Pat Perez, the uber-talented, sometimes self-critical slasher, got the year started with a win at the 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer. Perez, who is as well-known for his fiery temper as he is for his booming drives, overtook Steve Stricker and a host of others down the stretch on a blustery Sunday in the desert. For the veteran Perez the first win was a long time coming. Although the rest of the year didn’t go as well as he would have wanted, it seems likely that he will be a factor again soon.

Perhaps the biggest surprise among the first-time winners came in March at The Honda Classic. Y.E. Yang’s name was rarely mentioned before he tamed PGA National and held off an impressive field that included defending champion Ernie Els. What we couldn’t know in March was that Yang was just getting started. He would capture another, even bigger title less than a half a year later when he overtook Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship.

No one was surprised when Paul Casey won the Shell Houston Open in early spring. Before suffering a rib injury that ended his season later in the summer, Casey ascended to the No. 3 ranking in the world. Don’t forget about him in the majors next year.

While all eyes were on Tom Watson and Stewart Cink at the British Open, Bo Van Pelt finally reeled in his first win at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. Van Pelt, who had been close on several different occasions during his career, broke through in dramatic fashion in a playoff over John Mallinger.

The next weekend Nathan Green and Retief Goosen made it a two-man race north of the border at the RBC Canadian Open. Green, who had lost in a playoff to Woods back in 2006 at the Buick Invitational, this time took down a major champion in Canada.

Ryan Moore closed out the regular season with a win at the Wyndham Championship. In 2005 he became the first person since Woods to bypass q-school and earn his TOUR card. Moore finally joined him in the winner’s circle this year.

Martin Laird was the season’s final first-time winner at the Justin TImberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. It took a brilliant shot on the third extra hole to set up a birdie and the playoff victory for the Scotsman. If you don’t know much about Laird you soon will. At 27 he has two full years behind him on the PGA TOUR and one win notched on his belt.

For some of these gentlemen this will likely be the best year they ever have on the PGA TOUR. For others it was just the beginning. Whatever the case, after 2009 they will forever be known as PGA TOUR winners.
 

President in Swing

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