What Wyndham Told Me About Golf’s Next Young Wave
The Wyndham Championship taught me something important: I'd rather watch the next wave roll in than spend all day picking apart the guys who weren't there. And believe me, that young wave is coming fast.
Michael Brennan's victory at 22 under wasn't just a solid week; it was a real statement that he can handle pressure. He won by two strokes, stayed composed, and showed he can get it done in a final round when everything is on the line. I got to watch a lot of that tournament and really enjoyed it; I saw some terrific golf shots, signs of genuine composure, and a player who looked like he belonged.
Michael Brennan looked ready
Brennan won the Utah Championship earlier in the year and now wins the Wyndham tournament, which sends him to the Masters and into the playoffs; that is no small achievement.
What stood out to me:
a beautiful golf swing
comfort under pressure
the ability to close
the look of a player who knows how to grind
When a youngster gets into contention, you find out pretty quickly whether he can finish, whether he can stay focused, and whether he can make his swing when the tournament is on. Brennan answered those questions.
Jackson Koivun and that same kind of cool
Look at Jackson Koivun, who is only 21, getting his name into the number. He is therefore tied with Tiger Woods for the fewest professional starts needed to qualify for the playoffs—just five. Think about that.
I like that boy; I really enjoyed watching him. He keeps his cool when things get hard and he has pedigree. Really, he has that look the best young players have—they don't seem scared by the moment.
That matters.
Talent is everywhere; it's the will that separates people. Brennan has that and so does Koivun. They know exactly what it takes and they understand they have to work for it.
The leaderboard said more than people realized
If you were hoping for a leaderboard stacked from top to bottom with massive household names, that wasn't what you got. The names on it were Michael Brennan, Bo Hossler, Ben James, Kevin Yu, Andrew Novak, and Alex Smalley. Golf fans will know some of those names, while millions won't.
That's exactly why this week mattered.
This group was the hungriest, and they were fighting for position, for opportunity and for entry. That's real golf pressure. Not pressure built on reputation or old trophies. Pressure right now.
Bo Hossler shot 61 and still didn't win, which tells you how hard the contest was. He had to win to qualify, and once you know that, every miss feels even louder. You could see it in him—he was completely transparent with his emotions.
The future is not waiting politely
The new generation of young men I saw at Wyndham are nothing less than young guns, though I hate having to use that phrase. They are incredibly young, incredibly talented, and very driven, and they are not waiting their turn.
Over the next few years you'll see some Wild West shootouts with wedges, irons, drivers, and putters, and the younger players are going to be right in the middle of them.
So yes, the Wyndham did have playoff implications. Yes, people wanted bigger names. I completely agree with that.
What it showed me, though, was worth more than simple bubble drama; it showed who is about to arrive. If you're a fan of this game, then pay attention right now, because some of these names are not going to stay unfamiliar to you for long.
