spent time as the top-ranked amateur in the world and was the recipient of the 2011 Ben Hogan Award. Uihlein was named the European Tour’s Rookie of the Year in 2013 after picking up a win and eight top-10 finishes in his first season. A fifth-place finish at the 2017 Puerto Rico Open earned him a spot in the Shell Houston Open, where he finished 23rd. The two finishes were enough to earn him a spot in the Web.com Tour Finals, where he eclipsed Ryan Armour for a victory in his first start on Tour (at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship). The former Cowboy has proved time and time again that he has what it takes to succeed, and the TOUR will just be another stage for him to showcase his talents. 2. Keith Mitchell. The 25-year-old University of Georgia alum has the power it takes to drive the ball on any stage. Mitchell finished the 2017 season with an average driving distance of 321 yards (the fourth-longest on Tour) and was in the top 10 in all-around stats. The Tennessee native amassed six top-10 finishes on the year, including a T3 finish at the News Sentinel Open presented by Pilot. After finishing the Regular Season at No. 26 on the money list, Mitchell went on to capture two sixth-place finishes in the Web.com Tour Finals and earn his first PGA TOUR card. Mitchell’s first TOUR appearance came in March 2017, after Monday qualifying for the Valspar Championship. He finished T11, which points to a bright future for Mitchell, who is in prime position to continue the legacy of Bulldog success on TOUR. 3. Sam Ryder. The Stetson University alum became the first Hatter to win on Tour when he blitzed the field at the Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Heartland Chevy Dealers en route to an eight-stroke victory.  Ryder, who ranked first on Tour in total driving, played consistently throughout the season, notching 10 top-25 finishes. The Florida native came close to securing his PGA TOUR card last season but credits his additional year on the Web.com Tour with getting his game to where it needed to be. Now that he has the confidence to back his talent, expect Ryder to tackle the TOUR with the same gusto he used to tackle the 2017 Web.com Tour season. 4. Tom Lovelady. It’s hard to ask for a better rookie year on Tour than the one Tom Lovelady had. The 24-year-old University of Alabama graduate finished first in birdie average and putting average, picking up five top-10 finishes along the way. Lovelady will be joining roommates Justin Thomas and Bud Cauley on TOUR, both of whom experienced success in last year’s PGA TOUR season. Having familiar faces around should work in Lovelady’s favor, who admitted to struggling with doubts about his game at the beginning of the season. A mindset change mid-season freed Lovelady up to play to the level he’s capable of, which should translate into a strong rookie season on TOUR. 5. Marty Dou. The 20-year-old became the first Chinese-born player to capture a Web.com Tour title when he won this year’s Digital Ally Open. Before playing on Tour, Dou competed on PGA TOUR China, where he recorded four victories in 2016 to capture the Order of Merit. Dou will be joined on TOUR by fellow countryman and Web.com Tour graduate, XinJun Zhang. Look for Dou to continue to his record of success on the TOUR stage.  6. Austin Cook. The University of Arkansas alum played with incredible consistency over the course of the 2017 Tour season, missing only six cuts in 24 events. The 26-year-old made a brief appearance on TOUR in 2015, where he recorded five top-25 finishes. His past accomplishments on TOUR should allow him to feel comfortable and confident as he begins his rookie campaign. Don’t be surprised to see Cook in contention very early on. 7. Denny McCarthy. After locking up his card via the Web.com Tour Finals, McCarthy will join his fellow Class of 2011 members on TOUR. The University of Virginia alum had an incredibly successful amateur career, especially in his home state of Maryland, where he won two Maryland Opens and two Maryland Amateurs. He also played alongside fellow Web.com Tour graduate Beau Hossler on the U.S. Walker Cup team in 2015. The 24-year-old’s short game was his biggest asset in the 2017 Tour season, and he finished the season second in putting average, putts per round, and birdie or better conversions. McCarthy amassed five top-25 finishes in the last three months of the season, so expect him to continue to ride that wave of momentum as he enters his inaugural PGA TOUR season. 8. Lanto Griffin. Few people have proven that they can thrive under pressure quite like Griffin. The 29-year-old became the first player since 2004 to win on Tour after making the cut on the number when he picked up his first title at the Nashville Golf Open Benefitting the Snedeker Foundation. Griffin’s win came via an uphill, 20-foot birdie putt in a playoff against fellow graduate Abraham Ancer. Griffin finished at No. 22 on The 25 and finished inside the top-20 in three of the four Web.com Tour Finals events. The Virginia Commonwealth University alum has a never-say-die attitude, which should work in his favor on the PGA TOUR. 9. Conrad Shindler. The Texas A&M University alum picked up his first Web.com Tour title at the Rex Hospital Open, where he defeated former PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Chesson Hadley in a playoff. He went on to finish the season with an under-par scoring average, picking up four top-10 finishes along the way. The 29-year-old is close friends with PGA TOUR and major winner Todd Hamilton, whose advice should help Shindler acclimate quickly to his new stage. 10. Aaron Wise. As a sophomore, the South Africa native helped lead the University of Oregon to its first team NCAA Championship, going 3-0 in match play and also earning an individual title. The 21-year-old won the 28th annual Air Capital Classic Supporting Wichita’s Youth in landslide fashion, setting a tournament record for margin of victory after claiming the title by five strokes. Wise proved he had what it takes to go low that week, finishing with a tournament total of 21-under 259. Wise has shown that his youth isn’t an issue and he should be primed to continue the PGA TOUR’s current trend of young winners.

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