Note: Golf Channel did a mock player draft April 26, 2012. As the 2013 NFL Draft commences Thursday, take a look at how our picks fared.
Once per year, most of the other major sports host a cavalcade of three-button suit-wearing bonus babies, critical and criticized general managers, puffy-haired analysts and face-painted fans shrieking in delight or horror with the announcement of each name.
It’s called a draft. And we in golf annually get cheated.
Until now.
For the first time ever, the crack staff here at Golf Channel – made up of editors, producers, writers, reporters and analysts – has put together our own Golf Draft, choosing future prospects based on earning potential, major championship promise and whom we’d most like to have on our ‘teams’ for years to come.
Some of the selections will have you applauding at home, some will be met with a chorus of boos and a few will leave you more than a bit puzzled and perplexed. (Two Charlies?! Well, at least one of ‘em has time on his side...)
So grab the jersey of your favorite Golf Channel staffer, put on your Mel Kiper, Jr. wig and brace yourself for the biggest draft of the year. And remember: If you don’t like some of these draft picks, there’s always next year! – Jason Sobel
Who | Pick | Notes |
1. Rex Hoggard | Tiger Woods | Last two years aside, Red Shirt proved he still has that winning mojo with his five-stroke victory at Bay Hill and his “up side” is too good to pass. |
2. Brandel Chamblee | Bubba Watson | Looks like a guy who should be chasing Snookie but instead has the world of golf in a headlock at the moment. Can’t wait to see what he does next. |
3. Todd Lewis | Rory McIlroy | Top 20 finishes in seven of first 11 majors, including a dominating U.S. Open. He’s 22 and getting stronger with a great swing and a better head. |
4. Bailey Mosier | Yani Tseng | Five majors by age 22 and three LPGA victories to start this season. She’ll win more majors than anyone else on this list. Bam. |
5. Jason Crook | Rickie Fowler | People love him. He won a fan vote to be on Tiger Woods’ video game, comes from a self-taught mentality and has two decades to win majors. |
6. George Malone | Phil Mickelson | Still the people’s golfer, he’ll contend in majors for a while and be the mentor to the next generation that Tiger will never be. |
7. Jeremy Davis | Luke Donald | His brand is established having reached the world’s top spot and the hunger to discard Best Player Without a Major motivates him. |
8. Kristi Setaro | Martin Kaymer | His game hasn’t been up to “Kaymer” standards lately but he’s 27 and his best golf is still in front of him. Tough to pass up the talent. |
9. Scott Walker | Lexi Thompson | To use an NFL term, no one has more “upside” than Lexi. She has the wins to back up the hype and the competitive drive to match. |
10. Gary Williams | Bud Cauley | Pocket Hercules is going to be a huge star and he loves competing. Some get suffocated by the attention but Bud will breath comfortably in rare air. |
11. Mike Lowe | Hunter Mahan | Has cool California marketability and wins to back it up. The 29-year-old’s impressive resume includes five PGA Tour wins (with two WGCs). |
12. The Golf Guy | Jason Day | Seasoned player yet only 24 years old. The young Australian has both major potential and major marketability, which is a great mix. |
13. Will Gray | Keegan Bradley | With a major already, he’s proving that 2011 was no fluke. Still only 25, there’s reason to think he’ll contend at golf’s biggest events for a long time. |
14. Whit Watson | Patrick Cantlay | Division I Player of the Year, low am at U.S. Open and Masters, holds course record at a PGA Tour event and just turned 20. He’ll be here awhile. |
15. Geoff Russell | Matt Kuchar | Doesn’t win as often as he should, but he usually finishes in the top 10, makes a lot of money and is a consistency machine. |
16. Tripp Isenhour | Harris English | Has all the tools to win a lot of tournaments, plus the calm demeanor to hold it together under the heat of major championships. |
17. Jerry Foltz | Jordan Speith | At 18, only player not named Tiger to win multiple U.S. Juniors, and unlike Tiger, already making noise in limited PGA Tour starts. |
18. Randall Mell | Charl Schwartzel | Scouts say he can’t block or tackle worth a lick, and his 40 time is no good, but this pick has proved he knows how to win the big one. |
19. Erik Kuselias | Branden Grace | In “The Natural” they gave a speech that started “Losing is a disease.” Well the opposite is also true. Winning is a skill and Grace has it. |
20. Brian Koressel | Charlie Woods | Granted Tiger’s son is just 3-years-old, but I’m banking on his earnings potential over the next, say, 50-plus years. I like his chances. |
21. Byron Fisher | Steve Stricker | Yes, he’s getting on in age, but with his wedge game and putting, he’ll get a major before he’s done. He’s a Cheesehead, a quality I want on my team. |
22. Jason Sobel | Matteo Manassero | Didn’t even need to trade up for this 19-year-old two-time Euro Tour winner who has already made the cut at each of the four majors. |
23. Jay Coffin | Dustin Johnson | Damn you Sobel. I wanted Matteo. I’ll “settle” for a 27-year-old who is an absolute steal. He can win multiple majors and is the best athlete on Tour. |
24. Al Tays | Gary Woodland | He’s a bomber, has awesome physical tools and a Tour victory already under his belt. It won’t be the last one. |
25. Ryan Ballengee | Louis Oosthuizen | This is like the Packers committing robbery to get Aaron Rodgers. Louis has the sweetest swing, a major in his pocket and tasted blood for a second. |
26. Win McMurry | Ryo Ishikawa | Considered taking Annika’s daughter, but proudly opt for the 20-year-old from Japan. He’s a rock star and his earning potential in Asia is through the roof. |
27. Mercer Baggs | Michelle Wie | She’s like a projected top-5 pick who decided to return to school for a senior season and saw her stock plummet. If she finds desire, she’ll win majors. |
28. John Hawkins | Kyle Stanley | Showed jumbo Pelotas winning in Phoenix the week after goal line fumble at Torrey Pines. Handsome, humble and hits it a mile. |
29. Scott Rude | Ai Miyazato | Since trading pick 29 and a sleeve of balls for pick 25 wasn’t viable I pick the LPGA’s version of Luke Donald due to her age (26) and less depth on the tour. |
30. Alan Robison | Adam Scott | Shocked the 31-year-old Aussie is still around. He has a Players, Tour Championship and WGC in his resume, so a major is the next step. |
31. Charlie Rymer | Charlie Rymer | I’m 44, eyeing the Champions Tour, just joined the Y and signed up for NutriSystem. No future in TV because Chamblee uses big words I don’t understand, Feherty has the funny gig locked down. |
32. Ben Daughan | Seung-yul Noh | At 21, he’s already a winner on the Euro Tour, won the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2010 and has made the cut in five of six majors played. |
