2009 PGA Championship Preview: The Top 10 Contenders at Hazeltine

The PGA Championship returns to Hazeltine National Golf Course in Chaska, MN—the site of the 2002 PGA Championship.

In the 2002 event, Rich Beem held off a hard charging Tiger Woods by one stroke.

Who are the top 10 contenders in this year's field?

1) Tiger Woods

He finished second here in 2002 and has won the last two events he entered, besting a world-class field at this week's Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone.  

With his putter working, the missed cut at the British Open looks like ancient history. 

Odd of winning: 2 to 1

2) Stewart Cink

Stewart Cink finally won that elusive first major title at this year's British Open, out dueling golf legend Tom Watson.

Could more majors be in store for Cink?

He drives the ball straight and is one of the better ball strikers on tour from the fairway. In 2002, he posted a top 10 finish at Hazeltine.

Odds of winning: 8 to 1

3) Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson has been dealing with both his wife's and his mother's chemotherapy treatments the last several weeks.

Mickelson alluded to the treatments going well and we wish them the best.

With his tremendous talent, Mickelson can turn it on at a moment's notice.

Like at the U.S. Open, I cans see Mickelson's family inspiring Phil to post low numbers on the leaderboard.

Odds of winning: 10 to 1

4) Steve Stricker

Steve Stricker has quietly put together one of the most solid seasons on tour this year.

He won at the Colonial and at the John Deere Classic, and has other six other top 10 finishes.

Stricker's contended at the PGA and several other majors before.

Is this the major he finally breaks through? I think he'll contend this week.

Odds of winning: 12 to 1

5) Robert Allenby

He should have won fifteen times on tour by now. Allenby is that talented.

He finished tied for second behind Tiger Woods at Firestone, and was the only player other than Stewart Cink to not post one round over par.

He ranks in the top 10 in total driving driving on tour, and is in the top 25 in greens in regulation.

The greens are small at Hazeltine, so that GIR stat will be very important.

If Allenby can put together a solid week of putting, he might surprise. Putting has been Allenby's Achilles heel his whole career.

Odds of winning: 15 to 1

6) Sergio Garcia

Hazeltine is a ball striker's golf course.

One of golf's best best ball strikers in the 90s, Payne Stewart won the U.S. Open at Hazeltine in 1991.

Sergio Garcia was another player who had a top 10 finish here in 2002.

Like Allenby, Garcia's career, especially recently, has been plagued by his inability to putt consistently.

He's more than overdue for a major and I think his balky will get going and allow him to get into contention this week.

Odds of winning: 18 to 1

7) Padraig Harrington

Padraig Harrington looked poised to take down Tiger Woods through 70 1/2 holes this week.

He did something players just don't often do to Woods in the final round.

He tracked Tiger Woods down from a two stroke deficit, on the back nine of a final round, to lead by one with three holes to play.

Harrington oddly fell apart on 16.

He drove the ball wayward, and was all over the hole, ending up with a triple bogey eight.

If Harrington wins, he's second on this list—but, mentally, that loss might have did a number on him.

Looks like his swing changes are taking hold, and if he puts this past week behind him, he'll be there.

Odds of winning: 20 to 1

8) Lee Westwood

Its just matter of time before Westwood wins a major.

Westwood is like a European Stewart Cink—a very solid player who rarely overwhelms you, but seems to get in contention in one or two majors a year.

Westwood is coming off a ninth place finish at Bridgestone, which included a final round 65.

That was tied for the best round of the day with Tiger Woods.

He also finished tied for third at the British Open, just one stroke out of the Cink—Watson playoff.

Odds of wining: 25 to 1

9) Jim Furyk

After strong play most of the year, Furyk hasn't finished in the top 20 in any of his last three tournaments.

He's in the top 30 on tour in driving accuracy, but ranks outside the top one hundred in greens in regulation.

That's a little surprising for someone who hits the ball as well as Furyk.

In 2002, he finished tied for ninth at Hazeltine, so Furyk can play this course.

Odds of winning: 35 to 1

10) Davis Love III

If there is a darkhorse in this year's event, I'm going with Davis Love III.

Hey, if a 59-year old Tom Watson can almost win the British Open, then a 45-year old Love can contend this week.

He still hits the ball a mile and has had some solid results against some strong fields (19th this week, 16th at the AT&T National, and a fifth at the Memorial).

It's a bit of long shot, but Love's name may show up on the leaderboard this week.

Odds of winning: 50 to 1