The Best Shot at a 2015 Major Championship for Golf's Top Stars
Rory McIlroy may be the odds on favorite to win every major where he tees it up, but there are a bunch of top pros who will challenge his dominance in the most coveted events of the year.
With Tiger Woods regressing to the point of derision and mediocrity, a number of players will have the opportunity to live up to their billing and secure a major championship victory.
The majors include the Masters at Augusta, April 9-12; the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, Washington, June 18-21; the Open Championship at St Andrews Old Course, July 16-19; and the USPGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, August 13-16.
Each of the following stars has a real chance at winning a major this year.
Do you agree?
Matt Kuchar: The Masters
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It is becoming a sad fact that Kuchar may be the best player not to have won a major title.
But that should come at the Masters.
Why we like him:
In the last three years he has finished tied for fifth in 2014, tied for eighth in 2013 and tied for third in 2012.
He hits the ball far and straight and is an excellent putter. He also doesn't let a bad shot or two get in the way. He just flashes that constant smile and moves on.
Once again he looks solid with five top 25 finishes in five events, including a tie for second at the Humana Challenge and a tie for third at the Sony Open.
Currently ranked 10th in the world, time may be running out for the 36-year-old Kuchar to grab that one elusive major title. But he is still a very viable candidate for a victory at the Masters.
Jason Day: The USPGA Championship and the Masters
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It is not if but when Day will grab his first major trophy.
Why we like him:
The young Australian has done everything but win at a major venue. Among his finishes are a tie for second at the 2011 Masters, a tie for eighth at the 2013 USPGA Championship and a second-place finish at the 2011 U.S. Open and tie for second at the 2013 U.S. Open.
A long hitter with a great ability to rise up the leaderboard on Sunday (as he did at the 2011 Masters), Day won twice last year including the World Championships – Accenture Match Play Championship.
He is currently ranked first among PGA golfers in greens in regulation and consequently first in birdie average.
He played Whistling Straits extremely well when it last hosted the USPGA Championship in 2010. He was two shots back of the leader after the third round, eventually finished in a tie for 10th.
As for the Masters, Day's length and past experience there should embolden him towards a very likely victory.
Jordan Spieth: The Masters and the U.S. Open
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At 21, Spieth may be the best bet to unseat McIlroy and create a career-long competition with the No. 1 player in the world.
Why we like him:
Last year, Spieth made quite a statement when he steamrolled into second place at the Masters. It wasn’t so much that he finished that high but that he did not flag at the end.
That sort of determination has become a trademark of Spieth’s young career. He doesn’t back down from success.
He will use that knowledge and persistence to win this year.
The U.S. Open demands great scrambling ability. Spieth ranked 13th in the category last year. Even if he misses the fairway, he is very good out of the rough, finishing ninth in scrambling from the rough.
He is also on a winning streak. At the end of 2014, he made another pronouncement when he shot a course-record 63 to win the Emirates Australian Open by six strokes. He then turned around and won the Hero Challenge in Florida.
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Sergio Garcia: The Open Championship
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Sergio is another one of those great players without a major title. Yet, at 35, he has really come into his own.
Why we like him:
He has completely turned around his game especially his putting. Where he once ranked 122nd in 2009, he now ranks 61st in strokes gained putting.
In 2014, he also finished second in scoring average, second in strokes gained tee to green and second in strokes gained, total.
Last year he came from six strokes back on the last day to tie for second at the Open Championship.
He has solid experience at St Andrews where he finished in a tie for fifth in 2000 and a tie for 14th in 2010.
Now ranked sixth in the world, he primed to win his first major title at the Open Championship.
Rickie Fowler: The USPGA Championship
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If only there was no one named Rory McIlroy on the tour.
Why we like him:
Rickie might have a couple of majors under his belt if not for McIlroy. He came in second to him at the Open Championship and third at the USPGA Championship which McIlroy also won.
Instead, he set a record for futility by finishing in the top five in all four majors but failing to win any. Chalk it up to the kind of experience few pros will ever get.
The biggest change in his game has been on the greens. Where he was once ranked 139th in 2012, he moved up to 37th last year. Today, he is ranked third after three events.
This should translate into a major victory at Whistling Straits.
Phil Mickelson: The U.S. Open
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There really is only one major in Phil's sights this year.
Why we like him:
Mickelson lost a bunch of weight in the last few months and now adheres to a Paleo-style diet that should keep the weight off and the muscle on.
It may be too early to see how his change in physique has manifested itself on the course, but in the two events he has played in, he has hit the ball longer and straighter than last year. His distance off the tee has increased to 298 yards and his accuracy moved from 58 percent last year to 68 percent this year.
He has to hit it longer to keep up with the young pros and he has to continue to improve his accuracy which has plagued him in the past.
We all know Phil has finished second six very frustrating times at the U.S. Open.
Chambers Bay, the site of this year's event, is relatively unknown to the tour players so Phil will have as good a chance as any to finally claim his career grand slam when they play there in June.
Adam Scott: The Masters
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Scott is a bona-fide star now ranked fourth in the world.
Why we like him:
Bubba Watson won in 2012 and 2014 and Scott won in 2013. So, it's Scott's turn now.
Last year, he ranked in the top 10 in driving distance, greens in regulation and scoring average when he won once, made 16 of 17 cuts and finished in the top 10 10 times.
He has overcome the issues that led him to give away the 2012 Open Championship in the last round.
As a course that rewards long drivers who hit greens in regulation, Augusta plays right into Scott's hands.
Bubba Watson: The Masters and USPGA Championship
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Bubba is simply playing great golf.
Why we like him:
Last year’s Masters champion and the winner of the 2012 Masters has, excuse the pun, finally mastered his game.
Already this year, he has won once and finished no worse than a tie for 11th in a tournament. He almost came from behind to win the Waste Management Open in Phoenix, eventually finishing in a tie for second place for the second year in a row.
The self-taught lefty who swings from the soles of his shoes is always near the top of the longest hitters on the tour. More importantly, he is highly creative and has become a deft shotmaker from just about any distance.
He also knows Whistling Straits where he lost to Martin Kaymer in a three-hole playoff at the 2010 USPGA Championship.
His 300-plus yard drives will make mincemeat of the field as he secures his second major of the year.
Tiger Woods: The Masters
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We used to watch Tiger to see how much he would win by. But now we watch to see how far he may fall.
Why we still like him:
Currently ranked 56th in the world, his lowest ranking ever, and a 50-1 shot to win the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, where he has won seven times, Tiger should probably be considered a 1000-1 shot to win a major this year.
Yet he is taking dead aim at Augusta where he has won four times.
Even his arch nemesis, Phil Mickelson, believes in him, telling Golf magazine:
"I think Tiger’s going to have the last laugh. His short game, historically, is one of the best of all time. His golf game is probably the best of all time. When you haven’t played, your short game is the first thing to feel uncomfortable and the quickest thing to get back. I don’t think he’s going to have any problems, I really don’t.
"
Tiger is having so many issues on the course, most notably regarding his chipping. His troubles at the Hero World Challenge were equally on display at the Waste Management where he missed the cut, shot his worst round ever (82).
So now what? We have to wait and see and bear with him. Once again, Tiger becomes the most controversial player on the tour.
But he is the reigning king of majors with 14 titles and is a master of golf miracles so anything can happen, right?
As long as Tiger is lacing up those golf shoes, it is impossible to count him out at the Masters.
Rory McIlroy: All of Them
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There is Rory and then there is everyone else.
What's not to like:
The No. 1 player in the world remains everyone’s favorite to win not just one but multiple majors this year.
This is the guy who won three in a row last year including the Open Championship and the USPGA Championship to give him a total of four major victories. And he is still only 25 years old.
After Rory won the USPGA, Jack Nicklaus said:
"Rory is an unbelievable talent. I think Rory has an opportunity to win 15 or 20 majors or whatever he wants to do if he wants to keep playing. I love his swing, I love his rhythm, I love his moxie. He's got a little swagger there, it’s a little bit cocky but not offensive.
"
High praise from the leader of the majors pack. But not unwarranted.
Rory, who is coming off a win at the Dubai Desert Classic, is primed to blast through the 2015 major events.
Is a Grand Slam in the offing?
We can’t wait to see how he performs.
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