If we’ve learned anything from the PGA Tour’s West Coast Swing, it’s that wins are going to be hard to come by for the little guy. I fully expect this year’s list of winners to be dominated by Singh, Woods, Mickelson and Els, with the occasional appearance by Harrington, Appleby, Leonard, Kaye, or Garcia.

That said, we’d be remiss if we didn’t check in periodically on several young players on the verge. Just in time for Pebble, keep an eye on two former California college stars who could make some noise. In his third year on tour, Arron Oberholser has shown signs of taking the next step. His 6th-place finish at the Buick could be a sign of things to come for the 1998 graduate of San Jose State.

While Oberholser might be ready to win this year, rookie Nick Watney is probably a year or two away. Already known as one of the nicest guys on tour, Watney was the top ranked college player during his senior year at Fresno State, and he’s made the cut in three of his first four tournaments, finishing in a tie for 29th at the Hope.

I’d be real surprised to see either of them wearing the green jacket anytime soon, but both players have warranted a second look this season. And since both are so comfortable with Pebble, it wouldn’t be a shock to see one of them on the leader board heading into Sunday.

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