British Open 2012: Golfers Who Will Severely Disappoint in This Weekend's Action

The Open Championship is the second of three Majors this summer. Every participant wants to have a solid four-day showing, but that won't work out for everyone involved.

Golfers like Phil Mickelson and Luke Donald are riding a painstaking skid into this weekend's action. They need a visually-pleasing display. 

Others like Lee Westwood need victory for a different reason. He can't get over the hump and he's still seeking his first career Major win.

These three prominent golfers need to play their best starting Thursday, but they won't.

Let's see why.

Luke Donald

Donald is coming off a horrendous U.S. Open showing in which he shot 11-over par and missed the cut. He needs to prove that he's worthy of his No. 1 world ranking. 

The Open Championship provides that opportunity, but he won't seize it. He hasn't proven himself in his biggest moments, and there's no reason to believe he's going to start now. 

Donald missed the cut in this tournament last year. He missed the cut in June's U.S. Open, and it's uncertain how quickly he can adjust his game.

A miserable performance in a highly-anticipated tournament can't be good for a golfer's psyche. Donald is a tremendous young talent, but he isn't going to get out of his rut this weekend.

Phil Mickelson

Mickelson tied for second in last year's British Open, but he was playing much better golf at the time than he is now. "Lefty" is coming off a missed cut in the Greenbriar Classic and an awful 16-over par showing at the U.S. Open. 

He just hasn't looked like himself lately. He's missing easy shots and he doesn't seem to be focused. 

This would be the opportune time for Mickelson to get back on track, but he won't be able to do it. He could look at his lack of momentum as a challenge, but he hasn't shown anything optimistic in his past two tournaments.

He's always a calculated favorite when any Major rolls around, but Mickelson isn't clicking right now.

Lee Westwood

Westwood is an excellent golfer, but he can't get over the hump. He's never won a Major, despite above-average play throughout PGA Tour play.

He stormed out to an early lead in the PGA Tour standings, but he's been underwhelming lately. He's finished as high as second in his British Open career, but he won't be able to match that mark this year. 

Westwood finished third in the Masters and tied for 10th in the U.S. Open. He's had success at this year's other Majors, but he's also had three straight tournament scores over par.

It's hard not to root for Westwood, but he won't hoist his first Major crown this time around. He will have to wait until the next opportunity presents itself.