Five Players Poised to Break Out on the PGA Tour in 2019

Over the course of a professional golfer’s career, few achievements are so unique and rewarding as the moment it all comes together.  It’s the breakout, and it’s a sacred moment.  Not just improvement, but absolute revelation.  Sometimes it’s a breakout tournament.  Other times it’s a breakout round, or even a breakout shot.  It’s living proof of what a player might become, and the hint that someday they could be a superstar. 

 

It’s Jordan Spieth holing out from a greenside bunker at the 2013 John Deere Classic to force a playoff.  It’s Rory McIlroy dominating in 2009 at Dubai to win his first professional victory.  These breakouts happen every year, and sometimes when we least expect them.  Here are five players to watch this season who could take a giant leap towards super-stardom in 2019. 

Cameron Champ 

Cameron Champ.  The name.  The talent.  The power.  Champ has recorded ball speeds greater than 190 mph on Tour, and will be one of the longest hitters we see for many years to come.  But when Champ picked up his first Tour win at the Sanderson Farms Championship last year, he proved he’s more than a jaw-dropping power machine. 

 

Champ birdied five of the final six holes, hitting a variety of shots that showed off his full arsenal.  On the 16^th hole he drained a 38-foot putt for birdie.  And on the 18^th hole he hit a 158-yard wedge from the rough to seven-feet for another birdie putt.  Champ hits sizzling drives that defy logic and make him a fan favorite, but it’s his indisputable complete game (that in many ways looks effortless) that makes him so much fun to watch. 

Tony Finau 

Let’s get something straight, Tony Finau is already a star.  He’s ranked No. 9 in the World, and least year finished in the top-5 in the FedExCup Playoffs, picked up more runner-ups than anyone on Tour, and finished in the top-10 more times than anyone not named Dustin Johnson (Finau had 11 to DJ's 12).  What keeps Finau from being a full-fledged superstar however, is the fact that he’s only won one time on Tour. 

 

With multiple wins this year Finau would immediately jump into the elite realm of players, and potentially become that guy who’s a favorite to win every time he tees it up.  Finau’s prodigious power is complimented by steady and clutch putting, and there won't be a shortage of opportunities this season for him to convert a second career title (at the very least).  Finau's as resilient as they come, and it's only a matter of time before he breaks through to the next level. 

Patrick Cantlay 

The only surpassing thing about Patrick Cantlay is that he hasn’t already put a couple W’s up on the board.  In 2018 Cantlay finished ninth in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (proving he’s a gifted ball striker), and triumphed at Shriners for his first win on Tour.  Cantlay also finished near the top of leaderboards at big-boy tracks like Riviera, Muirfield Village, and Carnoustie proving he’s a superstar-in-waiting. 

 

Cantlay’s next step will be winning one of these elite field events or fighting his way into multiple top-10s like Finau.  Cantlay put together eight consecutive second rounds in the 60s last year (the second best stretch of any player on Tour), and the adversities he's already overcome make him mature beyond his 26 years.  It's not a matter of if, but of when for Cantlay, and he should be a factor in multiple events throughout the new season. 

Xander Schauffele 

With three wins in just 60 career starts, Xander Schauffele has clearly figured some things out.  Schauffele had a tough time following up his Rookie of the Year season in 2017 (when he picked up two wins, including the TOUR Championship).  And he went winless in the 2018 campaign.  However, Schauffele picked up a win early in the new season when he overcame a three-shot Sunday deficit to win the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai. 

 

Schauffele has proven he can't ever be counted out.  And outside of Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy, he’s probably the longest hitter pound-for-pound on Tour.  Schauffele’s best showings in his young career have always been on the biggest stages, so don’t be surprised if he picks up his first major this year.  He’s really that good. 

Sam Burns 

Remember when Sam Burns was paired with Tiger Woods in the final round of the Honda Classic and actually outplayed Woods?  Then still just 21-years old, Burns showed he was going to be something special.  Burns hadn’t earned his Tour card at that point, but earned full playing privileges on Tour by finishing well inside the Top-25 on the Web.com Tour. 

 

Burns is quiet but he has a cold-blooded mamba mentality, especially in the clutch.  And that could vault him up leadboards at some big events this year.  Burns can legitimately win multiple times this year, he can even contend in multiple majors.  And you should get used to hearing his name.  Burns will be winning all kinds of events for decades to come.