British Open 2012: Early Predictions for Top Contenders

After a few weeks out of the spotlight, the PGA Tour returns in a major way with the Open Championship from Royal Lytham & St. Annes on July 19. 

Trying to forecast a winner on the PGA Tour this season has been like pulling teeth. We have seen far more parity this year than in recent years, though Tiger Woods leads the pack with three victories. 

Here is a look at how we expect some of the top contenders to fare at the 2012 Open Championship. 

Tiger Woods

Everyone thought that Woods was destined for great things at the U.S. Open since he was coming off an impressive victory at the Memorial. He wound up shooting seven-over par, for a finish of 21st at the Olympic Club. 

Woods may not face exactly the same pressure at the British Open since he missed the cut at Greenbrier at the beginning of the month, but all eyes will still be focused on him because he is Tiger Woods. 

Royal Lytham & St. Annes hasn't hosted an Open Championship in 11 years, so there really is no context for Woods on this particular course. 

Woods has reached a point where you want to pay attention to him, but can't expect him to win at a major. He will remain competitive in the early rounds before stumbling on Saturday and Sunday.

Prediction: Even Par, Top-20 Finish

Phil Mickelson

For all the talk about Woods' problems, Mickelson has had an even worse go of things. He just doesn't get thrown under the microscope as quickly as Woods because he isn't the biggest star in the history of the sport. 

Lefty has no momentum at all coming into this tournament, unless you want to look at his involvement in the group that recently bought the San Diego Padres as a victory. His reckless style of play always comes back to bite him. 

The mental fatigue he cited as a reason for withdrawing from the Memorial was a telling sign about all that is going on in his life. He finished tied for 65th at the U.S. Open and missed the cut at Greenbrier. 

I don't know where Mickelson's head is at right now. As a result, I find it hard to consider him a favorite in this event. In fact, I would be somewhat surprised to see him make the cut at this event. 

Prediction: Misses Cut

Bubba Watson

The 2012 Masters Champion took the golf world by storm earlier this year. In the four PGA Tour events since winning at Augusta, Watson has had very mixed results. He finished second at the Travelers Championship and 18th at the Zurich Classic, but missed the cuts at the Memorial and U.S. Open. 

There has been a lot going on in Watson's personal life, which could explain his inconsistency on the course. 

His performance at the Travelers Championship at the end of June has instilled a lot of confidence in him. Look for him to be a factor in this event all the way through the weekend. 

Prediction: Top Five

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