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Rogin's 2009 predictions for golf

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    Rogin's 2009 predictions for golf

    Trying to predict what will happen in world golf in 2009 is like trying to grab a Tiger by the tail. Will Tiger Woods return from his injury to the imperious form that made him almost untouchable for large parts of the last decade, or will he be a shadow of his former self?

    If Woods comes back with a bang, he could (as ever) win three, or possibly all, of the year's Major titles. He would certainly be in contention for all of them. He'll always be a runaway favourite to win at Augusta, he won the last US Open to be played at Bethpage, was runner-up to Rich Beem the last time the PGA was played at Hazeltine, and The Open at Turnberry, I think will suit him down to the ground - it's surely no coincidence that all of Turnberry's former Open winners have been the world's best players of their day (Watson, Norman and Price).

    Aside from Tiger, who else? Ernie Els must ackowledge that, despite all his talk of being on a 3-year-plan to get back to the top (which seems to have been recycling since about 1999) time is running out if he wants to win a fourth major. He'll be close at Turnberry, and I also fancy him to have one last go at the Masters, where he's finished several times in the top 5 without ever winning. Sergio Garcia must push forward in 2009 to finally get among the major champions - although I fancy him more at both Bethpage and Hazeltine than at Augusta or Turnberry. If he could just learn to bloody putt ...

    Can Padraig Harrington win a third straight Open - or, indeed, win a 3rd straight major with a victory at Augusta? Both will be the pre-tournament big stories at those, but I'm going to stick my neck out and say no, I don't think so. Neither, I think, will Vijay Singh or Phil Mickelson add to their major triumphs, despite their good 2008 seasons.

    Players who could move up from the "next best thing" category to claim 2009 majors - I really fancy an outside bet on Anthony Kim to do well at, and possibly even win, the Masters. He'd be the first player since Fuzzy Zeoller in 1979 to win the Masters at his first visit, but he'd be no more of a surprise if he did so than Zach Johnson two years ago. Among the Europeans, Poulter will attract all the home attention at Turnberry, but I think (Garcia aside) Europe's best chance of a major could be in America from either Karlsson or Stenson, again with Bethpage's US Open a real opportunity, a course that should suit both. Camilo Villegas, if he gets into gear for the rich (and hot) August-September season in 2009 like he did in 2008, could be a contender for the PGA.

    Sticking my neck out then:

    Masters - Tiger Woods (if fit) or Anthony Kim
    US Open - Tiger Woods (if fit) or Robert Karlsson
    Open Championship - Tiger Woods (if fit) or Ernie Els
    USPGA - Sergio Garcia or Camilo Villegas

    #2
    Rogin's 2009 predictions for golf

    Bollocks, I just wrote a great long analysis of the season's prospects and managed to lose it somewhere on route to posting. Anyway:

    Masters: Mickelson or Woods or Harrington
    PGA: Kim or Villegas or Woods
    Open: Harrington or Garcia
    US Open: Woods or Goosen

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