AFP - More than two dozen US PGA Tour rookies - and four of the world's top 15 golfers - will tee off on Thursday in the Sony Open, the first full-field event of the 2011 season.
Of the 26 rookies in the field of 144, 10 will be playing their first US PGA Tour event. That includes South Korean Bio Kim, the 20-year-old who came through Q-school and will be the youngest player on the US tour this year.
"You walk on that range and you feel like you're on a different tour," South African veteran Ernie Els said.
Other rookies include Joseph Bramlett, another graduate of Q-school who became the first player of black heritage since Tiger Woods to join the tour.
"It's a dream come true," Bramlett said of earning his card on the final day of his first Q-school appearance.
"Every kid like myself grows up wanting to play on the PGA Tour and playing on the biggest stage. You know, this is what I've trained for and prepared for my whole life."
Like Woods, Bramlett attended Stanford University, and Woods has offered encouragement to the younger player from his alma mater.
"Yeah, we definitely have had a good relationship the last couple of years," Bramlett said. "I was able to meet him and get to know him through Stanford and my coach, Conrad Ray.
"He has been awesome for me. He let me play a couple practice rounds with him at the (US) Open this year," added Bramlett, who qualified for the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach.
"He has really just kind of mentored me in ways that have truly helped my game and just growing up as a young person."
Bramlett has already battled injuries, and said Woods' advice helped him cope.
"He really just kind of told me that you do whatever you have to do to get through it," Bramlett said. "I think that applies not only just to injuries, but to a lot of things in your life.
"There are going to be some rough spots and some things that you're going to go through that you didn't anticipate, but you do whatever you have to to get through them and you keep moving forward."
While Bramlett doesn't have a lot of US tour experience to draw on, he said a lack of negative experience could be an advantage.
"I think there is definitely something said for being fresh," he said. "I haven't had a lot of success out here, but I haven't been out here yet. I'm very excited to be out here. Any time you're excited to be playing golf, I think it definitely helps."
Jim Furyk, who won three titles and the FedEx Cup playoff crown en route to Player of the Year honours last season, said the Sony Open was a time for optimism - for seasoned pros as well as newcomers.
"Everyone is pretty optimistic," Furyk said. "You've got goals, New Year's resolutions, things you want to achieve.
"If you're not optimistic this time of the year, I'd sure as hell hate to see what your attitude is like in October," he added.
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