Predictions: 2010 PGA Championship

The 2010 PGA Championship is almost upon us, as this year, Whistling Straits will host golf’s final major of the season, with a lot on the line for some of the top players in the game. Tiger Woods will be looking to top his +18 score at the Bridgestone, which shouldn’t be too hard to do. Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson may finally get his chance to be known as the top-ranked player in the world, and also capture his second major championship of the season. But will Tiger or Phil win? Let’s predict.

Here are my five favorites for the week:

Phil Mickelson

For the first time in, well, forever, Tiger isn’t the favorite at a golf tournament that he’s playing in. That honor goes to Phil this week, which actually worries me a little bit. Phil has had his chances to become number one in the world multiple times this year, yet he’s always found a way to give away the opportunity. There’s only so many more chances he’s going to have at this, and gaining the number one ranking by winning a major championship is the perfect scenario for him.

Padraig Harrington

Paddy has quietly been building himself up to have a great chance at a win this week. Last year at this time, he was finding himself in a series of showdowns with Tiger, yet it always seemed like Paddy would have one hole that would completely end his chances at picking up the victory. This is a great spot for him to be in, as although he’s one of the favorites, I don’t think people are necessarily giving him enough credit. Right now, all the talk is surrounding Tiger and Phil, which means there is no pressure on him at all. He can fly under the radar and put himself in position to contend on the weekend.

Paul Casey

It seems like Casey has been a really popular pick on tour lately, as if people haven’t been picking Tiger or Phil to win tournaments, they’ve been picking him. Well, he’s another solid pick this week, as it feels like it’s his time to win a major championship. He got off to a blazing start this year before being sidelined with the shoulder injury, which set him back a little and took away some of his momentum. He had a Top 25 last week at Firestone, and if he can get off to a fast start on Thursday, I like his chances heading into the weekend.

Steve Stricker

This would be the best story, as Stricker is from Wisconsin, and will be looking to seriously contend in a major for the first time this year. Although he’s won twice this year, he hasn’t had that same kind of consistent play that we saw from him in 2009, though the shoulder injury that he suffered earlier in the year has something to do with that. However, he’s been playing a lot better as of late, and he’ll certainly been looking to give the Wisconsin fans a great performance.

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy has already proven once this season that he can beat the best in the world when he won at Quail Hollow earlier in the season. With so much uncertainty surrounding the top of the golfing hierarchy right now, if McIlroy can somehow come out on top at Whistling Straits, that’s going to make a strong statement about the younger generation in the game. Will we remember this as the place where McIlroy officially arrived, and started pushing out the Tiger-Phil era? We’ll have to wait and see.

And the winner is…..

For me, this is down to Phil or Paddy. I like Paddy’s chances, but for some reason, I can’t shake this whole Phil scenario.

It would be an absolute shame if Phil Mickelson never finds himself as the number one player in the world of golf. He’ll go down as one of the greatest golfers of all-time, yet due to the era that he’s played in, he’s never been ranked at the top.

Despite all the pressure, Mickelson is my pick this week. While he can still manage the top ranking without winning, it would make things much more memorable if he can capture his second major of 2010, and lock up Player of the Year honors in the process.

Sometimes I root for the underdog. Sometimes I root for a return of Tiger dominance. But this week, I’m rooting for the story. Phil needs this, and golf needs this. Hopefully he can capitalize on this opportunity.

Well there you have it. In case you missed it, be sure to check out my sleeper picks for the week as well, as there are some players that could definitely spoil the fun for the favorites this week.

Who is your pick for the PGA Championship?

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