Holmes has the early lead for top rookie honors

	J.B. Holmes already has one Tour win under his belt. Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

We spend so much time focusing on the golfers at the top of the World Ranking that sometimes it's easy to overlook those in the rank-and-file. But thanks to an infusion of highly watchable rookies this year, golf fans have many more exciting options to choose from when deciding which groups to follow when the Tour comes to town.

The Rookie of the Year competition will be fierce for the rest of the season, with Bill Haas serving notice last weekend at the Wachovia that he wants to be in the mix, finishing T4 at the top-level event.

Let's take a look at my top three contenders for the ROY race.

1. J.B. Holmes

Here's a guy who has excelled in all levels in golf. He grew up playing baseball until he joined his first junior tour. He won his first four events and decided to concentrate on golf. Good call.

While at Kentucky he earned All-America honors, starting with honorable mention and progressing to first team in his senior season. Holmes was a member of the 2005 Walker Cup team and then turned pro last summer and was a medalist at Q school, finishing at 24-under. An interesting note: He made it through all three stages of qualifying in his first attempt.

In his first start of 2006, he finished T10 at the Sony Open; a few weeks later he won his first Tour event, at the FBR Open, by seven strokes. It was the largest margin of victory in a player's first Tour win since Jose Maria Olazabal won the 1990 NEC World Series of Golf by 12 strokes. With mammoth drives, Holmes posted four rounds in the 60s, including the final round's only bogey-free scorecard, a five-under 66.

He has earned $1,174,914 this season, putting him 23rd the money list. He's second in driving distance at 311.8 yards and eighth in eagles with eight.

With his win and two top 10 finishes, Holmes has the early lead for Rookie of the Year honors.

2. Camilo Villegas

Here's another player with plenty of skins on the wall even before his Tour debut.

Villegas won the 2001 Colombian Open in his native country and was a four-time All-America at the University of Florida, earning first-team honors in 2001, 2002 and 2004.

After starting the 2005 year without status on the Nationwide Tour, he gained temporary membership with five top 10s in his first 10 starts of the season. Villegas gained his PGA Tour card after finishing 13th on the 2005 Nationwide Tour money list, making $233,218 despite not cracking the winner's circle.