The 2017-18 PGA Tour season begins this week at the Safeway Open in California, with 23 rookies looking to achieve the same success Xander Schauffele and a few others had in their first seasons on tour.
Here are five rookies to keep an eye on this season:
Peter Uihlein
Age: 28
Qualified: Won Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship in the Web.com Tour Finals in early September.
Background: Uihlein won the 2010 U.S. Amateur championship, and has been playing on the European Tour the last several seasons, earning Player of the Year honors in 2013. He recorded a runner-up and three top-10 finishes on the European Tour in 2017, then won the Web.com Tour Finals opening event.
Corey Conners
Age: 25
Qualified: Finished 20th in Web.com Tour Finals.
Background: The Canadian was runner-up at the 2014 U.S. Amateur, which earned him an invitation to the 2015 Masters. Conners made 16-of-23 cuts last season on the Web.com Tour, grabbing three top-10 results, while also qualifying for the U.S. Open at Erin Hills.
Dream, achieved. š@KentStAthletics alum Corey Conners (@coreconn) has secured his first @PGATOUR card with a T11 @DAPChamp. pic.twitter.com/vuBEyHjpzA
ā Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) September 24, 2017
Keith Mitchell
Age: 25
Qualified: Finished 10th in the Web.com Tour Finals.
Background: In 22 starts last season, Mitchell missed only five cuts, and had six top-10 finishes and 10 top 25s. The Georgia alum also averaged 321 yards in driving distance, registered the second-best birdie average, and tied for 11th at the Valspar Championship last March.
Three holes from a dream.
ā Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) September 24, 2017
Keith Mitchell (@K_m_Mitchell) is T7 @DAPChamp, needing a top-35 to secure his first @PGATOUR card. pic.twitter.com/EYS1Nte6G3
Stephan Jaeger
Age: 28
Qualified: Finished fifth on Web.com regular-season money list.
Background: The German is best remembered for firing a Web.com Tour record 12-under 58 back in July 2016 at the Ellie Mae Classic. Jaeger recorded six top 25s and three top 10s while winning two events in 2017 to secure his card. He also qualified for the 117th U.S. Open at Erin Hills.
Aaron Wise
Age: 21
Qualified: Finished 18th on Web.com regular-season money list.
Background: Wise helped Oregon win the 2016 NCAA Men's Golf Championship, claiming the individual honors. In his first season on the Web.com Tour in 2017, he went wire-to-wire at the Air Capital Classic in June, winning by five shots, while also picking up two top-20 results in 16 starts.
"Hopefully down the road, I can do some big things."@AaronWise_ secures a @PGATOUR card with his @AirCapClassic victory. ā³ļø š pic.twitter.com/90pyzVqnIr
ā Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) June 18, 2017
