After his 2025 season, Scottie Scheffler was crowned the successor to Tiger Woods.
Scottie Scheffler was compared to Woods all year after he dominated the PGA Tour in a way no one has since the 15-time major winner. But he’s the latest in a long line of golf superstars who have been picked to be the next unbeatable force in the sport.
When Rory McIlroy burst onto the scene, he was expected to stack the majors as Woods did in the early 2000s. The same goes for Jordan Spieth, who was expected to challenge Jack Nicklaus’ record when he won two majors in 2015.
But while McIlroy and Spieth never reached those lofty heights, they have had long and successful careers. The same can’t be said for one player who was thought to be the next Woods when he made a PGA Tour cut in 2016.
The ‘next Tiger Woods’ who never won on the PGA Tour
In 2001, Ty Tryon made the cut at the Honda Classic, making him the third-youngest player to ever make the cut at a PGA Tour event.
He turned professional at the age of 16, and at 17, he qualified for the PGA Tour by becoming the youngest ever player to earn exempt status through Q-School. Tryon signed a deal with Callaway for millions of dollars and was dubbed the “next Tiger Woods” by pundits.
However, this would be the peak of Tryon’s golfing career. He battled with glandular fever during his first full year on the PGA Tour, and failed to make the cut in six of his seven events. He then spent 2003 on a medical exemption on the PGA Tour.
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By the end of 2003, Tryon finished in 89th place at the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, which was the last time he would make the cut at a PGA Tour event until 2010.
That year, he would also make his first major championship appearance, qualifying for the US Open at Pebble Beach. It was his first appearance on the PGA Tour since 2003, and he made the cut! He qualified again in 2011, but this time missed the cut at Congressional Country Club.
He then earned conditional status for the 2012 Web.com tour through Q-School.
Where is Ty Tryon now?
Tryon’s headline-making days are long behind him, as he opted for a quiet life in Florida.
He’s competed in various Korn Ferry Tour events and regional qualifiers, but has stayed far away from the bright lights of the PGA Tour.
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Tryon’s most recent event on the Korn Ferry Tour was in 2018, where he missed the cut at the Rex Hospital Open. That was one of two events on the tour for Tryon that year, and he failed to make the cut both times.
After such a rapid ascent to golfing stardom a quarter of a century ago, who can blame Tryon for choosing a peaceful life?
