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Mickelson is 0-38 in majors, and will go 0-41 until he finally, finally wins one at the PGA Championship. This one will be a déjà vu of the 2001 event, when David Toms held off Mickelson to get his own first major. At Oak Hill Country Club, though, it will be Mickelson who will prevail, as the two close friends will put on another dazzling PGA Championship.
Toms went winless in 2002, but managed to climb up the World Golf Rankings and finished the season at No. 5. There's no way he will go without a win again in 2003. It's just not possible. It's been written once in this space that Vijay Singh may be past his prime, but he won twice last year and was third on the money list. While the days of his contending at majors may be gone indeed, the diligent Singh will remain a force on the Tour for the foreseeable future. Look for Ernie Els to build on the momentum from his career-best 2002 season. The Open Championship victory was an enormous confidence boost for him, and he now knows he can beat Woods at tournaments that matter. Few players are more naturally talented and with his confidence at an all-time high, Els will continue to challenge Tiger for the golfing supremacy. The 2001 Open champ David Duval endured a trying 2002 season, falling to 80th on the money list and going winless for the first time since 1996. He may never become the player he once was-Duval simply has too many nagging injuries-but he will finish higher on the money list. There were a record 18 first-time winners in 2002, but there won't be that many this year. Among those 18, young guys like Matt Kuchar, Charles Howell III, Chris Riley and Jonathan Byrd have been impressive. Count on them to pick up their second wins and possibly beyond. The PGA Tour is unique in that its off-season is but a few weeks, and on January 9th, the season's first event will begin. It can't come soon enough. Go To Page: 1 2 |
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