By: Rich Styles

GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services

The 2018-19 season starts this month on the PGA Tour. Yes, there were several tournaments last fall with many of the top ranked golfers cherry picking which ones to play.

Now, after the Tournament of Champions, which will not include Tiger, Phil and Justin Rose, the tour starts in Hawaii, then the west coast swing.

There are many PGA, Web.com, PGA Tour Canada and Latin American players from Georgia or with Georgia ties. Many have won tour events and several majors over the last several years and around 30 or so live and practice in Sea Island/St. Simons Island.

One of the biggest stories was Charles Howell III winning the RSM Classic. Howell III won on the second playoff hole with a birdie, after over 83,693 shots on the tour, 333 starts and over 11 years without a win. A great and popular win for the Augusta native. He will play in the TOC in Hawaii.

He is also ranked in the Top 20 of total winnings on the PGA Tour. Quite an accomplishment with 3 PGA Tour wins and many Top 10s along his journey.

Looking to regain their games in the 2018-19 season are Patton Kizzire, who had a great first half of the season with two wins to lead the FedEx Cup standings and reached Top 30 of the Tour Championship; Chesson Hadley, who has 13 Top 25s and 7 Top 10s.

Also looking to regain form are Kevin Kisner, who did not have the year that he had planned; Brian Harman, started strong but missed the Tour Championship; Zach Johnson will start the new year with a new caddie after parting ways with Damon Green after 15-years together and 2 major wins. And many others.

A strong list of players on various tours include Anders Albertson, Cameron Tringale, Harris English, Heath Slocum, Hudson Swofford, J.T. Poston, Jason Bohn, Joey Garber, Scott Wolfes, Kris Blanks, Luke List, Michael Thompson, Ollie Schniederjans, Patrick Reed, Richy Werenski, Roberto Castro, Russell Henry, Scott Brown, Sepp Straka, Stewart Cink, Trey Mullinax, Troy Matteson, Vaughn Taylor, Wesley Bryan, Dru Love IV and Will Claxton.

The list will grow of tour players who live or have ties in Georgia with the incredibly strong golf programs at UGA, Georgia Southern, College of Coastal Georgia, Georgia Tech and others.

The AJGA, Jones Cup Jr and Jones Cup Invitational are also strong organizations with unbelievable talent that is only going to get stronger.

That means the talent in high schools to colleges to the mini tours to the PGA Tour is strong. You may not know their names now but you will in the next few years.

These players are young, strong and have an incredible will to win. They have no fear and want to play against the best on any of the above-mentioned tours. Georgia’s golf future is bright and very promising.