Woody Austin

Austin is known on tour as a fabulous ball striker and when the putter is working, he's tough to beat. The problem however is this, if you select him, you need that putter to show up a few times this year. Austin is not getting any younger and you know what they say about putting as you get older.

Few events were more unexpected than the rise of Woody Austin last year. Austin played the best golf of his career last year including a win at the St. Jude Championship and a runner-up finish at the PGA Championship. Austin is one of those players that strikes the ball well and if he happens to find his putting stroke, he's dangerous. More often that not though, he can't find it. Look for a decline in production this year.

Austin has topped $1 million the last four years, but his upside isn't getting any higher. His best finish in 2006 was a tie for fifth at the Buick Championship. Expect a slight decline in production in 2007.

Austin has had a nice resurgence in his career the last three years. Before 2005 he had earned more than $1.5 million twice, but he fell off that pace a bit last year. Austin isn't in a funk, he's just hanging on and there isn't much time left. Furthermore, he had no top-10s during the regular season in 2005. I expect the downward trend in earnings to continue this year.

Austin got hot for about five weeks last year and was really playing well, almost topping Davis Love at the MCI, but after that hot streak he cooled down considerably. There is nothing in Austin's track record that would show last year was the rule rather than the exception. Prior to 2003 Austin was at the $500K mark year in and year out. He amy not fall back to those previous levels, but don't expect him to top his numbers from last year.