British Open Golf 2011: 10 Guys Who Have to Win It Now

Forget about Rory McIlroy and his quest to be the best.  Forget about his demolition of the U.S. Open field and his nearly perfect run to the Masters Championship. 

There are guys out there who HAVE to win the British Open at Royal St. Georges this weekend.

They have to do it to save face, rekindle their game, increase their diminished value, show that a long putter actually is a good thing, or simply win their first Major before it is too late.

Is Tiger Woods on the list?  Well, he would be No. 1 if he wasn't in perennial rehab. 

No one needs a PGA win let alone a Major more than the Big Cat...actually, he just needs to play more than a few holes in an event to show us that he is back in the game.

This list could have included every American pro, for it would be an awesome thing to see an American punk the Brits, Scots, Irish, South Africans, Euros, and Aussies who seem to be dominating things these days.

What follows is a list of guys who need this win more than the guy next to him.  If you agree, great. If not, tell me who you think is most desperate.

Sergio Garcia: Is There Anyone Who Needs It More?

Perhaps no one is in need of a Major win more than Sergio Garcia.  The Spaniard with the jittery hands, sweet swing, and disastrous putting stroke is fast approaching the age (31) and stage of his career where it is make or break.

While he has been an international star with a winning personality, Sergio just can't seem to pull it all together at a Major.  He has done well in the Ryder Cup, leading his team to three wins in his three appearances.  He even won the Players Championship in 2008, which many consider the "Fifth Major".

Sergio has seemingly tamed his demons. He has cut back the interminable amount of time he would spend over a ball, wringing his hands on the grip in preparation for his hit. And, more importantly, he has become a decent putter.

He has narrowly missed winning both the PGA in 2008 and the U.S. Open in 2007, with Paddy Harrington passing him on each occasion.

Although he still ranks 157th in total putting, he is second in Top Ten finishes, so he knows how to compensate and scramble, much like the late great Seve Ballesteros.

With Seve gone, Sergio has a chance to redeem himself and provide a fitting memorial for his friend and mentor.

Luke Donald: Now's the Time to Show Why You Are Number One

OK, Luke.

You're No. 1 in the world, you just won the Scottish Open, and you have won three times already this year. Now what are you going to do? And don't say you are going to Disneyland.

To say the least, Luke Donald is on a roll that has been a long time coming, and he is the favorite to win the Open this weekend and secure rare back-to-back wins.

Oops, did we say favorite?  Well, Luke you may be No. 1 in rankings, but that upstart Irish kid is No. 1 in our hearts.

With Rory McIlroy roaring through the Majors like they are his own personal playgrounds, Luke has to show the youngster what it means to be the top dog on the tour.

Donald seemingly has it all going right.

He is long and straight off the tee, he is fifth in putting, third in scoring average, and first in Top Ten finishes.  He is in the Top Ten of at least ten statistical categories listed by the PGA.  And, he has shown that he knows how to win.

No one may be more deserving of a first Major win than Donald, who has trod the boards for 10 long years.

Adam Scott: With Long Putter, A Long but Hopeful Shot

With one of the sweetest swings on the Tour, Adam Scott is primed for his first Major win this weekend.

Or at least he should be.

We have waited a long time for the handsome Aussie to break ranks and win a Major.  He catapulted onto the scene in 2001, winning his first tournament just two years later, and has been turning heads ever since.

This year, Adam switched to a long putter, something usually reserved for aging pros with shaky hands. He may not be an aging pro, but he at least realized he needed something more positive to happen on the green and put his pride aside...a change for the better that has increased his confidence and his scoring.

Scott has four top ten finishes this year, including being tied for second at the Masters, which was quite a coup, and showed how far he has come in the past year.

The new putter has helped, although he still remains 154th in total putting on the tour.  Still young and flexible at 31 years old, Adam strikes the ball exceedingly well, and is third in overall driving, something that should bode well at the British Open.

To make his comeback complete, it would be sweet for him to take it all this weekend.

Dustin Johnson: Now Is the Time to Make Things Right

Wouldn't it be great if Dustin Johnson could shake off bad memories associated with his 2010 PGA Championship mishap by taking it all at the British Open this weekend?

We were all happy to see him bounce back from what was a very difficult way to lose in a Major...grounding his club on the last hole and absorbing a penalty that cost him the win.

He has since won one tourney and performed admirably in his last two Majors since the PGA, but we all got a glimpse of the kind of athletic ability, toughness, golf skill, and bravado it takes to break away from a Majors field.

Dustin's stats this year are admirable (fourth in driving distance, third in birdie average,) but his play has been erratic. However, in the last two tourneys, he has finished third and ninth, which may mean he is gaining some momentum going into the weekend.

There is no question that Johnson, who hasn't played up to last year's great season, has what it takes to win not one, but many Majors.  This would be a good start.

Justin Rose: When Are You Gonna Win a Major?

Justin Rose always seems to be hovering just out of the top group of players.

But there is something about his game and his demeanor that makes him seem like a player waiting to break out of the pack.

It would be startling, to say the least, if he won the Open this weekend, but as a long time Pro—he broke out in 1998—with a solid record and a number of wins under his belt, he is one of those guys the public would love to see win.

The British Open, for some odd reason, has never been kind to Justin.  He has missed the cut almost as many times as he has made it, and never finished very high.

Currently, he is showing a bit of a resurgence, finishing in the Top 20 seven out his last 10 outings, including a second and fifth.

His 2011 stats are mediocre at best, but Rose has shown a penchant for climbing back into a tourney, and is 19th in scoring in both the third and fourth rounds of tournaments in which he has played.

The gritty South African needs to push himself to the top of his game at the upcoming Open. He desperately needs this type of win in order to give his career a boost.

Anthony Kim: It Would Take a Miracle

What the heck happened to Anthony Kim?

There has rarely been a player who jump-started his career so quickly, and gained acclaim from both fans and fellow pros alike for his stellar play and admirable skills.

The 26-year-old Kim burst onto the tour in 2006 with four Top Ten finishes in his rookie year. Many were comparing him to Tiger as he was long off the tee, composed and fearless as he went for the green as often as he could, and putted like an old Pro.

He seemed poised to strike.

In 2008, he was a critical part of the American's Ryder Cup victory. In 2009, he set a record at the Masters for most most birdies in a round. In 2010, he became only the fifth player behind Mickelson, Woods, Garcia and Scott to win three times before he was 25.

Last year, Kim was sidelined by a wrist injury, and he has been clawing his way back to prominence. Although 2011 has been a roller coaster year for him, he has made the cut in his last three rounds, and is showing some of the greatness that led to his pre-inury success.

No one has ever questioned his ability to play the game and many people root for him to return to his form.

The question is: Can Anthony Kim come all the way back to win a Major?

Now would be a great time to say yes!

Ian Poulter: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Love him or hate him, you have to wonder when Ian Poulter will put his money where his mouth is and win a Major.

Poulter is a stellar player and a great dresser, known more for the latter than the former.

He is also as loud with his mouth as he is with his clothing.  Known for brandishing wildly designed clothes (pants sporting the Claret Jug and sunglasses that match his hat and shirt), Poulter is also a classically trained golfer who has been playing since he was four years old.

He is also known for calling out Tiger Woods, and for politically insensitive tweets for which he has been fined and chastised.

From a golfing perspective, he has won 10 times on courses all over the world. He is not particularly long off the tee, but is great at sand saves, which may prove helpful at the sand trap-laden Royal St. Georges course this weekend.

Ever the battler on the course, Poulter is at that stage of his pro career where winning a Major would be a notable feather in his fashionable cap.

Matt Kuchar: You Deserve to Win It

Matt Kuchar deserves to win a Major.

Having turned pro in 2000, he has seemingly gotten better every year. A true grinder with a steady but sure game, Kuchar is a threat to win every tournament he enters.

He may be the best American golfer playing today...who has not won a Major.

Likeable and quiet with a great smile, Kuchar has evolved nicely, elevating himself into the elite of golfers. Currently, he ranks seventh in Fedex Points, and it is a safe bet that he will rise even higher before the year is out.

Fourth in scoring average and first in Top Ten finishes, the only thing that seems to be holding him back is his final day of play, where he ranks a measly 43rd. 

While he does pretty well on American soil, with Top Ten finishes in the Masters and Open, he has yet to reach any sort of consistency at the British Open.  Yet, he has the low-flying, tough-it-out game for it, and rarely seems to get ruffled by the circumstances or environment surrounding him.

It would be a welcome sight for Kuchar to lift the Jug at the end of Sunday, and one that is well deserved.

Phil Mickelson: Let Lefty Show Them How It Is Done

Lefty, let's show them how it's done.

Probably no golfer is admired and adored more than Phil Mickelson, and rightly so.

The big guy with the big smile really relishes his role as one of golf's greatest players.  He plays hard, but he is a true gentleman on and off the course. A family man with a fantastic knack for making great golf shots.

With Tiger out of the picture for the foreseeable future, Phil is our guy, and he is definitely the guy we all want to see win the British Open.

It may be a reach, especially with Phil's penchant for hitting high fliers that can get caught up in the nasty Scottish winds.

Still, who has more guile around the course, and especially around the greens, than Lefty? And, oh yeah, look who hasn't missed a cut all year.

What's more, who has more game?  When things are going right with him, Phil can pummel the ball, knock it close, and tap it in. He's a streaky player, no doubt, but he also possesses a mastery of the game, and the type of experience that can turn him into this weekend's champion.

Wouldn't that be fitting for a guy who has never won the British Open?

Lee Westwood: No Time Like the Present

Here he is. The best golfer playing today who has not won a Major.

But that could, and should, end this weekend...and it better for Westwood's sake.

Both time and ardent competitors are slapping at his heels, so why not win one now and get the whole thing over with?

Westwood is a guy with so much game that he is always in the running to win. He finished second in the Masters and the U.S. Open last year, and had third-place finishes in both the PGA and the Masters in 2009.

That just isn't fair for a guy who drives the ball perfectly and can put the ball in the hole from anywhere on the green.

This is the same golfer who replaced Tiger Woods as the No. 1 player in the world last year.

So, what's keeping you, Lee? 

With McIlroy, Kaymer, Donald, McDowell and a bunch of other young bucks from your side of the world rising fast, it would behoove the 38-year-old Englishman to make it happen this weekend.