2011 Season Review

After my failure to predict the outcome of most of the events from 2010 I thought I would give it another go, so here is my look at the 2011 season.

Jan

Big names are expected in the desert for the first big tournament of the year in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. Major winners and golfers inside the world's top 10 will battle it out in the Middle East. Martin Kaymer defends his title but I’m going for the man in form and the man of last year Graeme McDowell to kick start his season and get his first win of the year.
On the PGA Tour Matt Kuchar will win the Bob Hope Classic.

Feb

Dustin Johnson will rule on the coast once again as the big hitting American defends his AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

The desert swing continues on the European Tour with Lee Westwood returning to a course he has won at before to claim the Omega Dubai desert classic.

Ian Poulter will try and defend his WGC-Accenture Matchplay but he will fall short in the semi-final to eventual winner Geoff Ogilvy who will claim his third matchplay title.

Mar

Another WGC quickly follows and not for the first time Tiger Woods will tame the Blue Monster at Doral and win the Cadillac Championship.

Last years European Rookie of the year Matteo Mannasaro will delight the home crowd and win the new Sicilian Open before another young superstar Rory McIlroy claims his first win of the year in the Open de Andalucia.

Ernie Els will defend his Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill before Phil Mickelson warms up for his Masters defence and wins the Shell Houston Open.

Apr

The first major of the year will provide us as always with the drama that Augusta brings. I honestly believe that Lee Westwood will end his major drought and claim the green jacket.

The European Tour heads out to Asia for three tournaments. Alvaro Quiros wins in Malaysia before Rhys Davis claims the China Open. To finish Graeme McDowell will delight his sponsors in the Ballantines Championship in South Korea.

Jeff Overton will win at Harbour Town at take the Heritage title.

May

Retief Goosen will become the second South African in a number of years to win the Players Championship at Sawgrass after Tim Clark’s win last year.

Anthony Kim will again be denied in the Volvo World Matchplay this time being beaten in the final by Paul Casey.

June

Justin Rose will battle to the death to defend his Memorial crown at Muirfield Village but he will get pipped to the post by Bubba Watson.

There’s more drama at Celtic Manor this time in the Welsh Open. Robert Karlsson wins in a playoff against Edoardo Molinari.

Attentions then turn to the second major of the year, the US Open at the Congressional Country Club. The US Open is always a tricky one to predict, McDowell proved that last year. Ernie Els won the last time the course hosted a major but this time round I am going for another European winner and it will be Martin Kaymer to win his second major.

Rickie Fowler ends the month by winning the Travellers Championship by one stroke ahead of Jim Furyk.

Jul

In a big month for the European Tour, Spaniard Pablo Martin unexpectedly wins the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond. Ross Fisher then defends his Irish Open title.

Sandwiched in between those is the small matter of the Open Championship at Royal St Georges. Tiger Woods will reign supreme on the South coast to win his first major in over two years.

On the PGA Tour Steve Stricker defends his John Dere Classic title in front of his home fans.

Aug

Hunter Mahan starts the month with a win in Ohio and claims the Bridgstone Invitational before the world’s top players compete for the final major of the year. Last year I predicted a European winner but I’ve got a feeling that it will be an American that will triumph this year at the Atlanta Athletic club. I’m going for Zach Johnson to win the US PGA championship.

Adam Scott will win at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles while Robert Allenby makes it an Australian double across the Atlantic winning the regular season ending Wyndham Championship.

Sep

The Fed-Ex cup takes over the PGA Tour this month and the race is still wide open. Tiger woods increases his chances of the title by winning at the Barclays not before the ever steady Steve Stricker regains his lead by winning the Deutsche Bank Championship. Phil Mickelson caps off a relatively quiet season by winning the BMW Championship at Cog Hill. Four players are still in with a shout come the season ending Tour Championship but Dustin Johnson is not one of them as he is victorious at East Leake golf and country club. A third place finish is good enough for Steve Stricker to be crowned the new Fed-Ex Cup champion.

In Europe Miguel Angel Jimenez will win in the Swiss mountains and retain his Omega European Masters title.

Young Danny Willett will then win the KLM Open before Lee Westwood extends his lead at the top of the Race to Dubai when he claims the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Oct

Westwood is then at it again and wins the Portugal Masters before Pablo Larrazabal wins the Andalucian Masters.

Nov

With just a couple of big events left Graeme McDowell wins the last WGC event in China before Ian Poulter makes it a European double with a win at the Barclays Singapore Open.

So that concludes my look at this year’s golf calendar. Why don’t you have a go yourself and see how you get on.