This article is part of our Golf Barometer series.
UPGRADE
Bill Haas: At the tender age of 31, he's already bagged five PGA Tour victories - putting him more than halfway to the nine that his dad, Jay Haas, won. Kid Haas was the second-ranked putter and fourth-ranked iron player in the AT&T National victory, not surprising given his seasonal profile (9th in GIR, 45th in strokes gained putting). Get used to Haas's bald dome and easy smile - he's ready to break into the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup circle for the United States. Now, if only some of the mojo would rub off on older brother Hunter.
Jason Kokrak: He's been a little erratic with the cuts made (just 10-of-18), but Kokrak shows the ability to make a weekend run when things are good - he's bagged three checks in the Top 10, including the T3 finish in the deep AT&T National field last week. The Canadian native hits it all over the joint, but with 302.7 yards per drive and solid iron play (33rd in GIR), you can see why he's dangerous.
Morgan Hoffman: You never know when the light will go on for young players - maybe it's starting to click for the 23-year-old Hoffman. A T9 at the Travelers Championship was a nice start - albeit in a modest field - and he backed it up with a more impressive T8 at the AT&T National last week. Hoffman's ball striking hasn't been consistent this year, but he's nonetheless 57th in scoring average and 48th
UPGRADE
Bill Haas: At the tender age of 31, he's already bagged five PGA Tour victories - putting him more than halfway to the nine that his dad, Jay Haas, won. Kid Haas was the second-ranked putter and fourth-ranked iron player in the AT&T National victory, not surprising given his seasonal profile (9th in GIR, 45th in strokes gained putting). Get used to Haas's bald dome and easy smile - he's ready to break into the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup circle for the United States. Now, if only some of the mojo would rub off on older brother Hunter.
Jason Kokrak: He's been a little erratic with the cuts made (just 10-of-18), but Kokrak shows the ability to make a weekend run when things are good - he's bagged three checks in the Top 10, including the T3 finish in the deep AT&T National field last week. The Canadian native hits it all over the joint, but with 302.7 yards per drive and solid iron play (33rd in GIR), you can see why he's dangerous.
Morgan Hoffman: You never know when the light will go on for young players - maybe it's starting to click for the 23-year-old Hoffman. A T9 at the Travelers Championship was a nice start - albeit in a modest field - and he backed it up with a more impressive T8 at the AT&T National last week. Hoffman's ball striking hasn't been consistent this year, but he's nonetheless 57th in scoring average and 48th in all-around ranking - you love seeing a player perform better than the component stats might suggest.
Charlie Wi: It's been a sandwich sort of year for Wi - he cashed in his first seven events, then went a month where he could hardly break 70. He rebounded with four straight cashes in May, but none of the finishes netted him more than $22K. After a misstep in Connecticut, it's encouraging to see Wi finishing sole seventh in last week's AT&T National, using a hot putter to gain 16 important spots in the FedEx Cup standings. Wi should be a Top-100 player again before long, there's too much back class here.
Stewart Cink: The tank isn't empty at age 40 - Cink is a respectable 66th on the money list and has three separate Top-10 finishes (including a classy 70-69-71-67 card at the AT&T National last week, landing him in fifth). Some erratic driving and inconsistent putting has held Cink back now and again, but he's one of the most reliable players from the fairway, and he's still pumping the ball 290 yards per drive.
DOWNGRADE
Bo Van Pelt: We respect that he didn't withdraw after the opening 79 at AT&T National (though he had no chance of making the cut), and it's nice to see 12 checks cashed for the year, but how can a ball striker like BVP have just one six-figure cash through six months? He had 12 such cashes back in the 2012 dream season. Something doesn't add up here.
Ricky Barnes: You might be surprised to see 11 trunk slams from the cocky, athletic Barnes, but then you note he's 170th in putts per round and suddenly it all makes sense. A T13 at the Travelers Championship was a step in the right direction, weak field and all. Just making the cut at The Greenbrier Classic would surprise us.
Ben Curtis: He's lagging off the tee, sitting at 273 yards per drive (that's 181st on tour). It's awfully hard to keep up with your scoring when everyone is bombing the ball past you on a regular basis. Curtis hasn't cracked the Top 20 in any full-field event for 2013, and he hasn't even broken 70 since mid-May. The modern course demands are exposing the flaws in Curtis's game.
