Major predictions
Last week I harped on about why Tiger won’t win another
Major and I know not everyone will share these views but the fields are getting
stronger all the time so here are six people who I think are going to win
Majors in the next 2 years. (In no specific order)
Brandt Snedeker
Snedeker is growing from strength to strength on the PGA
Tour and will only grow in confidence winning the FedEx last year. Already 2 second place finishes this season
and I suspect he will add a few more trophies to his cabinet this year
too. His major record is already quite
impressive, with strong placing in the Masters and the Open. Putting is strength and this can only be a
positive when it comes to competing in Majors.
I suspect the Masters or the Open will be a good bet for him where more
emphasis is placed on putting but as a straight hitter, maybe the US Open.
My Bet – 2014 Masters (after some near misses this year)
Dustin Johnson
Big hitting Johnson, already with a W this season, and with
the most PGA titles for someone under 30 (7).
Strong performances in Majors a few years ago where he held the lead in
the final round of US Open in 09 before crumbling to a horrible Sunday Round,
and if it wasn’t for a unfortunate Bunker ruling, would have won the 2010 PGA
Championship. Also back to back top ten finishes
in the Open in the last two years. Just
like McIlroy bouncing back from his horrendous Masters Sunday, these near
misses will give him the confidence and nerve to clinch a Big One if he manages
to contend come Sunday. His one weakness
might be driving accuracy which was very evident in Hawaii where he still
managed a win. (Might not get away with missed fairways quite so much at a
Major venue)
My Bet- 2013 PGA Championship
Justin Rose
With the exception of McIlroy, Rose is the only person that
I truly believe will achieve greatness in the next two years. He has been improving rapidly in the last few
years, claiming one of the playoff events on the FedEx and then a WGC
event. Rose appears to have no weaknesses;
a gutsy performance in the Ryder Cup where he birdied the last two to beat
Mickelson will only bolster his confidence.
He could win any of the Majors, he has the game but perhaps his one
fault will be that he hasn’t really put himself in contention before and
therefore as of yet no one is sure how is nerves will hold up. Even if he has a few near misses to begin
with, Rose will definitely win one eventually.
My Bet- 2013 US Open
Louis Oosthuizen
In my opinion Oosthuizen has the best swing on tour, a
putting touch to match and I’m sure he will add to his Major tally in the next
two years. When some critics might have
expected him to struggle in the final round of the 2010 Open, having never been
in such a position before, he proved himself as he went on to seal a huge
victory, winning by 9 shots. He has only
improved since then, almost claiming a second Major at last year’s Masters if
it wasn’t for Bubba Watsons stunning shot from the trees. Last year’s near miss will spur him on and he
will have good memories of Augusta where he made an Albatross at the Par five 2nd
hole.
My Bet- 2013 Masters
Charl Schwartzel
Schwartzel is yet another class act to emanate from South
Africa with a Green Jacket already in the wardrobe, he will be itching t add to
it. Although a relatively poor season
last year, with just one win coming late on in the year, he still has the game
to add to his Majors. Some players are
good enough to win Majors and yet their games might only suit Links golf for
the Open or impeccable driving accuracy for the US Open, Charl Schwartzel is
not one of those players; he has the game to compete at any event.
My Bet- 2014 US PGA
Rory McIlroy
No predictions list
would be complete anymore without McIlroy.
Already two Majors in the bag and we all know he has the game and the
desire to challenge Nicklaus’ record but I think this will be a slow year for
McIlroy. He had such a great year last
year, winning the money lists on both sides of the Pond and the Nike equipment
change has yet to produce results however he will bounce back and resume his
dominance of the game in 2014.
My Bet- 2014 US Open
A lot of you will have noticed that I have not predicted any
Open winners and there is a reason for this.
The Open is the hardest one to call as it is so dependent on the weather;
McIlroy is quoted as saying that it will take a perfect week of weather for him
to win one. If the weather is perfect (
no rain, little wind) than it becomes like any other event but if the wind
blows, then the field becomes even more open and can produce winners such as
Lawrie, Curtis and Cink.
Outside predictions for the next two years
Ian Poulter- a world
class act, if he can produce his Ryder Cup form in tournament play then I see
no reason why he can’t compete every week- but he needs to tap into that form
which he always produces against the USA.
Adam Scott- 2
second place finishes at majors (2011 Masters and 2012 Open) are the highlights
of a multitude of top ten finishes in Majors but his reaction to losing the
Open will be a tell tale sign. If he
finds confidence in coming so close, he will be able to push on and contend
again but if he is still reeling from losing then he will struggle to put
himself in that kind of position again.
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