ENGLISH REVIVAL // 28th November 2005

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Oliver Wilson and Ross Fisher are poised to become major European stars. The considerable talents of Ross Fisher and Oliver Wilson would have impressed anyone who watched the Volvo China Open on the weekend. Anyone who missed the tournament would do well to remember these two young English players, because Fisher and Wilson have all the skills to become big stars on the PGA European Tour. They also prove that there is more than one success route to the European Tour. Wilson finished as the runner-up in China, losing the title to Paul Casey at the first extra hole. If not for a dropped shot at No. 17, Wilson would have won his first European Tour event in only his second season. Meanwhile, Fisher held the third-round lead before finishing fourth, two shots out of the playoff. That they were challenging the established Casey for the title comes as no surprise. Anyone who follows college golf knows all about Wilson. He was a three-time All-American at Augusta State before joining the European Tour. He took a small detour to help Great Britain & Ireland to its Walker Cup victory at Ganton in 2003. Wilson performed admirably, winning two points out of the three matches he played. His tournament toughness comes from his years spent in an ultra-competitive U.S. college golf program, the same conveyor belt that helped countrymen Casey and Luke Donald into the professional ranks. Wilson gained his European Tour card by finishing 15th in earnings on the 2004 European Challenge Tour. He looked comfortable in his first full European Tour season, placing 97th on the 2005 money list with just less than 230,000 euros in earnings. Proof that his apprenticeship in college golf was well served. There is no shortage of good, young English players in the college ranks. Players like Robert Dinwiddie and David Skinns, recent graduates who should be making their way in the professional game in the next season or two. Currently Still playing in college are English prospects such as Stephen Lewton (N.C. State), Lloyd Campbell (Tennessee), Farren Keenan (Texas), Steven Tiley (Georgia State) and Daniel Willett (Jacksonville State) to name a few. Fisher's name might not ring as many bells, because he chose a different route to success. His talents were honed in the British amateur ranks. Few players in the game hit the ball as far as the 25-year-old from Ascot, England. Where he looked slightly deficient in the past was in his wedge play. However, it seems he now has that area of his game well under control. Fisher grew up playing at the prestigious Wentworth Golf Club, venue for the European Tour's flagship event, the BMW Championship. He was a recipient of the Bernard Gallacher Foundation, a fund set up to help talented young golfers progress. The affable English player played well enough in amateur golf to briefly merit a spot on the English Golf Union's elite squad. He would have won the 2004 Lytham Trophy, one of the most important events in British amateur golf, if not for the outstanding play of James Heath, another good young Englishman. Fisher's 10-under-par total would have won the title most other years, but he finished second, eight shots behind Heath's record total. Fisher was almost a certainty to play in the Walker Cup match this past August had he stayed amateur. He turned professional instead, and enjoyed a successful first year as a pro. He placed 18th on the European Challenge Tour, but decided to try to better his status by attending the European Tour Qualifying School, where he finished 14th and earned a card for 2006. Queuing up behind Fisher is another crop of talented young English amateurs, with 16-year-old Oliver Fisher the pick of the bunch. Proof that college golf isn't the only way to make it to the professional ranks. The 51,154 euros Fisher earned in China gives him a good head start on retaining his card when the sun finally sets on the 2006 season. That should be a foregone conclusion for this long bomber. Indeed, it would come as no surprise if he were to win a title this season. Nor would it come as a shock if Wilson builds on his China experience and firmly establishes himself with a victory in the upcoming months. Keep an eye on these two young players; they look likely to add their names to an already established list of good young English talent that includes Donald and Casey, David Howell, Ian Poulter and Nick Dougherty. And to think it's not that long ago that people like me were wondering where the next English stars were going to come from. To return to the main News page click here