From the U.S. Open to the Travelers Championship, the PGA TOUR season keeps on rolling. Eight of the top 10 players in the world are in Connecticut this week for the latest Designated Event, as is Wyndham Clark, the newly minted major champion.

The Five this week dives deep into Clark and how far he’s come, who could be the next one to follow a similar path, and an examination of the youth movement on TOUR, which is sure to feature prominently again this week at TPC River Highlands.

Where Wyndham Clark once was

It was only three months ago that the world’s best golfers congregated in Austin, Texas for the WGC Dell-Technologies Match Play Championship.

Wyndham Clark wasn’t there.

Then just the 90th-ranked golfer in the world, he didn’t qualify. He was in the Dominican Republic instead, teeing it up in the Corales Puntacana Championship.

Sure, he had shown glimpses that his game was trending in a direction he had not seen in his five years on the PGA TOUR – a 5th place finish at the Valspar Championship the week prior was his best since he lost in a playoff during the 2020 Bermuda Championship. He would go on to finish 6th in the Dominican Republic that week, too, right around the same time that Sam Burns, Cameron Young, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler were battling 2000 miles away at the latest designated event.

Clark’s meteoric rise in the proceeding months sheds light on how quickly fortunes can change in professional golf. From 193rd in the world to start this season to 13th after his second win in four starts – a U.S. Open victory over two of the top-3 players in the game. From just over $5 million in career earnings through his first four years on TOUR to over $10 million this season alone.

That starts to tell the story, but to fully encapsulate how much Clark’s life has changed since the season kicked off last September is nearly indescribable.

“I wouldn't have thought I'd be a major champion six, seven months ago,” he said.

He knocked off plenty of smaller things first. He held the share of the 54-hole lead at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the first time he had been in that spot since 2019. He cracked the top 50 of the FedExCup for the first time. Then came his first win at the Wells Fargo Championship in May. That cleared a mental block. He always thought he could compete against the best players in the world, but the win proved it to him. Still, he felt something greater coming. It came at the U.S. Open. Now he is one of the world’s best. With it is a five-year exemption into majors and job security on the PGA TOUR as well.

It's happened primarily because of a massive improvement in his ball striking. His driving and putting statistics are nearly identical to 2022, where he finished 87th in the FedExCup, but he’s improved his approach play by nearly a shot per round. It’s the first year in his career he’s gained shots on the field – and he’s jumped 156 spots, from 173rd to 16th. A small improvement around the greens has aided him, too, which was put to the test with critical par saves on Nos. 9 and 11 during the final round at The Los Angeles Country Club.

Finding the next Wyndham Clark

Clark became the first golfer outside the top 30 in the world to win the U.S. Open in 13 years, snapping the longest streak at the major championship since 1986. It begs the question, is Clark the only mid-to-late 20s outsider on the precipice of contending and winning top PGA TOUR events and majors?

It’s certainly hard to predict – as Clark’s resume before this season shows. The talent was always evident, however. Clark was the No. 1 ranked college golfer on GolfStat in 2017. He was a Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year semifinalist and Ben Hogan Award Finalist in 2017 and made the 2014 Palmer Cup team as an amateur. He also had one elite skill that helped him elevate himself – distance. He is sixth on the PGA TOUR in driving distance and sits inside the top-5 of average club head speed.

That gives a bit of a criteria to work with when finding who could be the next Wyndham Clark. Here are a few possibilities.

Justin Suh – The USC alum might already be amidst a Clark-esque rise. Three years younger than Clark, the 26-year-old Suh has six top 25s and three top 10s in 25 events this season. After making less than $500,000 in 25 PGA TOUR events over the span of four years, Suh won the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Finals and has already amassed $2.26 million in earnings in 25 events this season. Suh spent seven months atop the world amateur golf rankings, won Pac 12 Player of the Year in 2018 (a year after Clark) and was a member of the 2018 Palmer Cup. He may be the closest to his first win and a quick rise up the hierarchy of pro golf.

Maverick NcNealy – Another former No. 1 ranked amateur, the 27-year-old McNealy's four years on TOUR is the epitome of steady, never finishing lower than 68th in the FedExCup. The former Stanford standout that won the 2015 Haskins Award is still chasing a breakthrough first victory, though. With two runner-up finishes in his career, he’s certainly been close. He also boasts an elite skill, currently leading the TOUR in Strokes Gained: Putting for the season. That’s enough to think a win is coming for the man who once tied Tiger Woods’ 18-hole college scoring record.

Patrick Rodgers – He’s already in his ninth PGA TOUR season, so it may surprise that Rodgers is only 30. But the former Stanford alum cannot be discounted when discussing mid-career bloomers. He won 11 collegiate events in three years, tying the record set by Woods, and has never lost his card on TOUR. He’s finished runner-up three times and notched 21 top 10s. It took Clark 133 events before he won his first event. Rodgers is 242 events in and still waiting.

Michael Kim – A winner five years ago at the 2018 John Deere Classic, Kim’s career has not followed a linear arc. He did not register a top 25 for three seasons, missed the cut in 19 of 30 events in 2021, fell outside the top 1000 in the world and lost his card. He found his game on the KFT, though, finishing 19th in the standings a year ago to get his card back. He’s already tallied three top 10s this season, matching the number he had through his first nine years as a professional. Like the names before him, he was a decorated amateur. He won the 2013 Haskins Award and qualified for the 2013 U.S. Open as a 19-year-old and finish as the low amateur. It’s taken longer than he would have liked to regain his form, but it’s back and bigger things could be on the horizon.

Add a new name to the Rookie of the Year conversation

Midway through March, Austin Eckroat was headed in the wrong direction. The Oklahoma State alum had missed his last six cuts with just one round of his last 11 in the 60s. He was 162nd in the FedExCup.

It was Saturday at the Corales Puntacana Championship that things finally clicked. Eckroat shot 28 on the front nine to vault him into contention.

“I just need one day where I get hot, I'm close. Today was for sure the day I got hot for a little bit,” he said after the round. “I wouldn't say I learned a whole lot when it comes to the golf game, just more how to handle myself and how to work my way through a round of golf when things aren't great.”

He shot 68 in the final round to finish fifth, a career best. And although he missed his next two cuts, Eckroat was right that the good golf wasn’t far off.

He’s now made six consecutive cuts, including a T2 finish at the AT&T Byron Nelson where he lost to Jason Day by a stroke. He finished T16 at the Charles Schwab Challenge the next week and was in contention until a Sunday 77 at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. Then, last week, he secured his first top 10 in a major with a final round 65 at the U.S. Open. He’s now up to 62nd in the FedExCup but remains behind Eric Cole (39th), Taylor Montgomery (40th), Thomas Detry (44th) and Sam Stevens (56th). Yet Eckroat ranks 12th in Strokes Gained: Total over the last month.

There’s still plenty of time to catch up. Given his current form, I bet he does.

The Travelers’ youth identity remains with the new Designated event status

Each PGA TOUR event has its own identity. Some take on the legacy of their organizer, like Jack Nicklaus and the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, or Tiger Woods and The Genesis Invitational. Others, like the WM Phoenix, get their identity from their atmosphere. This week’s TOUR stop, the Travelers Championship, has always been lauded as a favorite stop for players, often because it was where they were given their first chance.

Year after year the Travelers Championship prioritizes using its sponsor’s exemptions to bring in the top amateurs and newly turned pros right out of college. Last year, decorated Texas alum Cole Hammer made his pro debut, and amateurs Michael Thorbjornsen and Ben James were in the field. Thorbjronsen and James are in the field again this year, ranked No. 2 and No. 4 in the world.

“I was really surprised. Just knowing that it was an elevated event this year I'm thinking there is no way I'm getting invited back,” said Thorbjornsen, who contended in last year’s event, ultimately finishing fourth. “definitely really grateful and appreciative of it.”

The 2019 Travelers Championship saw the professional debuts of Viktor Hovland and Justin Suh alongside Collin Morikawa, who was making his second career start. Jon Rahm was offered sponsor’s exemptions in 2015 as an amateur and as a Special Temporary Member in 2016.

And this year, another talented group of young players are hoping to one day have the careers Rahm, Hovland, Suh and Morikawa are having.

Ludvig Aberg is making his second PGA TOUR start as a pro. He made the cut in his debut at the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto two weeks ago, finishing T25. He was the No. 1 amateur before he finished first in the PGA TOUR University rankings and turned pro.

Sam Bennett is also back in the field. He’s made the cut in all three of his professional events, including a T43 finish at the U.S. Open.

James, meanwhile, just wrapped up his freshman year at Virginia where he won five times, finished T6 at the NCAA Championships and was named the 2023 NCAA Freshman of the Year.

Then there’s Thorbjornsen. His debut at TPC River Highlands last year was a coming-out party for the highly touted 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur champion. Then just 20 years old, he found himself in contention on Sunday.

“That was something that I wasn't really ready for,” Thorbjornsen said.

He finished four shots behind Xander Schauffele after firing 66-66 on the weekend.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see any of these four compete this week in Connecticut. It’s happened before. Patrick Cantlay fired a second-round 60 as an amateur in 2011 and led through 36 holes. He finished T24.

The best mid-range putters on TOUR

Keep it in the fairway and you can score. That is the general consensus on this week’s venue, TPC River Highlands. It isn’t without its tricky spots, though. As the second-shortest golf course on the PGA TOUR last season, the course was ripe for opportunities, particularly on the par 5s and short par 4s. Despite that, the average proximity on approach shots between 50-75 yards was just over 19 feet, the second-longest on TOUR.

So, while it might be short, don’t expect the top players to get by only on short birdie looks. To go low, they will need to drain a few mid-range putts. Given that, here are the best putters on tour this season from 15-25 feet (of the players in the field).

1. Harry Hall – 26.1%
2. Jon Rahm – 22.7%
3. Justin Lower – 21.8%
4. Rickie Fowler 21.5%
5. Jason Day – 21.2%
6. Sahith Theegala – 20.3%
7. Max Homa – 20.2%
8. Ben Taylor – 20.2%
9. Tom Hoge – 20.2%
10. Scott Piercy – 20.1%