Up-And-Coming American Golfers - Players to Watch in 2014

Like every sport, golf thrives on young talent – and 2013 was a great season for energetic rookies and younger players with great potential.

These dedicated young golfers weathered the competitive pressure and played some of the world's toughest courses to climb the rankings last season – let's meet America's three top-ranked emerging golfers.

Jordan Spieth – number one rookie on the PGA Tour
With a PGA Tour victory in his rookie year, Jordan Spieth topped the rankings in 2013. The 20-year-old Texan made 18 cuts off 23 starts last season, with thirteen finishes in the top 25 and nine top-10 finishes to his name.

Spieth was low rookie at 10 events out of 23, setting himself apart from other players who made their debut in 2013. He finished 7th on the FedEx Cup rankings, scoring higher than many golfers with years of experience on the Tour. Following his great success last season, Spieth was selected for the President's Cup.

Russell Henley
24-year-old Henley won the Sony Open early in the 2013 season, making his mark on the PGA Tour. This talented golfer from Macon, Georgia made 17 cuts in 24 tournaments last season, with three top-10 finishes and five finishes in the top-25.

Henley joined the PGA Tour this season after two successful years on the Web.com Tour, where he won three events. He finished the 2013 season ranked number two on the PGA Tour's rookie list.

Derek Ernst
Ernst is one of just three rookies who won PGA Tour titles this season – he joins Spieth and Henley at the top of the Tour's rookie rankings in third position.

23-year-old Ernst won the Wells Fargo Championship in May 2013, gaining the attention of golf fans and the respect of his competitors. Although the young Californian's overall performance during the season was slightly erratic (he made just 7 cuts off 21 starts and had almost no finishes in the top-25), his victory was sufficient to rank him above all but two rookies on the Tour last season.