British Open Predictions 2012: Breaking Down Expert Projections Around the Web

Whether you call it the British Open or the Open Championship, the only thing that really matters is who is standing tall at the end of four grueling days of golf at Royal Lytham and St. Annes Golf Club. 

This has been an unusual year on the PGA Tour, particularly in the two previous major events.

Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson weren't exactly unknowns when they won the Masters and U.S. Open, respectively, but not a lot of people were talking about them prior to those events. 

So as we dive into the expert predictions for the 2012 Open Championship, just keep in mind that there are so many things that can happen in this event—especially on the first two days—that it is hard to figure out who really is going to win this event. 

Still, we should give added weight to what these people are saying because they have studied so much of the players' performances that they are seeing tendencies that the casual observer may have missed. 

Here are some of the best expert predictions prior to the start of the Open Championship. 

CBSSports' Ryan Wilson Predicts Dustin Johnson

CBSSports' Ryan Wilson goes with an unconventional choice for his winner, Dustin Johnson. That sounds strange to say, especially considering that he has yet to win a major. 

Here is what Wilson had to say about his pick:

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Two years ago, leading the U.S. Open after 54 holes, he stumbled to a final-round 82. Sometimes a meltdown like that can haunt a player for the rest of his career. But 13 months later, Johnson was again in the mix again, this time at the British Open. Playing in the final group and just two shots off the lead with just five holes to play, the golf gods again decided they weren't ready to anoint him the next great anything. Consequently, Johnson's 2-iron from the middle of the fairway ended up O.B. and that, as they say, was that. But this time is different.

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It is not an incredibly outlandish prediction, just not one that you will see a lot of people have the guts to make. 

I think that if Johnson is going to break through in a major, it will be at the British Open. He is a long driver, and this is a course that lends itself to big hitters. In an unpredictable year, Johnson could be a strong pick. 

CBSSports' Shane Bacon Predicts Tiger Woods

Ryan Wilson's CBSSports cohort Shane Bacon goes out on a limb and predicts some golfer named Tiger. I don't know if you have heard of him, but apparently he won a lot of majors in the past and has won three times on the PGA Tour this year. 

Here is what Bacon says to justify his completely outlandish pick:

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First, he's playing the best golf of anyone this year, with three wins under his belt just midway through the season. Second, the course is playing really tough, and anytime that's the case, it favors Woods, who seems to game plan better than most everyone else in the field.

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Bacon also says that he likes who Woods is paired with on Thursday and Friday (Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia). While I think that group pairings are largely overrated, it is hard to argue with the success that Woods has had this season. 

I think the key to Woods' entire run in this tournament will be his performance on Thursday. He needs to get off to a strong start to keep his confidence and shot in order. 

PGA.com's Helen Ross Gives Five Names to Watch

Helen Ross of PGA.com took a different approach to predicting a winner in this tournament. Rather than just offer one name, there are five former major champions who are talked about as potential winners. 

Ross lists Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy. That last name is the most interesting one, just because McIlroy was on top of the golfing world after the 2011 U.S. Open. 

McIlroy has fallen apart in recent events, for reasons known only to him. He is still young and trying to find himself, but the talent is still there.

If he is able to figure it all out for four days in England, we will be talking about McIlroy as a champion again. 

Yahoo! Sports' Jonathan Wall Goes Through Notable Players

Like Ross, Jonathan Wall of Yahoo! Sports goes more in-depth with the analysis and insights instead of just offering a straight prediction. 

One of the biggest names he talks about is Rory McIlroy. As I mentioned previously, he seems to be a mess right now. 

Wall details McIlroy's struggles and what he expects from the 2011 U.S. Open champion in the Open Championship, saying: 

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Rory McIlroy may hoist the Claret Jug before his career is over, but it's difficult to see him being much of a factor this year. Unless he can figure things out off the tee and keep the mistakes to a minimum, we see the U.S. Open champ posting a solid top-25 finish.

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I want to see McIlroy succeed, simply because I think he is good and fun to have in contention as much as possible. Unfortunately, sports don't work the way we want them to. Athletes have to constantly be working to keep their game at its peak, and McIlroy has lost something along the way. 

The brutal course at Royal Lytham and St. Annes is not likely going to help McIlroy turn things around in a hurry.

ESPN's Andy North Offers Insight on Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy

ESPN's resident golf guru Andy North usually plays a formula in order to predict a winner. He still isn't offering a final prediction, though he did say that he loves the way that Tiger Woods is playing right now. 

He also talks about Rory McIlroy and his dislike of playing in harsh weather conditions. Needless to say, if you have problems playing when the weather is less than ideal, you are going to have problems at the Open Championship. 

Based on what he was saying, I think that Woods is going to be one of the two or three players North decides to go with when he makes a final decision.

I am reluctant to give Woods that much credit, just because he has struggled to perform in the majors, especially this year. He has finished 24th at the Masters and 40th at the U.S. Open. 

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