The 2011 season in professional golf could be known for few different things. First, Tiger Woods won again. Granted, it was his own unofficial event with 17 other players in the field, but a win is a win. Woods’ Chevron World Challenge title was his first victory since the 2009 car accident that derailed his personal and professional life.
Ever since Woods lost his No. 1 world ranking, no one really claimed it as his own. Lee Westwood test-drove it. Martin Kaymer hung on for a time, but Luke Donald made it his own. We had Rory McIlroy blow the Masters in an epic fashion, then came back and won the U.S. Open so convincingly that the final round was less exciting than a tepid bath.
The team international events were excellent, as always. Most of the majors on most tours were thrilling. With some of the stars of the game on the downswing of their careers, new blood stepped up and performed; but when it came to performance, the 2011 season belonged to one young lady.
Player of the year
22-year-old, Yani Tseng continued an old tradition on the LPGA Tour – dominance. First, it was Annika Sorenstam in the early ‘00s. Then, Lorena Ochoa owned women’s golf until her retirement.
With both gone, Tseng, who bought Sorenstam’s old house and must be inhabited with the Swede’s presence, has risen to the top of the sport. Tseng won 11 times worldwide, including seven events on the LPGA Tour, and two of the victories were majors. When she captured the LPGA Championship (by 10 shots), Tseng became the youngest golfer – male or female – to win four majors.
When she successfully defended her title at the Women’s British Open, the same record applied – youngest to five majors. For a point of comparison, Tiger Woods collected his fifth major title at the age of 24. Sorenstam didn’t win a tournament – any tournament – until she was 24.
Tseng almost had a third major of 2011, but finished as the runner-up to Stacy Lewis at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Tseng squandered that title in the season’s first major and didn’t do that again.
She made 21 cuts in 22 events, finishing in the top five in 12 of them and the top 10 in two more.
She led the tour in scoring average by almost a FULL stroke and was the only player who averaged fewer than 70 strokes per round. Tseng had almost 60 more birdies than anyone on tour and to top it off, she led the tour in driving distance.
Tseng is the No. 1 player in the Rolex Rankings and the No. 1 golfer in the world for 2011.????????
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
This was a tough call considering two rookies won majors on the PGA Tour in 2011.
Charl Schwartzel took home the Masters in thrilling fashion, making birdie at the final four holes to don the green jacket. But Schwartzel was an established European Tour competitor, so this honour goes to a more conventional rookie.
Keegan Bradley earned his PGA Tour card in 2011 thanks to his finish on the Nationwide Tour in 2010. He first broke into the winner’s circle with a playoff victory over Ryan Palmer at the Byron Nelson Championship, but cemented his awesome rookie campaign at the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club.
Bradley overcame a five-stroke deficit with three to play in regulation to tie Jason Dufner, who limped into the clubhouse with three bogeys in his last four holes.
Bradley played the three-hole extra session in one-under par. He needed a two- putt par at the 18th and got it to become the third player in history to win in his major championship debut.
The nephew of Hall of Famer Pat Bradley became the first PGA Tour rookie to win twice in his first season since Todd Hamilton seven years ago. He should have been a pick for Fred Couples’ American Presidents Cup team, but Bradley shouldn’t have any trouble making next year’s U.S. Ryder Cup team for Davis Love III.
THE GOOD
Luke Donald – Became the world No. 1 with a great playoff victory over then No. 1 Lee Westwood at the BMW PGA Championship in late May. He is the first player in history to win the money title on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour in the same season.
McIlroy – Don’t shed too many tears for poor Rory. After the epic collapse at Augusta, McIlroy responded in a big way at the next major — the U.S. Open at Congressional. He essentially wrapped up the tournament by happy hour and ended up with an eight-stroke victory.
Day – Runner-up in the first two majors and became a top-10 player in the world.
Fred Couples – Won a major on the Champions Tour and his work as captain of the U.S. Presidents Cup team has been sensational. He went out on a big limb and tabbed Woods for the team almost a month before he needed to and Woods delivered. For the second consecutive Presidents Cup Couples has led the team — Woods secured the winning point for the American side, but Couples’ decision, coupled (pun intended) with his laid-back approach has made the U.S. team a powerhouse.
Suzann Pettersen – Two wins in 2011 propelled her to second in the world, but her role as the leader of the European Solheim Cup team earned her a spot here. After dozens of weather delays, even during the singles, Pettersen led a huge rally for her side by knocking off Michelle Wie in a classic show a gutsy putting. Caroline Hedwall, clearly inspired by Pettersen, overcame a 2-down with two to play deficit, then Azahara Munoz won 17 in the anchor match to give Europe the Cup. This was Pettersen’s team.
THE BAD
Michelle Wie – Her Solheim Cup loss was understandable, but six top 10s in a season when you’re supposed to be a star is unacceptable.
Bernhard Langer – Yes, the German star battled injuries, but he was the 2010 Champions Tour Player of the Year, and, despite a victory, finished 24th on the Charles Schwab Cup race.
Jim Furyk – He won the FedEx Cup in 2010 and fell to 50th in the world rankings by Christmas 2011. Furyk had a great Presidents Cup, but he barely made the team in ‘11 after being the best American in ‘10.
Source: www.foxnews.com