The PGA rookie class of 2008 set quite a high standard for succeeding years to follow. Andres Romero, Chez Reavie, Dustin Johnson and Marc Turnesa all won tournaments in their rookie year. Matter of fact, a rookie has won a tournament every single year since 1998. But barring a late charge in the next few weeks, that streak will end in 2009. Put simply, it hasn't been the greatest year for rookies.

The biggest near-splash came from Ricky Barnes, who very nearly captured the U.S. Open before withering under pressure from Lucas Glover and the weight of Bethpage. Webb Simpson had some early juice before fading in the spring. James Nitties, same story. But for the most part, the 2009 rookies were an unremarkable lot.

The lone standout was Marc Leishman, who chose a good time of year -- the late summer -- to get hot. Leishman closed the year with a fine performance in the FedEx Cup playoffs, including a second-place tie at the BMW Championship. The only rookie in the Tour Championship field, he's pretty much a lock for the award.

The rookie of the year award has some merit to it; previous winners have included everyone from Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods to Sean O'Hair and Trevor Immelman. Also Todd Hamilton, Jonathan Byrd and Carlos Franco in the last ten years, too, so it's not a total ticket to stardom. Still, it's a nice way to start a career, yes?