Even though some of the faces have changed – er, rotated – the South Sound will certainly still be well-represented with four local golfers heading into the 2012 PGA Tour season.
Puyallup’s Ryan Moore posted another consistent-yet-winless season, posting eight top-25 finishes in 22 starts. He made nearly $2 million, and had one of his busiest offseasons – getting married and starting a new company. Moore focused on improving his fitness as well after feeling he ran out of gas at key junctures in 2011.
Gig Harbor’s Kyle Stanley made a splash last season as a rookie, earning $1.5 million, almost winning the John Deere Classic and earning a FedEx Cup playoffs spot. He appears on the verge of winning a tournament in only his second year, and is starting to be regarded as one of the bright, young stars of the sport.
Tacoma’s Troy Kelly has been here before – 2009. New to the PGA Tour, and dealing with an arthritic left hip, he made just three cuts that season and eventually lost his tour card. But in 2011, his blazing start on the developmental Nationwide Tour earned another chance on the big stage.
A wrist injury ended the season of University Place’s Michael Putnam in August – and at the most inopportune time. That was when the Life Christian Academy product started playing his best golf with seven consecutive cuts made, including a tied-for-45th showing at the U.S. Open. He was given a major medical exemption by the PGA Tour this offseason, and has a select number of tournaments to try to earn enough money to retain his playing privileges.
Also of note, not making the tour this year is Andres Gonzales, a graduate of Olympia’s Capital High School who finished 192nd on the PGA money list last season– outside the top 125 he needed to keep his tour privileges. He’ll have conditional status on the Nationwide Tour this year.
PREVIEW CAPSULES
• KYLE STANLEY: Stanley's encore might include a win
• RYAN MOORE: Newylwed Moore will play a lot early
• MICHAEL PUTNAM: Lost 2011 might be located early in 2012
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