Steve Stricker
Stricker has 12 career PGA Tour wins and has finished top-10 in nearly 30 percent of all the tournaments that he has entered.
He has been a standout on the Presidents and Ryder Cup teams, plus he has had multiple top-10’s in major appearances. Stricker has done everything in golf to assure his spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame except win a major championship.
With his steady demeanor and his wizardry around the greens one would think that a major could still be in his future. At 33/1 odds and now at 45 years old has his time passed?
Dustin Johnson
Johnson missed two months due to injury in 2012. Since returning to the PGA Tour he has a win at Memphis and a T-9 at Royal Lytham.
Johnson has flirted with major success in the past but a final round 80 at the 2010 U. S. Open and an unfortunate mishap with a bunker at the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits kept him out of the winners circle. He is No. 16 on the OWGR and is rated at 33/1 odds to win the PGA.
Johnson definitely has the length and talent to win a major but does he have the patience to withstand the wind and difficult conditions at Kiawah Island?
Adam Scott
Scott had the Claret Jug firmly in his grasp and fumbled it to Ernie Els last month at Royal Lytham. Bogeys at the last four holes in the final round proved to be his undoing.
You all know the old saying, “If she bucks you off you have to get right back on.”
Scott needs to get right back into the mix at the PGA Championship and beat off the demons that can rattle around in a player’s head. His last win came at the 2011 WGC-Bridgestone but he has had a second and a third this year plus seven top-25’s in just 10 events on the PGA Tour.
He is rated at 25/1 favorite for the win at Kiawah Island. Scott will win at least one major. He is just too good to think otherwise. Not too sure this will be the one though.
Lee Westwood
Perhaps one of the two men who really need a major win the most is No. 4 ranked Lee Westwood. He is rated at 16/1 odds for 2012 PGA Championship.
Westwood is 39 years old and since 1995 is 0-58 in majors. He does have nine top-10’s in his last 18 majors, however. He was T-8 at the 2011 PGA, T-3 at the 2012 Masters, and T-10 at the 2012 U. S. Open. Lee knows how to play major championships.
He was ranked No. 1 in the OWGR for 22 weeks and has done everything there is to do in golf except win a major. The time is now for Westwood.
Luke Donald
Donald has been ranked No. 1 in the world for over 55 weeks and still does not get the respect due him for his consistent play because he has not won a major championship.
Donald is comfortable in his own skin as the soap commercial says on TV. Over the past 2 ½ years he has been the best golfer on the planet.
I always ask this question of any golf fan that knocks Luke for his lack of a major championship.
Would you rather be good for just one week or would you rather be good for a whole year? As golfers we are striving to be consistent and be among the leaders every time we play.
Donald plays with the best golfers in the world and he is at the top of the leader board every week. He is rated at 16/1 for the PGA at Kiawah.
I would not bet against him.