Maginnes: In search of the elusive first TOUR win  PGATOUR.com Contributor Have you ever heard a band debut on the radio and think to yourself, "I have been listening to those guys for years?" When I was in college, Hootie and the Blowfish were doing gigs in bars and fraternity parties at schools all over the southeast. A few years later, with a refined and unique sound, they became megastars.  Could 48-year-old Michael Allen pick up his first TOUR win this week? (Cohen/WireImage)
The same thing happens in professional golf. Every player on the PGA TOUR has a story that is interesting. We certainly have had our share of one-hit wonders on TOUR, but very rarely do guys burst onto the scene and take the golf world completely by surprise. It happened last year at the FBR Open when J.B. Holmes crippled the field with his power and polished it off with his putter. Prior to that signature win in just his fourth start on TOUR, J.B.'s name was spoken mainly in the hills of Kentucky. You could argue that Henrik Stenson was a surprise with his win at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship but there would be a rather loud dissident voice coming from Europe. Most of the top-ranked players in the world have a tale of struggle and conquest. Of course, Tiger Woods didn't struggle long -- winning in Las Vegas a little more than a month after turning pro. And Phil Mickelson won in Tucson as an amateur. Ernie Els, like countryman Retief Goosen, made his first official PGA TOUR victory a major championship. Both players won the U.S. Open -- there must be something in the water down in South Africa. But those guys are the exception rather than the rule. David Toms won twice on the Nationwide Tour back in 1995. Two years later Toms picked up his first PGA TOUR victory at the Quad City Classic. Jim Furyk's career took a similar path after college. He won in Mississippi on the Nationwide Tour in 1993 before picking up his first victory on the PGA TOUR two years later in Las Vegas. (He actually was the defending champion when Tiger got his first of 56 victories ... and counting). David Duval, a former No. 1 player in the world and major champion, took a couple of years to reach the PGA TOUR, as well. He won twice on the Nationwide Tour right out of college in 1993. Interestingly enough, though, it took David another four years before he finally broke through at the Michelob Championship and started an impressive run on 10 victories in just under four years. This week at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans there are several young players looking to do what Boo Weekley and three others have done this year. They are looking to win on the PGA TOUR for the first time. Last year Chris Couch earned his only TOUR victory at English Turn. Tim Petrovic won at the TPC Louisiana two years ago to pick up his first title on the PGA TOUR. Both Tim and Chris bear the battle scars of a youth spent in the mini-leagues of golf. A handful of players looking for their first wins are within shouting distance of Mark Calcavecchia's lead going into the weekend in New Orleans. Among those is Daniel Chopra, who has won twice on the Nationwide Tour and nine times worldwide but never on the PGA TOUR. Several new names are on the leader board this week. Jason Shultz, Steve Wheatcroft and Chris Stroud are all trying to trap lightning in the bottle and win in their rookie campaigns. Kyle Reifers, the sensational rookie out of Wake Forest, struggled a little in round two but he still has a chance going into the weekend. And then there is Michael Allen. We have been listening to his tune for years. He is the all-time leading money winner at q-school, and at 48 years old he has been around without a win for a long time. He still has the power to compete with the young guys and would love to solidify his career with a trophy. Wouldn't it be great if his putter got hot this weekend and Michael finally composed a hit? |
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