Power Ranking Tiger Woods' Chances to Win the Next 6 Majors

Tiger Woods is the only three-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, but doubt remains about his mettle in major championships.

Chances to contend in the first two majors of 2012 slipped away, and the next six majors are a pivotal point in Tiger's career.

The sky-high standard of winning Tiger has set for the casual golf fan is justified by his 14 major titles, but some major courses fit Tiger's eye better than others.

Tiger himself said that the depth of the fields is changing major golf and making the margin between players very thin. All of the past 15 major winners have been different, including nine first-time champions in a row.

Combine that with golf's infusion of youth, and Tiger's urgency to win a major again becomes even more critical as he chases Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major victories.

Here is a power ranking of Tiger's best chances to win the six upcoming majors.

6. 2013 Open Championship: Muirfield Golf Club

In a 2002 season where Tiger won the Masters and the U.S. Open and finished second at the PGA Championship, his result at the Open Championship was an underwhelming outlier.

A tie for 28th was all Tiger could scrounge, and a disastrous third-round 81 was to blame for the relatively poor finish.

While the other three rounds were spectacular, it cost Tiger a chance at a third major of the year.

Day 3 in 2002 claimed a lot of casualties, but a lot of players also weathered the gusting winds and rainy conditions just ahead of Tiger on the leaderboard entering moving day.

Considering Muirfield is the site of Tiger's worst weekend finish at the British Open as a pro, his chances to win there aren't magnificent in the 2013 Open.

5. 2013 PGA Championship: Oak Hill Country Club

Granted, when the tournament was last held here in 2003 and Tiger finished with a total score of +12 it was at the beginning of the first major dry-spell of his career.

In that context, there's nothing to be discouraged about, but nothing to be encouraged about either.

The year's fourth major has only used Oak Hill as a venue twice, and it's difficult to determine what sort of player will win based on that history.

Shaun Micheel, a relative unknown, came out of nowhere to win in 2003, and Jack Nicklaus won in 1980.

Thumbing over Tiger's history, as well as speculating on the state of his game more than a year from now, makes this the hardest major to forecast Tiger's chances of winning.

One thing is for sure. If Tiger hasn't won a major by the time the PGA rolls around next August, his chances of catching Jack will seem awfully bleak.

4. 2012 Open Championship: Royal Lytham

The Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill is a venue where Tiger has won seven times in his career, and he won his fifth Memorial Tournament in 2012.

His most recent win at the AT&T National, a tournament that began in 2007 hosted by Tiger himself, was his second win at the tournament.

This is not to take away from a relatively fantastic season by Tiger, but Royal Lytham happens to be a familiar venue too.

Unfortunately, it is not a friendly one for Tiger. He struggled to a tie for 25th at the Open in 2001, the last time it was hosted by the course.

The course has been lengthened by about 200 yards, and the par adjusted to a 70 instead of a 71, probably due to the four-day score of 2001 Open champion David Duval (-10).

Unless Tiger learns from the mistakes of 11 years ago, when he was in the midst of playing the best golf of his career, his chances at this year's Open aren't as good as other approaching majors.

3. 2013 U.S. Open: Merion Golf Club

The U.S. Open has been held at Merion four times, but not since 1981.

The East Course should have some interesting changes in store to adjust for the technology that has infused the game of golf in the past 30 years.

Tiger doesn't have a very good history at the subsequent major venues in 2013.

With that knowledge, Tiger will have a massive sense of urgency at Merion if he surprisingly hasn't won any of the previous three.

Even though this venue is new territory for Tiger, it will be the best chance he has next year at a major title if he can't pull off a win at Augusta National.

2. 2012 PGA Championship: Kiawah Island Resort the Ocean Course

With four PGA championships under his belt, Tiger has won this particular major more than any other besides the Masters, which he has won an equal amount of times.

This is Tiger's best remaining chance in 2012 as Royal Lytham isn't the best venue for his game based on the only tournament he played there.

Tiger may have another win or two under his belt by this point in the season, but he will be eager to prove himself on inaugural PGA major stomping grounds.

A victory here would not only put Tiger back on track to catching Jack, it would also give him a huge boost entering the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Regardless of where he finishes in golf's relatively new postseason, a win in Kiawah Island all but ensures Tiger Player of the Year honors.

It would also confirm 100 percent, even to the peskiest doubters, that he is "back."

1. 2013 Masters Tournament

Tiger has won at Augusta four times, but the last of those victories came in 2005, signaling his emergence from a major championship drought that began in 2002.

While a major victory in 2012 would put a lot of critics to rest, the anticipation for a majorless-since-2008 Tiger entering the 2013 Masters would be almost too dramatic for real life.

Five top-six finishes, including six straight years until a disappointing T40 showing at this year's event, shows how close Tiger has been many times. Something tells me he's due.

Wouldn't it be fitting if Tiger could break another major winless streak at the same place, eight years later?

In our lives, we will have seen something like that, Verne.