PGA Championship 2012: Past Champions Sure to Contend at the Ocean Course

The 2012 PGA Championship is less than a week away, and golf's best will be looking to end the major tournament season with a strong finish on Kiawah Island in South Carolina.

Ernie Els' surprise performance in the final round of the British Open last month will have him under the microscope at the Ocean Course, but his track record in the final major of the year suggests that he won't be a factor this August.

So, who will be in contention at the PGA Championship this summer?

Here are three past champions sure to make some noise at Kiawah next week. 

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods has dominated the PGA Championship in the past, winning four times from 1999 to 2007. Woods finished third at last month's British Open, finally earning a Top 10 in a major in 2012, and has won three PGA tournaments since late March.

Based on Woods' effort at Royal Lytham, one would have to consider the four-time champion a contender and a threat to win his fifth Wanamaker Trophy. The time he has had to rest since the Open Championship likely hasn't hurt his game either.  

Although he hasn't won a major since 2008 at Torrey Pines, Woods has to be one of if not the favorites to win this summer's PGA Championship. Only Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus have won the prestigious major more times than Tiger, and that's saying something.

Tiger's confidence is certainly back, and if he can capitalize on his breaks in Kiawah, then he can will the two legends ahead of him with five PGA Championship titles. 

Phil Mickelson 

Lefty last held the Wanamaker Trophy in 2005 when he won the PGA Championship at Baltusrol. Since then, Mickelson has won the Masters twice and built significantly upon his golf resume. The 42-year-old has just one PGA tournament win in 2012, but he will be motivated to improve after missing the cut at Royal Lytham last month.

Since winning the PGA Championship in 2005, Mickelson has managed just one Top 10 finish at the annual major, finishing tied for seventh in 2008, but he has eight career Top 10 finishes there since 1993. With that said, Lefty is due for a solid performance this summer. He's never struggled to make the cut in the PGA Championship, missing it just once in his career back in 1995. Lefty is always on the radar in majors, and the PGA Championship will be no different.

Padraig Harrington

Padraig Harrington's last major win came in the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills in 2008. Harrington won shooting three-under through 72. That final score was the highest winning par since Larry Nelson won the PGA Championship shooting one-under for the tournament in 1987. Harrington posted a Top 10 finish at Hazeltine the year after he won.

Since the 2010 PGA Championship, though, Harrington has flown under the radar at the event. There will be tons of eyes on him this August, as he has had success at majors this season. Despite a lackluster 39th place finish at the Open Championship in July, the Ireland native put together solid fourth and eighth place finishes at the US Open and Masters, respectively. Harrington will be in contention throughout at Kiawah Island.

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