This article is part of our Golf Draft Kit series.
Below are foreign golfers who will play on the PGA TOUR in 2013 and American golfers who were not PGA TOUR members last year. Golfers are ranked by projected earnings.
1. Casey Wittenberg
Projected Earnings: $1,750,000
2012 Earnings: $163,594
Events Played: 1
2013 Outlook: Casey Wittenberg is likely to come into this season as the most highly touted player in a while. In his lone start on the PGA TOUR last year he finished in the top 10 at the U.S. Open. If that's not impressive enough, how about finishing atop the Web.com money list? There's a reason he's so highly touted, he's loaded with talent. If he can handle the spotlight, he should have a big year.
2. Peter Hanson
Projected Earnings: $1,500,000
2012 Earnings: $835,221
Events Played: 11
2013 Outlook: Hanson has been the classic European player the last decade or so. He's remained committed to the European Tour, which has limited his earnings on the PGA TOUR, but that's about to change this year as Hanson is finally ready to give it a go in the states. Playing full time on the PGA TOUR is no guarantee of success, even if said player had plenty success on the European Tour, so it's wise not to get too excited about the new crop of foreign players coming over this year. But Hanson has plenty of game and should adapt well to his new surroundings.
3. Nicolas Colsaerts
Projected Earnings: $1,500,000
2012 Earnings: $518,511
Events Played: 9
2013 Outlook:
Below are foreign golfers who will play on the PGA TOUR in 2013 and American golfers who were not PGA TOUR members last year. Golfers are ranked by projected earnings.
1. Casey Wittenberg
Projected Earnings: $1,750,000
2012 Earnings: $163,594
Events Played: 1
2013 Outlook: Casey Wittenberg is likely to come into this season as the most highly touted player in a while. In his lone start on the PGA TOUR last year he finished in the top 10 at the U.S. Open. If that's not impressive enough, how about finishing atop the Web.com money list? There's a reason he's so highly touted, he's loaded with talent. If he can handle the spotlight, he should have a big year.
2. Peter Hanson
Projected Earnings: $1,500,000
2012 Earnings: $835,221
Events Played: 11
2013 Outlook: Hanson has been the classic European player the last decade or so. He's remained committed to the European Tour, which has limited his earnings on the PGA TOUR, but that's about to change this year as Hanson is finally ready to give it a go in the states. Playing full time on the PGA TOUR is no guarantee of success, even if said player had plenty success on the European Tour, so it's wise not to get too excited about the new crop of foreign players coming over this year. But Hanson has plenty of game and should adapt well to his new surroundings.
3. Nicolas Colsaerts
Projected Earnings: $1,500,000
2012 Earnings: $518,511
Events Played: 9
2013 Outlook: Colsaerts came on strong at the end of the 2012 season and starting in 2013, he'll be a full-time member, so the sky is the limit. Colsaerts certainly isn't the most well-known European player out there, but he's one of the most talented. His nine starts last year will help him as he adjusts to life on the PGA TOUR. Expect solid numbers from Colsaerts this year.
4. Ryo Ishikawa
Projected Earnings: $1,250,000
2012 Earnings: $727,051
Events Played: 18
2013 Outlook: Ishikawa has largely failed to live up to the hype attached to him as a teenager, but that's not necessarily his fault. Expectations were very high from the start and some golfers simply don't handle that well. Ishikawa has had his moments, but it's about time he steps up. This could be the year as he'll have plenty of opportunities as a full-time member on the PGA TOUR in 2013.
5. Martin Kaymer
Projected Earnings: $1,250,000
2012 Earnings: $283,357
Events Played: 8
2013 Outlook: Kaymer is biting the bullet this year and joining the PGA TOUR full time. Once upon a time, only a handful of European players were on the PGA TOUR full time and those who were here had a difficult time adjusting. But with so many Euro's on the PGA TOUR now, that adjustment isn't as difficult. That should help Kaymer even though he probably doesn't need it.
6. David Lynn
Projected Earnings: $1,000,000
2012 Earnings: $865,000
Events Played: 1
2013 Outlook: Lynn teed it up once on the PGA TOUR last season and nearly won the PGA Championship. Well, he wasn't all that close to Rory McIlroy, but he finished runner-up, and the result was a payday worth $865K. Lynn isn't likely to repeat that feat this year, but he will get more starts than he did last year as he plans to join the PGA TOUR this season.
7. Luke Guthrie
Projected Earnings: $1,000,000
2012 Earnings: $284,672
Events Played: 4
2013 Outlook: Guthrie not only played well on the PGA TOUR last season, three top-25s in four starts, but he also played well enough on the Buy.com Tour to earn his card for the 2013 season. Guthrie pulled in almost $300K in just four starts on the PGA TOUR last season, imagine what he can due with a full schedule.
8. Ross Fisher
Projected Earnings: $920,000
2012 Earnings: $0
Events Played: 2
2013 Outlook: Fisher, a European Tour regular who nearly won the British Open in 2009, came to Q-school to try get his PGA TOUR card to not only have a second place to play but, according to him, improve his chances of getting into the majors and World Golf Championship events. Well he did exactly that, finishing second overall. He also played like a veteran, shooting a third-round 65 and a final-round 66 on a day when many players crumble under the pressure.
9. Thorbjorn Olesen
Projected Earnings: $500,000
2012 Earnings: $176,243
Events Played: 2
2013 Outlook: Olesen made the cut in both his PGA TOUR starts last season. His best start came at the U.S. Open where he finished in the top-10. Olesen's starts on the PGA TOUR will be limited, but it looks like he'll get some cracks during a couple WGC events as well as the U.S. Open again this season, so the potential for a strong season is there.
10. Jamie Donaldson
Projected Earnings: $400,000
2012 Earnings: $257,834
Events Played: 4
2013 Outlook: Donaldson was a perfect 4-for-4 last season on cuts made. Pretty impressive for a non-member. His best finish came at the PGA Championship where he tied for seventh. Donaldson appears to be anchored overseas, so don't expect a full schedule in the states, but if he continues to play well, his World Golf Ranking will continue to improve and he'll have more opportunities on the PGA TOUR.
11. Thomas Aiken
Projected Earnings: $300,000
2012 Earnings: $257,179
Events Played: 4
2013 Outlook: Aiken played in only four events on the PGA TOUR last year, with his best finish coming at the Open Championship where he tied for seventh. Aiken needs to improve his World Golf Ranking if he's to get more opportunities on the PGA TOUR.
12. Francesco Molinari
Projected Earnings: $200,000
2012 Earnings: $198,961
Events Played: 8
2013 Outlook: Molinari is a top player on the European Tour, but that success has not translated to the PGA TOUR in recent years. Although he has made a good percentage of cuts, he's lacked the high-end finishes in the states. Expect more of the same this season with Molinari showing up here and there on the leaderboard, but not accomplishing much in the big picture.
13. Miguel A. Jimenez
Projected Earnings: $200,000
2012 Earnings: $194,803
Events Played: 6
2013 Outlook: Jimenez just refuses to go down quietly. Just when you think he's too old to compete, he comes out and kicks some tail. Jimenez isn't kicking as much tail as he used to, but every now and then he makes a run at a big event. He did just that on two occasions last year and he'll likely show up a couple times again this year.
