If any of these stories surprised you in 2018, prepare for even
bigger surprises in 2019. Like Brooks Koepka not winning any majors after
winning two in the last three years. Like Jordan, Rory, and Phil Mickelson not
being able to close out career grand slam chances. And maybe the biggest surprise,
first-time major winners taking all four major championships in 2019 (making
that a run of 14 first-timers in the last 17 majors).
Tony Finau
It’s hard to believe Tony Finau has won only one time on Tour (2016 Puerto Rico Open), but this oddity will change in a big way come April. Finau posted nine top-10s last season, including three in the first three majors, and his prodigious power will give him at least a one-club advantage hitting into Augusta National’s slippery greens.
Finau has also become a clutch putter on
Tour, and that’s perfect for Augusta’s hallowed grounds. He makes a lot of
10-footers you’re invariably going to have at Augusta, and despite not really
knowing the course very well, Finau has the discipline to know what pins to go
after and what pins to respect. Finau also relishes the prospect of competing
here, as evidenced by him playing here last year on a dislocated ankle suffered
in the par-3 contest.
PGA Championship
Jon Rahm Jon Rahm is entering his third year of his professional career and has already picked up two wins on the PGA Tour and another three on the European Tour. If you throw in his four runner-up finishes, that’s an impressive resume for a player with only 65 career worldwide starts. Rahm twice finished inside the top-5 in majors last season (The Masters and the PGA Championship), has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the World, and when his game is on few make it look easier than the Spaniard.
If there’s a cause for concern for Rahm at this year’s PGA Championship, it’s that host Bethpage Black will have infamous fescue similar to what we saw at Erin Hills and Shinnecock last year. Rahm threw an all-out temper tantrum on his way to missing the cut at Erin Hills, and then missed the cut again at Shinnecock. However, Rahm’s pure power will give him an advantage at Bethpage (which won’t be set up like a U.S. Open), and hitting a 9-iron into Bethpage’s renovated greens instead of a 6-iron will make up for any bad angles he might see from missing the fairways. Rahm can switch off if things aren’t going well, but at Bethpage this year his aggressive, no holding back personality could set PGA Championship scoring records.
U.S. Open
Bryson
DeChambeau Bryson DeChambeau didn’t finish higher than 25th in any major last season, and he missed the cut at the PGA Championship. But DeChambeau’s three wins last season came against elite fields, and his ball striking has developed to the point where it’s nothing short of spectacular at times. Pebble Beach’s fairways will be tighter than we’ve seen the last few Opens, and DeChambeau’s ability to keep it in play makes him particularly well-suited to win.
DeChambeau has shown that he won’t be intimidated by anyone down
the stretch, and he has the grit it takes to grind out a hard fought win late
on Sunday. Pebble isn’t especially long, but it’s a classic, rugged, U.S. Open
venue that will protect the identity of America’s national championship. DeChambeau
will keep it in play, grind out pars, and sprinkle in a few birdies as he adds
his name to the luminous list of winners here on the Monterey Peninsula
coastline.
The Open Championship
Rickie Fowler
This will be the year Rickie Fowler finally sheds his “Best Player to Never Win a Major” label, as he wins The Open Championship by holding off Rory McIlroy in what will be the most entertaining major of the year. Historically European players are more likely to win The Open than any of the other three majors. Since World War II Europeans have won 18 Opens, compared with 13 Masters, five U.S. Opens, and five PGA Championships. And this year The Open returns to Northern Ireland for the first time in 68 years (and only the second time in its 148 year history), so the Royal Portrush crowds will undoubtedly be pro-Rory.
However, it’s Fowler who will write the
most profound storyline. A level of comfort with links courses is crucial to
win here, and the now 30 year-old Rickie has repeatedly said and proven that he
loves links golf and all its nuances and eccentricities. Fowler excels at
hitting shots back into the wind and controlling ball flight, and he’s proven
to be particularly adept at playing in windy conditions. Some of the biggest
names in golf had their best years during their 30s. Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer,
and Phil Mickelson all hit their stride in their 30s, and Fowler’s first decade
of life on Tour has prepared him for exactly this moment.
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