PGA Championship 2011 Odds: Why Adam Scott Is Now a Favorite to Win Wanamaker

Adam Scott has always been a threat in the realm of golf, but too many people said he wouldn't win a major because of his poor putting skills. However, since his coach recently recommended that he try using a long putter for swing training, he feels more comfortable on the greens now than he has in his entire life.

After producing his best result at a major by tying for second place at the 2011 Masters, he kept his head up (as well as his putting accuracy), winning the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational by four strokes. Scott is over three percent better than the PGA tour average for greens in regulation hit, and with his long putter helping his overall game substantially, he has to be a favorite heading into the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Georgia.

His new putting technique is machine-like and nearly infallible. The pendulum motion he creates with little to no swaying to the left or right allows him to stay accurate, and the bottom hand grip on the putter he uses lets him control how hard he hits the ball on impact.

The Australian has been riding a great wave of success and shows no signs of slowing down. With his long game allowing him to reach the greens more easily than others and his ability to sink lengthy and difficult putts on hilly greens better than anybody, he can only hope that pressure and expectations don't have an effect on his future performances.

He seems to handle the moment quite well—reflected in his consistently dominant performance over the course of four consecutive days last week.

Scott is also living proof that Australia is capable of producing top-notch golfers, since he and his compatriot Jason Day were on top of the leaderboards in not just the past tournament, but the past few majors.

Winning the replica of the Wanamaker trophy for a year is prestigious, as is winning the PGA Championship, and as of right now, Adam Scott is the favorite to do both.

This article was written by Jeff Cohn, a sports writer and enthusiast.