European Tour Insider: Goya joins other young winners

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Estanislao Goya, a 20-year-old from Argentina, joined fellow young golfers Danny Lee and Rory McIlroy in the winner's circle last week.

Editor's note: Nick Dye is going to be giving PGATOUR.COM viewers an inside look at what's happening on the European Tour. Dye, who works with European Tour Radio, will be at more than 30 events this year and will file weekly columns on Wednesdays.

Golf's meant to be a game you master with age, experience and wisdom. So how do you explain 18-year-old Danny Lee, 19-year-old Rory McIlroy and now 20-year-old Estanislao Goya?

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All three have won on the European Tour in the last few weeks, and inevitably you have to feel all three will win again on numerous occasions.

Lee and McIlroy have both been heralded for years after their amateur exploits. Goya maybe less so, but the winner of the Madeira Islands Open has claimed the Order of Merit in South America, and the Argentine won twice on Europe's Challenge Tour last year.

One of those victories was in the Grand Final when he was desperate for a good performance. The respected former Ryder Cup player Joakim Haeggman played alongside Goya in Porto Santo and was impressed.

"Having to play well the last week to keep your card and being able to come out and win the Challenge Tour's Tour Championship and finish fifth in the Order of Merit -- instead of cracking up, you play your best golf of the year, tells you a bit about the kid," Haeggman said. "He's going to be good."

Goya's win in Madeira is the 100th by a former Challenge Tour player, something which proves the importance of a breeding ground like the Nationwide Tour as a foundation for life among the big boys. Thomas Bjorn, former U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell and Henrik Stenson are all examples of highly successful alumni.

And hours after the trophy presentation in Madeira, one of Goya's best friends was lifting some silverware, too, as 19-year-old fellow Argentine Alan Wagner won the first Challenge Tour event of the new season being held in Bogota, Colombia.

TRANSATLANTIC TRIP

Goya sees his long-term future in the U.S., and he played a PGA TOUR event just before his trip to Madeira. The tall, handsome, fair-haired youngster competed at the Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular, finishing in a tie for 44th after starting the final round in a tie for 12th.

NO LANGUAGE BARRIER

The European Tour has always respected and reveled in the range of nationalities and languages represented. There hasn't been and will be no push to get the stars to learn English. But there's no doubting that a grasp of English does help.

Angel Cabrera understands the language well enough, but is reluctant to speak it, especially when a microphone is under his nose. Andres Romero is learning. Goya -- Tano to his friends -- is as fluent as another great Argentine Eduardo Romero, and you sense that will be hugely to his benefit.

SEA ISLAND SUCCESS

Goya's win in Madeira came by one stroke over Callum Macauley. The 25-year-old from Falkirk has already earned a "Scottish Golfer of the Year" title for his exploits in the amateur game. He was still an amateur when he fought his way through qualifying school, and he turned pro on the back of his slightly unexpected success.

So low is his ranking that he's been unable to get into any events since the Joburg Open, but he's been practicing at Sea Island, Ga., because of the Jones Cup links, and felt his game was on song. Still, he didn't expect to birdie eight holes on the back nine on the final day for a second-place finish.

MONTY 500

While Macauley might be the Scottish No. 1 someday, there's no doubting the country's foremost player. Europe's Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie makes his 500th Tour appearance at this week's Open de Andalucia in Seville.

TWO TO DEFEND

In essence, there are two defending champions this week at the event hosted by Miguel Angel Jimenez. Thomas Levet won the title last year when the event was played over the Aloha course in Marbella. Peter Lawrie, though, claimed the Spanish Open crown over this track: the Real Club de Golf de Sevilla. It's also the venue that hosted the World Cup in 2004.

BLACK & WHITE

England's Anthony Wall could be one to watch this week. He's been one of the most consistent performers of the season, although as the best-ranked player in the field he was disappointed with fifth place in Madeira.

Wall will certainly take more care of his packing this week. He arrived on Porto Santo with one black and one white golf shoe. He's not got the monochromatic dress "sense" of Chilean Felipe Aguilar who has trousers with one black and one white leg, so it was a swift trip to the club shop. He opted to leave his purchase in the locker room after the tournament, so there's one lucky recipient of nearly-new size 11s.

ROCKY ROCCA

The hugely respected, modest Italian master Costantino Rocca contested all four days in Madeira, but two holes proved a particular challenge.

You know those golf calendars with make-believe cliff-top tees to impossible island greens? Porto Santo has two holes -- the 13th & 14th -- which wouldn't look out of place as they caress the dramatic, steep mountainside.

Rocca would stand as far from the edge as he could before a quick dash to the tee box, play his shot hurriedly and then scamper away again before vertigo got the better of him!

ONE NATHAN SMITH

Look through golfing records and there are certainly two Nathan Smiths of note. One is a former Hooters Tour player from Santa Cruz in northern California who's played the U.S. Open on one occasion. The 25-year-old who studied at Duke University is electing to make his way on Europe's Challenge Tour, having missed out on the main level by one shot, falling just short at q-school.

Smith claimed a rare start in Madeira, enjoying views he likened to the Big Sur.

His lively, enthusiastic character will be a welcome addition in Europe, and he's looking to get back from the States as soon as possible, maybe playing the Moroccan event.

He'll hope his prize money goes to the right place. There have been several occasions he's received money meant for the other Nathan Smith, and other times when his check has gone to his namesake.