Feb. 15, 2011
By PGATOUR.COM staff
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. -- One of the themes for the 2011 PGA TOUR season is the competition involving the Establishment vs. the New Breed. How will the established players -- those with significant TOUR experience and long-standing championship pedigree -- fare against the young, hungry up-and-comers who are looking to nudge their way into the TOUR's elite?
Each week, PGATOUR.COM will select two players -- one from the New Breed and one for the Establishment -- and analyze their chances heading into the tournament. We'll then track which player has the better score for his team, and keep a running team tally throughout the year.
This week for the Northern Trust Open, we've selected American Jim Furyk for the Establishment and South African Louis Oosthuizen for the New Breed. Both are coming off spectacular 2010 seasons -- Furyk having won the FedExCup while Oosthuizen winning the British Open. The two can expect to see plenty of each other this year, with Oosthuizen taking up membership on the PGA TOUR. And both will likely be on their respective Presidents Cup teams this November in Australia.
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ESTABLISHMENT AGE: 40 YEARS ON TOUR: This is his 18th full season on the PGA TOUR. He's made 435 TOUR starts, with 16 wins. OVERVIEW: Furyk won the U.S. Open in 2003, but his best overall season on TOUR came last year, when he won a career-best three times, including THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola en route to claiming the FedExCup title. Furyk was eventually voted by his peers as the 2010 Player of the Year. What he lacks in distance off the tee, he makes up for in accuracy, as well as a clutch short game, as evidenced by his up-and-down to win at East Lake. The 2010 season was a magical one for Furyk; can he offer a repeat performance in 2011? HISTORY IN THIS EVENT: Furyk will be making his 15th start at Riviera. He has just two top-10 finishes, including a tie for third in 2007 when he shot carded three 67s among his four rounds. Furyk has never won a TOUR event in California. OUTLOOK THIS WEEK: Furyk opened the season with a tie for ninth at the limited-field Hyundai Tournament of Champions, but he has struggled in his two full-field starts this year, missing the cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii and at least week's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. In his previous two years, Furyk missed the cut a cumulative five times, so it's a bit alarming to already see those two MCs. In each of the previous five years, Furyk has finished inside the top 10 in scoring average; this year, after three starts, he currently ranks 147th. Riviera hasn't been particularly productive for Furyk, but maybe he can find something positive to take into next week's World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.
Click here for a 2011 preview of Furyk |
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NEW BREED AGE: 28 YEARS ON TOUR: This is his first full season on the PGA TOUR. OVERVIEW: Golf fans may not pronounced his last name the same way, but there's no debating the label he currently wears: 2010 British Open champion. The South African blew away the field last year by seven strokes, becoming the first player since Tony Lema in 1964 to win his first major at St. Andrews. Having spent most of his professional career on the European Tour, Oosthuizen has decided to also take up membership on the PGA TOUR this year, with the Northern Trust Open his first start. You'll likely see him playing for the International team at The Presidents Cup later this year in Australia; he's currently third on the points list. HISTORY IN THIS EVENT: Oosthuizen is making his first appearance in this event. In fact, he's making his first appearance at a PGA TOUR event in California. Oosthuizen has made just 14 TOUR starts on American soil since turning pro in 2003. OUTLOOK THIS WEEK: Oosthuizen should come in with plenty of confidence. He already has one win under his belt this season, the Africa Open in early January. That's his third win in the last 12 months. "It's a great way to start the season," he said after beating Spain's Manuel Quiros and Chris Wood of Britain in the first hole of the playoff. "This is my first European Tour title in South Africa and I'm quite ecstatic about that. Now I'm looking forward to the whole year, playing half in America and Europe ... hopefully contending on both money lists."
Click here for a 2011 preview of Oosthuizen |
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| Tee times |
| First-round tee times for Furyk, Oosthuizen |
Jim Furyk Will be playing with current FedExCup leader Mark Wilson and 2010 FedExCup runner-up Matt Kuchar at 10:21 a.m. ET off the first tee in Round 1. |
Louis Oosthuizen Will be playing with former Masters champion Zach Johnson and former U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy at 10:21 a.m. ET off the tenth tee in Round 1. |
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| Establishment vs. New Breed: 2011 results |
| Here are the results of the previous matchups this year |
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Steve Stricker |
20 under (T-4th) |
Hyundai TOC |
Dustin Johnson |
14 under (T-9th) |
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Ernie Els |
4 under (T-42nd) |
Sony Open |
Jason Day |
8 under (T-20th) |
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Stewart Cink |
5 under (MC) |
Bob Hope Classic |
Bubba Watson |
7 under (MC) |
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Davis Love III |
5 over (MC) |
Farmers Insurance Open |
Rickie Fowler |
5 under (T20) |
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Angel Cabrera |
7 under (T-49th) |
Waste Management Phoenix |
Jhonattan Vegas |
2 under (MC) |
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Padraig Harrington |
2 over (T63) |
AT&T Pebble Beach National |
Dustin Johnson |
Even (T55) |
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