Young Foreign Golf Phenoms Have Leg Up on Americans
by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 4, 2009 3:10 PM EST
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PrintIn an article that appears on Sports Central (and on Golf News Net), I take a look at the trio of young golf phenoms from overseas and how they could have such a leg up on their American counterparts. I try to reach some conclusions about why young foreign born players are so successful as compared to the lack of American talent at the same age. Some of the conclusions may startle you.
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have to disagree on some parts...
…by my count, there are only 7 players in the top 25 under the age of 30 – none are what you would call wildly successful like Mickelson (we don’t even want to bring Tiger into the discussion) (oh yeah – both are Americans) but they do have wins. None are from the same country – and 4 are pushing 30.
Yes – some do get help from national programs – and yes, other countries do have a history of putting their top players into the professional ranks at a much younger age than in America. Here, college is the preferred route after years of junior tournaments. So, to say that the American kids don’t get the experience of the other countries is a bit much. They just don’t get pushed to turn pro at such a young age. Even Tiger and Phil waited until they were in their 20’s – unlike McIlroy, Rose, and Garcia.
Golf is still a game where a player’s best golf comes in their 30’s. This idea of questioning how good a player can be while they are still in their formative years is as silly as picking a player for the NFL hall of fame while they are in college.
On the basketball point, the world hasn’t caught up to the US in basketball just yet. There are a few that are good enough to play in the NBA and be very successful, but when you name the best of the best – that list is almost completely American born. Even the Olympic games bears that out. When the US Team puts out a decent effort, the games aren’t close.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
I think American kids don’t get the same experience at the same time in life as their foreign counterparts. They get it a little later, which is the whole point. It’s not that American golf stinks, it’s that we don’t push our kids at such a young age. That’s a product of our society and our system. But it’s important to consider that when the Euros are all saying we’re done.
I will agree in bball that the best individual players are largely American. The best teams, though, are catching up to us.
by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 4, 2009 3:50 PM EST up reply actions
ahem...
which TEAM won the Olympic gold after being together for 3 or 4 months ? :-D
I’m not sure how you’re getting that the European kids are getting BETTER experience ? You rail on the Euro Tour for their relative lack of talent compared to the PGA Tour – but that tour is filled with mostly Europeans who grew up playing in Europe. The PGA Tour is still largely American, though the number of non-American players is growing. The European kids come over here to play a lot of world class tournaments and to train at American golf academies.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
That’s a fair critique. Better experience seems to come from them winning more golf tournaments, even if I don’t rank the Euro Tour on the same level as the PGA Tour. I think our private facilities our great and the best in the world. The problem is that they cost a ton of money to use. That leads me to believe that the European model leads to (a) success sooner and (b) a larger crop of modestly successful young players.
by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 4, 2009 4:13 PM EST up reply actions
Look at Ross FIsher, Oliver Wilson, Paul Casey when he was younger. Carl Schwartzel, Louis Oostheizen. These guys are winning young.
by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 4, 2009 4:41 PM EST up reply actions
It’s still winning. Winning means a lot. Just add all of those supposed teen phenoms that went too far, too fast without having won anything.
by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 4, 2009 5:49 PM EST up reply actions
very true...
…but there is also a plateau to each level. None of the guys you listed have wins on the PGA Tour – where the best of the best play most of the time.
Not to say that they WON’T win – in time – back to where you started this thing – they are still getting to their best days…but not in their 20’s.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
hmmm...
What kind of socialist, commie, fascist traitor are you, Ryan? Nationalizing golf education?
Next thing you’ll want is to have the banks nationalized.
On a more serious note, who cares where golf talent comes from? As we all know the women’s game is currently dominated by those born somewhere besides here. Some object, but the quality of play has increased.
Truth has a well-known liberal bias.
I personally don’t care where the talent comes from but it is useful in explaining the differences in how talent forms. There is still a lot of chatter that the Asian Invasion is “killing” the LPGA Tour, per Jan Stephenson. You don’t hear it in the open or on the record, but that opinion still exists.
by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 4, 2009 3:51 PM EST up reply actions
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