Austin Smotherman

Smotherman is a player that, in his brief career, has excelled at making cuts but has yet to truly contend at an elite level. He made the weekend in over 68 percent of his 2022 events but only claimed one top 20 finish. If he can start to play well past Friday, the 28-year-old could have a strong sophomore season. Notably, the SMU product still struggles with his short game on occasion, so look for him to improve that part of his game in the offseason.

Smotherman clutched up with three straight finishes of T26 or better to end the regular season on the Korn Ferry Tour just inside the top 25 of the points list, ultimately securing his card for the first time. His ball-striking metrics indicate it shouldn't have been such a sweat for the SMU product, however, as he ranked seventh on the KFT in GIR percentage and eighth in total driving. Such quality tee-to-green play represents a high ceiling, though his short-game struggles might cause a handful of missed cuts at the PGA Tour level as he adjusts to new venues.