PGA Championship 2013: Dark Horses to Watch at Oak Hill

Everybody knows who the favorites are coming into the PGA Championship this week at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Brandt Snedeker and Justin Rose are the headliners.

But who are those dark horses who could be in the mix on Sunday afternoon?

There are some very talented players who fall into that category.

Here’s a list of 10 of them.

Zach Johnson

PGA Championship History: Zach Johnson's best finish was a tie for third in 2010. He also finished in a tie for 10th in 2009. Prior to that, he missed the cut three straight years. He’s been in nine PGAs and made six cuts.

Momentum Meter: In his last three starts, Johnson finished second in a playoff, tied for sixth in the British Open and tied for fourth in the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.

Why He Can Win: He’s obviously playing well as those three finishes would show. His stats to this point in the season are not indicative of a guy who’s playing that well (his best stat is hitting 68.10 of his fairways, 12th on the Tour). If he can keep the ball in the fairway and out of Oak Hills’ trees, he’s got a chance.

Miguel Angel Jimenez

PGA Championship History: Miguel Angel Jimenez's results in the last major of the year are less-than-sparkling. As a matter of fact, he hasn’t had a top-10 finish since a tie for 10th in 1999. He’s started a dozen times in the PGA with just that one top 10 to show for it.

Momentum Meter: Coming back from a broken leg suffered while skiing, he’s had something of a short season. He’s had six top-25 finishes, including a tie for 13th in the British Open and a tie for fourth last week in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Why He Can Win: He started out well at Muirfield before fading and posted rounds in the 60s the last three rounds at Firestone Country Club. He still has lots of game.

Webb Simpson

PGA Championship History: Webb Simpson's results make him the darkest of dark horses. He’s competed in two PGA Championships and hasn’t made the cut in either.

Momentum Meter: The 2011 U.S. Open champion has struggled to find that winning form, but did tie for 14th at the Bridgestone. It's hardly a reason to jump up and down, but he has posted a 64 in a couple weeks in recent weeks.

Why He Can Win: The man showed his ability under pressure at the Olympic Club. A pair of finishing 77s at Muirfield is a bit of a concern, but his level of talent is too high for him to keep playing at something less than championship level.

Martin Kaymer

PGA Championship History: Martin Kaymer’s had a brief history in the PGA Championship. Five starts, one victory and a tie for sixth. Unfortunately, the other three were missed cuts.

Momentum Meter: He got stronger as the week went on at the Bridgestone when he went 67-69-66. When he won the 2010 PGA Championship in a playoff, he put all of his arsenal on display. It hasn’t been seen much since then, however.

Why He Can Win: Kaymer has been a bit off, but playing as well as he did at Firestone could be a boost of confidence for the German native. There are certainly similarities between Firestone and Oak Hill—tree-lined fairways, long, tough par fours and tricky green complexes.

Matt Kuchar

PGA Championship History: A tie for 10th in 2010 was Matt Kuchar’s highlight in five appearances in the last major of the year. She followed that up with a tie for 19th the next year.

Momentum Meter: Six straight starts for Kuchar have resulted in top-30 finishes, including a win and two seconds, making him the possessor of the most momentum going into Thursday. Everything pointed to him winning a major this year, and this is his last chance.

Why He Can Win: He’s putting well, and his scoring average and sand save percentage are in the top five on the PGA Tour. He’s earned nearly $5 million this year. He’s due.

Angel Cabrera

PGA Championship History: Angel Cabrera has missed the cut six times in 13 starts in the PGA Championship. He posted top-20 finishes in 2000 and 2008, but nothing else.

Momentum Meter: He lost in a playoff to Adam Scott in the Masters, missed the cut in the U.S. Open and tied for 11th in the Open Championship. For the most part, if it’s a major championship, it’s Cabrera time.

Why He Can Win: He hits his driver better than a lot of guys and doesn’t shy away from using it in majors. That gives him an edge. Believe it or not, he’s never won a PGA Tour event, even though he’s won the Masters and the U.S. Open. He has three top-20 finishes in his last five events.

Henrik Stenson

PGA Championship History: Henrik Stenson’s only played in six PGA Championships and has a tie for fourth and tie for sixth in 2008 and 2009. He didn’t play the past two years.

Momentum Meter: Momentum, yeah he’s got some. He finished in a tie for 21st in the U.S. Open, second in the British Open and tied for second in the Bridgestone Invitational.

Why He Can Win: After a subpar 2012 season, he’s come back strong in 2013. That he’s responded so well to his final-round meltdown against Phil Mickelson in the Scottish Open is a testament to just how his season has gone, making him someone to watch.

Jason Day

PGA Championship History: Three appearances, two cuts, one tie for 10th. Short and not-so-sweet.

Momentum Meter: A third in the Masters, a tie for second in the U.S. Open and a tie for 32nd in the British Open, which was marred by a final-round 77, says Jason Day should definitely contend. His tie for 21st, tie for 32nd and tie for 53rd in his last three starts isn’t exactly a hot streak.

Why He Can Win: He’s driving it just short of 300 yards, but needs to get more of them in the fairway because the Oak Hill rough will be nasty. He proved he has the staying ability in the Masters. He’s going to get a major soon.

Ernie Els

PGA Championship History: Ernie Els has played in 83 major championships, 20 of those are PGA Championships. He’s had a pair of thirds, four top-fives and 10 top-25s.

Momentum Meter: Truthfully, he doesn’t have much. Since finishing in a tie for fourth at the U.S. Open, it’s been T26, T21 and T48. It’s in there, and this is as good a place for it to come out as any.

Why He Can Win: His stats don’t support a great deal of belief that he could win. But he has the experience of those 83 majors. Els has proven to be a great grinder, and if he gets it going, that experience could be big on Sunday.

Jordan Spieth

PGA Championship History: This will be Jason Spieth's first appearance in a PGA Championship.

Momentum Meter: He’s got some, even though his last appearance was the British Open where he finished in a tie for 44th. But prior to that, he won the John Deere Classic in a playoff, tied for 23rd at the Greenbrier Classic and was sixth in the AT&T National.

Why He Can Win: Spieth just turned 20 last month and has really seemed to be oblivious to the pressure that is part of his job as a professional golfer. But considering he’s won just over $2 million in 17 events this year, nothing would seem to be out of the realm of possibility. He might well be the biggest dark horse this week.