Will It Still Be the Tiger Bunch?

by Victor Williams

They say that in the grand arc of history, a decade is less than an eye-blink. In golf terms, it’s less than the amount of time a ball stays on that 460cc driver’s clubface at impact. It ain’t nothin’. And yet — again, in golf terms — it’s everything.

Think back 10 years from this very day. Tiger Woods had been pro for half a year and notched one professional major win — his epochal lap-the-field foray at Augusta. His personal Slam was still three years in the future. Michelle Wie was in second grade, though she’d already been playing golf for three years. Annika Sorenstam was a wispy, wet-behind-the-ears Swede not long out of Arizona U. The Donald, that Billionaire From Back East, had dabbled in the golf course biz but not yet had his Lewis and Clark moment out West. And overall, America’s golf course building boom was just hitting fifth gear.

That all seems so long ago, yet it remains so fresh in the golf world’s collective consciousness, mostly because all those people are still making headlines, turning heads, raising eyebrows and breaking records.

By our reckoning, they’ll continue to lead the way into golf’s future, here in the West and far beyond. Perhaps especially in the West, at least when you consider where today’s and tomorrow’s stars are hailing from and where the lion’s share of new course construction continues.
In more specific terms, we should also consider where three of the next five men’s U.S. Opens will take place — Torrey Pines in 2008, Pebble Beach in 2010 and the Olympic Club in 2012. One is in Phil’s backyard, one is the scene of Tiger’s true ascendance to the PGA Tour throne and the third … well, it could end up revealing a pretender to that throne. Who knows?

We certainly don’t, though we can make some educated guesses on who that might be, and where the epicenter of golf’s next big seismic shift will be. A lot of golf fans were born the day Tiger won his first Masters, but the bloom is nowhere near off of that red-shirted rose. And thanks to a killer crop of young LPGA stars, the 21st century halcyon days for that Tour are yet to come.
In other words, we think the girls are primed to rule — with at least a trio of heavy-hitting boys hot on their spiked heels.

Time to meet our Nine to Watch, and as always, we’d love to hear whether you think we’re on the short grass or way, way, way out of bounds. Just e-mail us at nextten@fgmagazine.com.

Tiger | aka Mike Brady | "The Man With the Plans"

Pops is gone, fatherhood beckons and the Bear’s record is still there, ripping in the breeze of Mr. Woods’ mind’s eye, tucked over water in the blinding sun of megastardom, and reachable by one guy and one guy only. Nobody else is even close. The only question: When will the Orange County phenom topple Jack’s number? Using Tiger’s average of one major a year over the past 11 seasons, it’ll fall sometime in 2013. But we’ve gotta remember that Jack did a lot of his damage well after age 30. Ben Hogan did all of his in his fourth decade. And judging from his most recent runner-up major finishes, Tiger is more fired up than ever to shore up his already head-spinning game. Barring injury or a stronger-than-expected tug of parenthood, we’re thinking 2010  is the year he blows by Nicklaus — and Pebble is the place. From there, he won’t stop until he gets 25. How about No. 20 at Olympic Club?

Annika | aka Carol Brady | "The Classy Caretaker" 

Golf’s quiet enigma has already proved herself perhaps the greatest female player of all time, and she’s done more for her gender in the sport than anyone since Babe Didrikson. As a pure competitor, she’s without peer. Her swing looks as solid as ever. Yet she’s not winning. Read on to find out a couple of big reasons why, but there’s more to Sorenstam than just racking up trophies. She’s got bigger goals in mind. Dare we utter the “C” word? Yes, we will. She’ll be LPGA Commissioner someday, after Carolyn Bivens’ effective but tempestuous run.
It just seems right.

Phil | aka Greg Brady | "The Big Bro" 

Mickelson is the left-handed complement to Tiger’s dominating presence — the grinning, gambling yin to Woods’ cold, calculating yang. He’s also not done making his mark on the majors stage, not by a long shot. Toss out this year’s U.S. Open (without tweaking your wrist), give him a month or two to get healthy and fired up again, and watch out starting in 2008. With Butch Harmon in his corner and Dave Pelz wedging his way into the picture at every opportunity, Philly Mick will make Vijay’s late 30s-early 40s run look like a mirage. Ten majors isn’t out of the question. In fact, we’ll throw a hunsky on the pass line here, too.

Natalie | aka Marsha Brady | "The Hot Older Sister"

Despite the fact that she hasn’t made good on our ’06 prediction that she’d find the winner’s circle before that year was out, we’re still bullish on this bright-eyed Las Vegan, who rode into Sin City from Sacramento with a homespun swing, an impressive list of junior and amateur accomplishments and an endorsement list as long as John Daly’s, er, driver. Hard to believe she’s now a “grizzled” veteran amid the LPGA’s current teen wave, but we don’t think she’ll reach her full power until she’s 30. Until then, we’re ready to enjoy the view and mark the days off our Natalie calendar, counting down to her breakthrough round.

Michelle | aka Peter Brady | "Time to Change"

Yeah, yeah, we know. She’s a vapor right now, a teenage train wreck with the political capital of a certain commander-in-chief. But Wie also happens to be the most talented player, male or female, to come along since Tiger himself, with the look, drive and Chosen One aura of a champion. Once she decides to jettison her parents from her inner sanctum (trust us, she will), learns how to level with the media and her fellow LPGA players and figures out how to win among the ladies, she’ll be ready to take on the guys again. But not until she grows up.
A lot. And we don’t mean by height.

Morgan | aka Cindy Brady | "Growing Up Fast"

While Ms. Wie finds her footing, Ms. Pressel will press on toward the top of the LPGA heap, with a rock-solid game and a killer’s take-no-prisoners attitude. Her major breakthrough this year hints at plenty of workmanlike, focused success to come. In fact, of all the LPGA’s current crop of stars, from Lorena Ochoa through the broad covey of Korean Kims, this fiery Floridian reminds us most of Tiger, with just the right amount of swagger and playful snarl. We’re lovin’ it, and the rest of the world soon will, too.

Paula | aka Jan Brady | "No Longer in Marsha, Marsha, Marsha's Shadow" 

Pretty in pink (right down to her ball) and poised to pounce on her own share of LPGA hardware, this San Francisco Bay area native reached $3 million in earnings faster than any player in the Tour’s history, and already has three wins on her resume. Not a bad two-plus years as a pro, but we get the feeling she’s nowhere near her potential as a player, or as a mega-talented Phil to Morgan’s (or Michelle’s) Tiger. Her swing is the picture of consistency, and she’s all but cornered the market on wholesome sex appeal. In fact, she’s our choice to inspire not only a slew of girls to take up the game, but more than a few boys, too. What starstruck kid wouldn’t want to chase Creamer down the fairway for the next decade?

Trump | aka Bobby Brady | "Growin' Like a Weed"

Out of place, you say? What’s this big-mouthed, golf-crazed mogul doing on a list otherwise occupied by touring pros? A lot, especially in the West, which he suddenly seems to view as a personal playground of golf-centric investment. His purchase, overhaul and repositioning of Trump National Los Angeles was just the first step in what’s turning out to be a big-bucks acquisitional parade from the Southland to Las Vegas to, of all places, Fresno. Why Vegas? Well, he’s building a high-rise, high-end condo project right across the Strip from his old buddy Steve Wynn’s place, so it follows that he’d want to have a piece of the 500-bucks-a-head golf course pie there, too. We’re laying a sizable chunk of our journalistic rep on the pass line here — the Donald will own a Vegas track in the next 10 years. Don’t bet against us. And why Fresno? According to a recent Fresno Bee story, Trump is making a $25 million play for the bankrupt Running Horse project just west of town, along with thousands of surrounding acres. A local poll shows a majority want “Mr. T” to go elsewhere, but from where we stand, the Central Valley might get that familiar gold-plated glow before too long — and perhaps, at long last, a PGA Tour event. We think The Donald’s the best thing to happen to Fresno in years.

The neXt Factor | aka Alice | "Where'd She Come From, Anyway?"

They’re out there someplace, beating balls in the world’s backyards with a parent or coach just out of the frame. Their skin thickens under the rigors of top-shelf junior tournament golf. They’re armed with a lifetime of Tiger moments to urge them on, a mental flash drive of metronome-like Annika moves and monster Michelle drives. And the next 10 years will reveal them, one by one, as competitive golf enters yet another Golden Age. We don’t want to get greedy, but the West produced Tiger, Phil, Paula and dozens of other great players, and we’d like to believe tomorrow’s titanium-toting earthquakes-on-spikes will emanate from somewhere on the Left Coast. Perhaps from a muni in California, a private club in Arizona or a rainy outpost in the Pacific Northwest. Maybe from the Islands, in Wie’s skirted shadow. Their moment is coming, and today’s best had best watch their backs. The next eye-blink could be faster than they think. FG