The veteran golf players who are likely to register their first major title win in 2012 – Golf Feature part 1
The players who have bright chances for a win in the major championships this year (2012) are England’s Lee Westwood and Steve Stricker from the United States.
It does not make a difference if they have not won any major title, as their latest form and performance is a key indicator of their chances to earn their first major title victories.
Almost all commentators and analysts of the game agree with the projection that both these players have greater chances to win the major titles than any other player. The two stars can be rated within their league and performance range.
Westwood is no doubt one of the greatest golf players in the world and he has been consistent in staying within the top-five positions in the Official World Golf Rankings for the last two years.
There was a time when he reached the number one spot in 2011, which is now held by his compatriot, Luke Donald. This shows the class and quality of the 38-year-old veteran golfer.
Moreover, he is among the few players who have succeeded in registering wins on every major continent while playing on the European and PGA Tours.
He has recorded a total of 37 victories since he turned professional in 1993. However, none of them came in the major championships.
Therefore, the golf pundits believe that the time has come for Westwood to earn the first ever major victory of his prolonged 19-year professional career.
He is looking in a good shape and form to make it to the top this year.
Among the five starts he made in the 2012 golf season, he recorded two top-10 finishes, the second-place finish in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and the fourth in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
While talking about his prospects of success in the 2012 season, he showed his interest of sharing rivalry with Rory McIlroy in the Accenture Match Play Championship.
"If I am going to have a rivalry I would like it to be with Rory because he's arguably the hottest player on the planet at the moment,” he said.
When he was asked about the possible number one ranking spot for him, he replied by saying that winning tournaments, especially WGC’s and major championships, are his goals.
“Well, obviously I'd like to be No.1 in the world, but it's not really a priority,” he said. “It's not really a goal I've set, you know, to win a Major championship, to win these World Golf Championships, to win in the States and do that more regularly are goals”.
This shows his hunger for tough competitions in preparations for the first major win of his career.
Westwood’s best finish in the major championships came in the 2010 Masters Tournament and 2010 The Open Championship, where he placed second each time.
This year, he is most likely to improve his record just by one spot, which will be enough for him to register his name among the major winners in the history of golf.
Besides, it is difficult to say that Westwood will succeed in making his dream come true in the upcoming Masters Tournament in the first week of April.
The major reason behind this is the need of tweaking his putting technique, as it has sometimes cost him devastating results in the tournaments he has played so far.
Putting can create a major difference in coming close and winning a tournament. When Westwood reached the number one spot in the OWGR, his performance in putting was flawless.
Therefore, he needs to rediscover his formula for putting, which can make him invincible in the major events this year.
After all, golf experts and his fans are looking forward to another great season from him with an addition of the most prestigious golf title to his profile.
To be continued..
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