PGA Championship 2011: 10 Players Likely to Fall Short This Weekend

It happens every year, players start strong and it looks like they have a shot to win it all, but then they fall short. 

Rory McIlroy will fall short this year after suffering a wrist injury, and last year he was right in the chase to win the 2010 PGA Championship, but fell a stroke short. 

These are not guarantees to fall short, but these are the likeliest golfers to fall short of winning the 2011 PGA Championship this weekend. Only golfers within four strokes of the leader were taken into consideration. 

10) Lee Westwood

Overall score: -1

Lee Westwood shot a two-under par on Friday to get right back into the conversation of winning the 2011 PGA Championship. 

He has shot pretty well as of late, finishing ninth overall at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational. 

At the U.S. Open, he finished third, just short of winning his first ever Major. He has quite a task ahead of him to get his first Major Championship win. 

9) Scott Piercy

Overall score: -1

Scott Piercy shot a solid 68 (-2) on Friday to land himself on this list. He shot a one-over par on Thursday, but still has a shot to win going forward. 

He won the Reno-Tahoe Open earlier this month, but has yet to do well at any Major Championship in 2011. 

He finished 51st at the U.S. Open, and will need to stay consistent at the PGA Championship if he wants to win it. 

8) Jerry Kelly

Overall score: -2

The 44-year-old Jerry Kelly has not finished better than 27th since the beginning of March, where he finished third at the Honda Classic. 

At both the Masters and the Open Championship, he failed to make the cut. 

It really is quite shocking to see Kelly do so well at the 2011 PGA Championship. I'm figuring that he will not be able to continue on this torrid pace. 

7) Jhonattan Vegas

Overall score: -2

Jhonattan Vegas has been in quite a drought. He has not finished better than 31st since February. 

The only Major Championship that Vegas has played at in 2011 was the Masters where he missed the cut.

Don't run to Vegas and place a bet on him  to make a 2011 PGA Championship comeback. 

6) Adam Scott

Overall score: -2

After winning the WGC Bridgestone Invitational last weekend, expectations soared for Adam Scott. 

The spotlight would have been placed directly on him at the 2011 PGA Championship had his caddy Steve Williams not stolen it from him. 

Scott will not be able to catch the leader at the PGA Championship , but he may still shoot well. 

5) Anders Hansen

Overall score: -3

Anders Hansen certainly was a surprise to see on the leaderboard after Day 1. This being because he has only played in six PGA Tour events. 

At the Masters—his only Major Championship event—he's struggled to even make the cut. 

His best PGA Tour finish in 2011 was back on March 13 at the WGC Cadillac Championship, where he finished third. 

4) Scott Verplank

Overall score: -4

Scott Verplank, 47, was an obvious head-scratcher after day one. 

His best finish of 2011 was 14th at The Greenbrier Classic.

The pressure will be placed on Verplank to continue to play solid golf, and it may be too much. 

3) D.A. Points

Overall score: -4

After shooting a decent one-under par on Day 1, D.A. Points followed it up with a four-under par on Day 2.

He has not finished better than 19th since February, where he won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on February 13, but has struggled since. 

Points may look like he could very well take it all, but something tells me he will not have enough. 

2) Steve Stricker

Overall score: -4

After nearly setting the record for the lowest round in Major Championship history, Steve Stricker struggled Friday shooting a three-over par. 

He is still searching for his first Major Championship win, and at 44 years old, there might not be too many opportunities ahead for him.

He's been one of the most consistent golfers as of late, with 11 top-20 finishes. That also included top-20 finishes at the Masters, the U.S. Open and the Open Championship. 

It is likely that Stricker will fall short of winning his first Major Championship. 

1) Keegan Bradley

Overall score: -5

If anyone would have guessed that Keegan Bradley would be tied for the lead going into the weekend, then they must be a psychic. 

Considering this is the first Major Championship he's played in, he is playing quite well. 

With no wins yet in 2011, I would be shocked to see Bradley continue to lead at the PGA Championship.