Each week on GolfChannel.com, we’ll examine which players’ stocks and trends are rising and falling in the world of golf.
RISING
Oliver Wilson (+7%): His was one of the most unlikely triumphs of the year: Playing on a sponsor exemption, fresh off three missed cuts in his last four starts and ranked 792nd in the world, he outplayed the world No. 1 down the stretch at the Home of Golf for his first career W. Fairy-tale stuff.
Jarrod Lyle (+4%): Somehow passed over for a sponsor exemption, the two-time leukemia survivor earned his spot in the Frys.com Open the hard way – shooting 66 in the Monday qualifier and then prevailing in a playoff. His comeback story just keeps getting better.
Phil (+3%): Knowing what we do now, his well-planned takedown of Tom Watson looks even better, especially with the news that the PGA will form a “task force” to look into all things Ryder Cup. Lefty agitated for change, saying in public what others are doing anonymously.
2014-15 PGA Tour season (+2%): Having something other than the Ryder Cup to talk about? Yes, please!
Rory’s dad (+1%): Sheesh. His swing is almost as good as his son’s!
FALLING
Stacy Lewis (-1%): After her closing 75 in Beijing, you can’t help but wonder how remarkable this season could have been – she now has 15 (!) top-6 finishes.
Bill Haas (-2%): He might not have made a difference for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, but that shouldn’t stop him from tapping out this text message to Captain America: Oops!
Steve Williams (-4%): So Stevie says he would “consider” working again for Tiger … though that’s even less likely than Watson getting a third term. At this point, his Tiger talk is just sad.
Rules of Golf (-6%): Holly Clyburn won’t have her LPGA tour card next year after the marker forgot to sign her scorecard in Q-School. Forget anchoring. The governing bodies should add a Common Sense Clause.
Tom Watson (-9%): His calamitous captaincy won’t affect his legacy – player and leader are separate domains – but the more we learn, the easier it is to paint Watson’s tenure as a complete and utter failure.