PGA Championship 2013: Early Predictions Post-British Open

The PGA Championship (Aug. 8-11) is the last of the four major tournaments.

It will be played at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. Oak Hill has hosted three U.S. Opens, two previous PGA Championships and a Ryder Cup.

Rory McIlroy won last year's PGA crown, and he will be on hand to defend it, even though his recent form has not been good.

Here are 10 early predictions of things golf fans and observers can expect at the PGA Championship.

Brandt Snedeker Will Be in the Top Three Going into Sunday

Brandt Snedeker is one of the best and most consistent golfers on the PGA tour. He has won more than $8 million in prize money the last two seasons.

Snedeker was in contention in the Masters and would have been in the British Open if not for a brutal 79 in the second round.

Snedeker has the kind of all-around game that should pay off at the biggest tournaments, and since the PGA is the last major, this should be his time. If he has a bad hole or two, he is not going to lose his composure.

By the end of the third round, Snedeker will be manning one of the top three positions in the standings and will be in an excellent position to make a run at the title.

Tiger Woods Will Be Involved in Controversy

He may be the No. 1 player in the world, and he has won four tournaments this year, but the 2013 season has not been easy for Tiger Woods.

He was penalized at the Masters when it was determined he did not return his ball to the proper spot after hitting it into a hazard. Many thought he should have been disqualified, but he was not.

Woods and Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia have been involved in two disputes this year. Garcia accused Woods of not attempting to keep the crowd from making noise, and Garcia then made an ill-advised joke with racial implications at Woods' expense.

Woods is not best friends with Phil Mickelson either.

Look for Woods to be involved in one kind of controversy or another at the PGA Championship.

Angel Cabrera and Miguel Angel Jimenez Will Have Impacts

Angel Cabrera of Argentina and Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain don't fit the bill as prototypical contenders for major golf tournaments.

They are both older, and neither man cuts the figure of a prime athlete. However, both are skilled golfers and dynamic competitors. They often play their best in the biggest tournaments.

Cabrera got to a playoff in this year's Masters before he settled for second place. Jimenez led the British Open after two rounds.

Look for one or both men to make a strong run in the PGA Championship.

The Signature 13th Hole Will Be the Turning Point in the Final Round

Ernie Els has called Oak Hill the "best, fairest and toughest" course he has ever played.

It's a beautiful and testing course from start to finish. But its signature 13th hole may provide the turning point for this year's PGA. That's because this hole is a huge test for the best golfers in the world.

The 13th is a 594-yard par-five, and this monster requires great distance and accuracy. If the distance wasn't enough of a problem, it's also on an uphill slope. Anything but a golfer's best execution could result in a disaster.

Someone Will Say the Wanamaker Trophy Looks Like the Stanley Cup

Take a look at Vijay Singh holding the Wanamaker Trophy in the photo above.

The Wanamaker Trophy is awarded to the winner of the PGA Championship. Singh won it in 2004 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis.

After it was awarded to Singh, he held it straight overhead in celebratory fashion. It was kind of the same way Stanley Cup winners hold their trophy over their heads after winning the NHL championship.

During the broadcast of the PGA Championship on CBS, expect anchor Jim Nantz or another commentator to say the Wanamaker Trophy looks like a "smaller version of the Stanley Cup."

No Golfer Will Match What Lee Trevino Did in 1968

The 1968 U.S. Open was played at Oak Hill Country Club, and it was won by Lee Trevino.

While he had a huge personality and was introduced to mainstream American sports fans in that tournament, he had never won a PGA tournament of any kind until he won at Oak Hill. 

No golfer will match Trevino's accomplishment at Oak Hill by getting a first win at the 2013 PGA Championship. Look for a tournament-tested player to win the PGA, not an unknown rookie.

Rory McIlroy Will Not Make a Strong Defense of His Title

Rory McIlroy was the best golfer in the world last year, and one of the highlights of his 2012 season was his eight-stroke victory in the PGA Championship.

Since he's one of the most talented players in the world, you might expect McIlroy to make a strong run at defending his title.

That won't be the case here. McIlroy has been off his game all year, and he did not even make the cut in the British Open. That may be an issue at Oak Hill. He could have a hard time playing all four rounds again.

Even if he does, he will not come close to contending for this major championship.

Phil Mickelson Will Make a Charge

Phil Mickelson is enjoying one of the best years of his professional career. Even before he came through with a remarkable showing in his final round at the British Open and came away with the claret jug, he was playing consistent golf.

He had won the week before in the Scottish Open, and he came close before settling for second (tied) in the U.S. Open in June.

Mickelson has shown he can beat the best golfers in the world in the biggest events. He's going to make a run at the PGA title, and he will be in the hunt on the final day.

He's not going to win it, but he will be close.

Tiger Woods Will Not Have a Piece of the Lead After Three Rounds

Nearly everyone who follows golf knows this statistic: Any time Tiger Woods has won a major, he has either led the event by himself or been tied for the lead going into the final round.

He nearly had the lead after three rounds at the British Open, but he could not make a key birdie putt on the 16th hole, and he never was able to recover after that.

Woods will play well at the PGA, and he will be a contender. However, he has not played his best on weekends at majors. Until he can prove that he can overcome that issue, he won't have the lead at the end of play on Saturday.

And you know what that means. Woods will not win the PGA Championship this year.

Steady Matt Kuchar Will Win the PGA

Matt Kuchar is one of the steadiest and most consistent players on the tour. He has won two tournaments and nearly $4.4 million this year.

His time to win a major is at hand. While he is not the most charismatic or colorful golfer, he can play the game. He was not on the radar at the British Open, but he shot 74-73-72-71. He got better each round.

Look for the same thing to happen at Oak Hill, only his Thursday number will be a lot better than it was at Muirfield.

Kuchar has never been better than third in any major, but he will break that trend in this year's PGA, and he will hoist the Wanamaker Trophy.