Posted by Jason Sobel
Reader Michael Farrington e-mailed me a few weeks ago to get my thoughts on PGA Tour rookie Michael Putnam. Having just seen him play a little bit at the Sony Open -- though really I watched him on the range more than on the course -- I already knew I liked what I saw, a big kid (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) with an easy, controlled swing that looks like it would stand up well under pressure. "I love Putnam's game," I told him. "That guy can flat play. He may win an event this year."
Turns out Farrington is a good friend and former roommate of Putnam, so I've been keeping a watchful eye on the Pepperdine product ever since. He's shown flashes of potential already this season, with a T-68 at the Sony (he was at even-par through three days before a final-round 75) and a T-16 at this past weekend's Buick Invitational (he got as high as fourth at one point on Sunday, but made three bogeys in his final seven holes).
His only setbacks, really, have come at the Bob Hope Classic and this week's FBR Open, as he's failed to qualify for two of the four full-field tournaments so far in '07. How can a PGA Tour member not get into an event? It's all about status. The top finishers from last year's Nationwide Tour and Qualifying Tournament each get preferential treatment, followed by the runners-up and so on. As the 17th qualifier off of last year's Nationwide money list, Putnam is pretty far down on the list of players who can gain entry into an event each week.
Of course, that will all change with the first reshuffle of the season, in which the 62 new players to the tour are reordered based on their play so far. This will take place on Monday, Feb. 26, after the West Coast swing and prior to the Honda Classic. In recent years, Putnam's T-16 alone would be enough to move him way up on this list, but with the early success of so many rookies already this season, it's going to be a lot tougher.
Of this year's top 100 money leaders (I know, Commissioner Finchem, you want us to go by the FedEx Cup points list; I just can't do it, though), 22 came from the minor leagues or Q School last season. (Our boy Putnam is 62nd overall, which ranks him 12th on this list.)
One reason is simply that some of the game's top players, like Retief Goosen and Ernie Els, have yet to make it to the States for their season debut. But another is that these players are just playing well coming out of the gates. We saw first-years Andrew Buckle, Brandt Snedeker and Jeff Quinney all contend for the Buick title on Sunday, before drowning in Tiger Woods' wake.
It'll be interesting to see how these guys fare throughout the season. One thing's for certain, though: For players coming off the Nationwide Tour and Q School, getting off to a good jump is a must. Start off slow and they could be looking at a long season -- and a return trip from whence they came.
