Predictions: Quail Hollow Championship

After a busy week, we return today here at Pro Golf Now, and with it being Wednesday, you know what that means…..predictions! This week, it’s the Quail Hollow Championship, which has attracted some big names. The golf ratings will inevitably go up this week, with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson both in the field at Charlotte, so it looks like we’re due for a great golf tournament this weekend. Let’s get right to the predictions!

The Sleeper

Steve Marino isn’t the normal definition of a sleeper at this point, since everyone pretty much knows who he is because of his solid performances at majors, but he’s due for a win. He always seems to sneak up and play well at big tournaments (and is usually almost always the number one selection for sleeper pick at major championships), and I don’t think that changes this week.

Before missing the cut at the Zurich Classic, he had three straight Top 15 finishes, so I’m not putting much stock in his play in New Orleans. If he can drive the ball accurately this week, I think he’s got a real shot to win this thing. Of course, as is the case every week on tour, putting will be what matters most. Marino needs to get off to a fast start, and build some momentum heading into the weekend, especially since Woods and Mickelson are in the field this week. I expect another solid performance from Marino, and with a good start on Thursday, he could definitely be in contention on Sunday.

The Favorites

You can check out the Vegas favorites here. And here are my favorites, which don’t veer too far away from those: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood, Jim Furyk, Padraig Harrington, Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas, Nick Watney, and Stewart Cink.

Honorable Mention: Hunter Mahan, Zach Johnson, and Geoff Ogilvy.

Elimination style to the finish as always, so here we go!

Watney has moved into the favorites section this week, despite being a regular in my sleeper picks. This guy is probably the most underrated player on tour in my opinion, and could certainly turn some heads this week with in a win in Charlotte. This is the type of win that he needs to start moving into that upper echelon of players, as this would give him something to build on as head towards the U.S. Open in June. I love his game, and think that he plays well this week. But I don’t see a win.

Villegas has played seven events this season, and already has four Top 10’s. A win this week would give him some major confidence, and he could make a run at a major championship this season. I think that this is the year for him to win a big tournament such as the U.S. Open or PGA, but he’ll need to win another semi-big tournament before doing so. He’s got a shot this week, and while a win will be tough, I definitely see him in contention.

Furyk is coming off of a win at the Verizon Heritage a few weeks ago, which was certainly needed after he missed the cut at Augusta. He already has two wins on the season, and while they were good for his confidence, nothing would be better than winning in a field that includes Tiger and Phil. He’s done it before, but this would definitely be a big momentum builder heading into Pebble Beach in June. Furyk should have another great week, and should have a shot at a victory on Sunday.

Harrington is hard to figure out. There are times when we think that he’s ready to break out once again, and bring back the magic that he had towards the end of last season. Then there are other times where he struggles a little bit with the driver, and makes it tough to give himself a chance to win. I happen to think that Paddy is getting ready to hit his stride in the next few weeks, and really start being a regular Top 10 finisher again. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him have a share of the lead on the weekend, but there are others that I like better for the win.

The Final Four

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood, Anthony Kim

Westwood should probably be my pick this week. After all, after the loss at the Masters, he’s going to be out to prove something this week. The big two are in the field, and Westwood has started to make a movement towards turning the big two into the big three. He needs a big win though, and it probably has to come at a major championship. But if he can win this week, he’ll have a shot at the major in the next two, as he always seems to play well at the U.S. Open and British Open. Westwood comes close this week, but falls just short of the victory.

Woods is in the field, meaning he has to be considered THE favorite. But even though he had a Top 5 finish at the Masters a few weeks ago in his first tournament back, I’m hesitant to pick him this week. I think he needs to play in consecutive weeks at this point in time, so that he can get a flow going. Yes, I know that he’s won plenty of times in the past after taking weeks off, but this is different. Right now, I fully expect him to win at Pebble Beach, and this will just be a tournament that helps him build towards that. A Top 5 is a lock, but a win is not.

The Finals

Phil Mickelson vs. Anthony Kim

Given what has taken place in the golf world over the last few months, it’s hard to put anyone here but these two.

Mickelson picked up another green jacket, and played some of the best golf we’ve ever seen him play in the process. Kim is without question playing the best golf of his career right now, despite a nagging thumb injury that will require surgery sometime soon.

So basically, we’re at a gridlock here, and it’s hard to go wrong with either pick. But I’m completely confident in choosing between the two, because I expect a letdown from one of them.

The stage at Augusta is unlike any other, and even though we have a solid field this week, the Masters, this is not. Mickelson has had time to wind down from that victory and start focusing on this week, but I think we may see a little rust from him early on this week. It’s also been since Augusta since we’ve seen Kim, but I don’t think that matters a whole lot.

He is full of confidence right now, and not even the thumb injury can stop him.

Kim is your winner in Charlotte this weekend.