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"Golf 2.0" Taking the PGA Tour by Storm

It's hard to imagine that a storyline in golf as big as the Tiger Woods saga could be upstaged. The same can be said about the Phil Mickelson storyline, which involves his stellar play and his attempt overtake Woods as the number 1 player in the world.

But both of these storylines, which truly are extraordinarily prevalent on a weekly basis on PGA Tour, are taking a back seat to the new youth movement in golf. Players in their twenties, and in some cases, in their teens, are winning, placing in the top-10, and from a general standpoint, making a splash on Tour with every swing that they take.

Players like Rickie Fowler (21), Rory McIlroy (21), Ryo Ishikawa (18), Anthony Kim (25), and Dustin Johnson (25), are playing exceptional golf. They are consistently in contention, and outside of Fowler, have won a golf tournament this year. What's amazing, however, is that they are making us forget about the two names that have been synonymous with golf over the last decade—Tiger and Phil.

How have they done this, you ask? Well, their play, first and foremost, has put these players on the golf map. These five budding superstars are all in the top 50 of the current world rankings, and are contending on a weekly basis on golf tours world-wide. Their play is important, but the manner with which they play has also made these young golfers a major part of the 2010 PGA Tour.

Each plays with the kind of charisma and flare that we want from our stars. They hit it long, make a lot of birdies, and take a lot of chances. Whether it be Dustin Johnson's 350- yard drives, Ryo Ishikawa's headcover's that have pictures of himself on them, or Rickie Fowler's street-cone-like clothes, these players catch our collective eyes, keep us on our toes, and make us want to follow and root for them.

These five players have made the most impact on tour this year, but golf 2.0 doesn't end with them. Plenty of players, including Jason Day (22), Michael Sim (25), Jordan Spieth (16), Matteo Mannasero (16), and Chris Wood (22), have lots of game, plenty of flare, and will make their mark in the near future.

These "young guns" are coming, and the likes of Tiger and Phil know it.

"We've got some great young ones with Rickie Fowler and Rory McIlroy," said Phil Mickelson. "Ryo Ishikawa is incredible. And Dustin Johnson from the Americans' side is really great, too." Woods see's technology as the culprit for the quick-closing gap between he and some of these young golf stars.

"I think it's how the game has evolved," Woods said. "With the advent of technology, these kids are able to view their swings via a camera, videotape, and analyze their swings and make improvements so much faster and earlier, and their golf swings are so much better at an earlier age, even from when I grew up."

The acknowledgement on the part of Woods and Mickelson is just the beginning. Golf 2.0 has started to take some of their headlines, and will continue to take many of their coveted titles.

Here is some bio information on some of the young stars from the PGA Tour:

Rickie Fowler
Age: 21
Birthplace: Anaheim, California
Top Finishes This Year: 2nd, The Memorial Tournament, 2nd, Waste Management Phoenix Open
World Rank: 34

Rory McIlroy
Age: 21
Birthplace: Holywood, Northern Ireland
Top Finishes This Year: 1st, Quail Hollow Championship, 10th, the Memorial Tournament
World Rank: 10

Ryo Ishikawa
Age: 18
Birthplace: Matsubushi, Saitama (Japan)
Top Finishes This Year: 1st, The Crowns (Japan Tour), 32nd, Northern Trust Open
World Rank: 46

Anthony Kim
Age: 25
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Top Finishes This Year: 1st, Shell Houston Open, 2nd, the Honda Classic, 3rd, The Masters
World Rank: 11

Dustin Johnson
Age: 25
Birthplace: Columbia, South Carolina
Top Finishes This Year:  1st, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, 3rd, Northern Trust Open
World Rank: 29

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