10 Golfers Poised for Breakout Performances in 2015
What is a breakthrough performance on the PGA Tour? For different players, there are different definitions.
For a guy who has just claimed his PGA Tour card, a breakthrough run could be a series of top-10 finishes after several missed cuts.
For some golfers, like Jordan Spieth, one breakthrough only increases the anticipation of the next. When the then-19-year-old lifted the trophy at the John Deere Classic in 2013, comparisons to Tiger Woods abounded. When he challenged Bubba Watson at the Masters, our expectations rose even higher. Now, the golfing public expects a significant victory from the young Mr. Spieth, either at a major championship or WGC event.
Other golfers have been fighting to break through for years. Consider the likes of Sergio Garcia and Matt Kuchar, both hoping to get the "best player without a major" monkey off their respective backs.
Which golfers are uniquely poised for a breakthrough in 2015?
Read on to see.
Dustin Johnson
1 of 10
What he's poised for: A rebound victory
Why he's poised
While this prediction may seem bold on the surface, it really isn't. Whatever issues Dustin Johnson has been working through since taking a leave from professional golf shortly after the Open Championship, it's worth noting that he tied for 12th at the Open Championship a week before his hiatus. And he recorded seven top-10 finishes in his 17 starts this season in addition to winning the WGC-HSBC Champions.
Thus, whatever turmoil enveloped him this year didn't keep him from playing well. He's won at least once every season he's been on tour (since 2008), so the probability is high that when he returns (presumably to begin the next season) he'll win in relatively short order.
Rickie Fowler
2 of 10
What he's poised for: A major victory
Why he's poised
Did you see this kid in the majors this year? Not only did he play better than anyone else on tour across all four events, he joined Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as one of the only golfers to finish inside the top five in all four major championships in the same season.
Fowler finished inside the top 10 in seven of eight tournaments, adding consistent high-quality play to his resume of impressive major performances. With his retooled swing, improved driving distance and better number in greens in regulation, Fowler is poised to capitalize on his experiences in the majors this season and win one of the big ones in 2015.
As the Oklahoma State alum said following his near-win at the PGA Championship: "[I'm] disappointed to come up short, but like I said to look back on the full year and all four majors, definitely something to be proud of," per Jay Coffin of Golf Channel.
Proud of his performance but not satisfied, Fowler is poised for a major win.
Jordan Spieth
3 of 10
What he's poised for: A top-tier win
Why he's poised
While the John Deere Classic is a great event, as it's slated the week before a major, it doesn't traditionally have the strongest field in golf. Thus, Jordan Spieth's win there wasn't a breakthrough victory in the largest sense.
Since his win in July of last year, the 21-year-old hasn't followed up with another triumph. He did, however, record two second-place finishes on the year, including a tie for second at the Masters, where he did battle with Bubba Watson in the final group on Sunday.
Spieth didn't finish in the top 10 in any of the season's other three majors, so he isn't knocking on the door of major glory in the same way Fowler is. However, as a proven winner who is continually maturing and learning the tracks of the PGA Tour, Spieth is poised for a significant victory soon.
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Sergio Garcia
4 of 10
What he's poised for: Finally capturing his first major title
Why he's poised
It's a trope when referring to Sergio Garcia: Remembering the fresh-faced youth who stared down Tiger Woods at the 1999 PGA Championship. Lamenting that we all figured he'd have tasted major victory many times by now, some 15 years later.
Still, Garcia has always been one of the best natural talents on tour: a gifted swinger of the club who appeared to lack the necessary stuff between his ears to win majors. This season, however, Garcia, at 34, looked as poised as ever to take home a major trophy.
With the fight the Spaniard showed in trying to track down Rory McIlroy at Hoylake and the resulting tie for second, Garcia has indicated he's as poised as ever for a major win.
Billy Horschel
5 of 10
What he's poised for: Another big win
Why he's poised
Billy Horschel played some very, very good golf during the playoffs, winning both the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship and finishing second at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Certainly, his FedEx Cup winning performance constitutes a significant breakthrough.
With the quality of his play down the stretch of the 2013-2014 PGA Tour season, Horschel indicated he's ready to take the next step: winning another big tournament. He didn't place better than a tie for 23rd (The Masters) in the majors last year, so it may be unrealistic to assume he'll achieve major glory in 2015.
Still, the $10 million bonus winner has set the bar high with his world-beating playoff run.
Henrik Stenson
6 of 10
What he's poised for: A major victory
Why he's poised
Winner of the 2013 FedEx Cup and the 2013 Race to Dubai, Henrik Stenson added himself to the list of best golfers without a major victory after the aforementioned achievements.
This past season, the Swede made 14 of 15 cuts on the PGA Tour, finishing inside the top 10 three times. He tied for fourth at the U.S. Open and for third at the PGA Championship. Even though Stenson didn't get a win this season, he still availed himself nicely in the majors.
Stenson now has top-five finishes in four of the last eight majors. In other words, the prolific ball-striker is knocking on the door.
Jim Furyk
7 of 10
What he's poised for: A win...any win
Why he's poised
Jim Furyk was a frequent bridesmaid in 2014. The West Chester, Pennsylvania, native finished second four times, most recently at the Tour Championship. He recorded a total of 11 top-10 finishes in 21 starts.
In 2013, he had a second-place finish and finished third twice. Although he's finished inside the top 15 in the FedEx Cup the past three seasons, he hasn't won since 2010.
Furyk seems to excel at finding heartbreaking ways to come up just short, whether it be in pursuit of a leader or being unable to hold on to a lead (as was the case at the RBC Canadian Open).
Still, with the number of times he's been near the top of the leaderboard, he has to be primed to win again soon, unless the golf gods are conspiring against him, which they may be.
Jimmy Walker
8 of 10
What he's poised for: Another victory
Why he's poised
Jimmy Walker boiled over during a five-month stretch earlier this year. Walker, who had never won a tournament in his PGA Tour career, won three times between October and February of this year. He recorded an additional seven top-10 finishes for the year.
He finished inside the top 10 in three of the season's four majors and concluded the season with top-20 finishes in three of the four playoff events. Clearly, 2014 was a significant step forward for Walker.
Assuming he plays well in his Ryder Cup debut, Walker will begin his 2014-2015 season at the Frys.com Open (which he won this year) imbued with the quiet confidence that will bring more victories.
Matt Kuchar
9 of 10
What he's poised for: A major win
Why he's poised
Matt Kuchar is widely considered to be one of the best golfer on the PGA Tour without a major victory.
Kuchar has seven victories in his career. Most recently, he claimed the RBC Heritage. For the year, the Florida native recorded 11 top-10 finishes in 21 starts on tour. He tied for fifth at the Masters and for 12th at the U.S. Open.
Kuchar improved his driving accuracy significantly this year, up to 67.7 percent from 58.9 percent a year ago. The percentage jump is huge for Kuchar, who is not a long hitter, and it will enable him to contend in majors (where straight drives are critical) going forward.
Graham DeLaet
10 of 10
What he's poised for: A PGA Tour victory
Why he's poised
If Graham DeLaet could putt, he'd have won several times on tour already. The Canadian notched seven top-10 finishes on tour this season, including two second-place finishes. In 2013, he also recorded seven top-10s.
DeLaet was third on tour in greens in regulation (70.6 percent) and 10th in strokes gained: tee to green. His putting, however, was a different story. DeLaet placed 118th in strokes gained: putting, losing nearly a full stroke to the field per round with the flatstick.
From tee to green, this guy is a winner. If he can putt at a merely average level, he's a shoo-in to win in 2015.
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