5 reasons why new kid on the block David Lingmerth is more than just one to watch…

With all the talk leading up it to this week's 97th PGA Championship surrounding a certain Irishman’s ankle, Super-Swede David Lingmerth has kept his head well and truly below the radar. Shooting an emphatic 67 on his PGA debut, the 28 year old shared the lead with Dustin Johnson after the first round. He went on to complete another impressive second round of 70 blows, and is sitting pretty at 7 under par, heading into what could be a career defining weekend. But the thing that's getting us going most here at GolfPunk is the way in which he's going about his business. 

After all the soap-opera-esc drama we were treated to over the weekend at this years Open Championship, it's been easy to forget that this isn’t the first time that Lingmerth has been leading a major championship. Anybody remember his front nine score on Thursday morning at St Andrews? Whilst most of us were still having our morning cups of tea, and vigorously rubbing our foreheads, Lingmerth got off to a flyer making seven birdies in his opening nine holes. Yet the strange thing is nobody even seemed to blink an eye. Not bad for a guy who had never played in a major before. The world number 45 went on to make the cut and finish a respectable T74. A platform to build upon shall we say... 

Lingmerth vanquishes Rose 2015 Memorial

This season really has been the coming of age for Lingmerth. Not only has he got his first victory on the PGA Tour at the Memorial Tournament, he has also managed three other top 10s. It all sounds pretty good doesn’t it? Why have I not heard and seen more of this guy? I hear you thinking. The reason is, his season’s statistics include a fair few grey areas – in amongst all the good stuff, he's also also missed seven cuts.

But that just makes him more appealing to me. The ‘human nature’ of his golf game connects with all us Saturday and Midweek Medal dreamers. One minute, you 'can' and one minute you 'can’t'. One thing is for sure though, if he manages to carry on his rich run of form and lift the Wanamaker Trophy, I think we can forget about the seven missed cuts and focus on the incredibly bright future that Lingmerth has in front of him. Come on the Linger... fella...

5 good reasons to jump on Lingmerth bandwagon (a couple of them might surprise you):

1.    

After winning the Memorial Tournament back in July in serious style, Lingmerth was enjoying a chat with original GolfPunk Jack Nicklaus, after lifting the trophy (as you do). Lingmerth then went on to Facetime his parents who were at home in Sweden, getting Nicklaus to wish his dad a happy birthday. I suppose there has been worse golf related birthday presents. Much better than the ever-disappointing golf glove that doesn’t fit anyway. C’mon we all know you’ve done it…

2.    

Lingmerth has proven that he has the bottle when the pressure is really cranked up. In 2014 he narrowly missed out on gaining his place on the PGA Tour this season. This meant he had to go through the Web.com Tour playoffs to secure an all-important place. During the final at TPC Sawgrass he put in an impressive low round of 65, finishing sixth and gaining his tour card, once again in true style. His bottle, when put alongside his cool attitude could prove to be pivotal throughout his flourishing career. 

3.    

He’s not just a lover of golf, he’s a fan of all sport. Displaying a particular love for Ice Hockey. With a short and stocky build, he pulls of the ‘hard-man’ hockey player look quite well. Joking aside, Lingmerth has some power. With a driving distance average of 290.6, his Popeye/Paul Casey esc forearms, make sure he doesn’t leave much behind with the big stick. Check out his twitter, @dlingmerth to see all his ice hockey antics in full. 

4.    

The guy's got style! With this season’s 'in-colour' being grey (as continually worn by Spieth and Johnson), to see players like Lingmerth grace the fairways in bright colours and a smart collar is refreshing to us all. He pulls of the J Lindeberg clobber in a nonchalant fashion. Which, as far as GolfPunks is concerned, cannot be a bad thing. Haven’t we all had enough of grey!?

5.    

As mentioned earlier, Lingmerth has seven missed cuts juxtaposed with three top 10s and a win. This really does make the Swede more exciting to watch. The ‘what will he do next?’ factor is something that all punters love to see. as well as ticking the box for one of the key credentials to becoming a serious GolfPunk. The seemingly 'up and down' nature of his game really is something quite appealing, but when he gets it right, he really gets it right. This week we shall see what he is really made of, and whether he can battle of the likes of Jason Day, DJ, Spieth, and the man who still hits it 300 yards plus with a dodgy ankle. Easy game eh?