2014: 10 Most Disappointing Players

Nick Bonfield looks at the 10 players that he thinks have disappointed the most so far this season in 2014.

Padraig Harrington

I know it's been said many times before, but I simply can't fathom why someone who enjoyed so much success felt the need to completely change their game. Padraig Harrington is the most prolific European major winner of the modern generation, but he's been woefully out of sorts for a significant period of time. Since his last major victory at the 2009 PGA Championship he's tumbled down the world rankings at a rate of knots to his current position: 214th. For a four-time major champion, that signals a devastating lack of form. Just last week he failed to qualify for the US Open, and spoke with an air of resignation - something you seldom seem from the Irishman - in his post-round interview with Sky's James Haddock. 

Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson has been decidedly out of sorts this season. Mickelson - who has won at least once on tour every year since 2003 - has really struggled and, concerningly, with different aspects of his game each week. His driving has been extremely erratic and his putting hasn't been good enough to compensate. Indeed, he currently ranks outside the top 100 in Total Driving and Strokes Gained: Putting - a combination that simply isn't going to yield positive results. As a consequence, he hasn't recorded a single top 10 all season. Still, golf is a funny and unpredictable game, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him capture the title that's evaded him for so long in the US Open at Pinehurst in two weeks.

Nicolas Colsaerts

The 'Belgian Bomber' made an inspired debut at the Ryder Cup, and everyone, myself included, thought he'd really push on after that experience. He has, however, failed to record a victory since the Miracle at Medinah. This season, he hasn't recorded a top 10 on the PGA Tour, ranking 187th in Total Driving - a remarkably poor statistic given his enormous length off the tee - and 167th in the All-Around ranking. Perhaps I'm being unkind given he finished second at the Maybank Malaysian Open, but I'm not sure the two-tour approach is working. I'd much rather see him concentrate on one circuit, because his form has dipped since he started playing on the PGA Tour in 2013. 

Geoff Ogilvy

It's always disappointing to see players with major-winning pedigree spending an extended period of time in the golfing doldrums, but that's exactly what's happening to Geoff Ogilvy. Sometimes you just have to accept that someone was at the peak of their powers for a period of time, and returning to such lofty heights isn't a likely eventuality. Ogilvy won three World Golf Championships between 2006 and 2009 and claimed the US Open in 2006, but his last win on the PGA Tour came more than four years ago - the SBS Championship in 2010. I'd love to see him come back to form, because he's a very gifted player and one of the most graceful golfers in the game, but I'm not convinced we'll see the 36-year-old inside the world's top 20 again. 

Brandt Snedeker

Brandt Snedeker struggled with injury in the early part of the year and he really hasn't found his feet since then. Perhaps it's a psychological thing facilitated by the nature of his niggly injuries, but, either way, his inauspicious form has been rather unexpected. He's 147th in the All-Around ranking and 56th in Strokes Gained: Putting, the foundation of his game. I do expect to see Snedeker starting to challenge over the summer months - he's too good a player not to find a spark at some stage in the near future - but a season without any top 10s at this point represents  a huge disappointment for someone of his caliber. 

Matteo Manassero

Matteo Manassero is a fine young player who really hasn't garnered sufficient praise for his incredible achievements in his professional career, but there's no doubting he's going through difficult period. His stats really don't make for encouraging reading for Manassero fans. This year, he's 193rd on the Race to Dubai and ranks 120th in Driving Accuracy - normally his strong suit - 173rd in Driving Distance, 175th in Greens in Regulation and 128th in Putts Per GIR. More concerningly, he hasn't recorded a top 10 on the European Tour since the 2013 Nordea Masters - almost a year ago. I've no doubt it's just a temporary lull, but it's still difficult to account for.  

Branden Grace

Branden Grace made an emphatic start to life on the European Tour, but it's been a real struggle in recent times. There might be some substance to the argument that winning so frequently so early led to inflated expectation levels and increased pressure - both internally and externally - as a result. He won four times in his maiden European Tour season - including a play-off victory over idols Ernie Els and Retief Goosen early in the year - but he's recorded just one strokeplay top 10, a play-off loss to Phil Mickelson at the 2013 Aberdeen Asset Scottish Open, in the last 17 months.  

Thorbjorn Olesen

It would be fair to say Thorbjorn Olesen hasn't quite lived up to expectation levels formed after an impressive debut season on the European Tour. I remain convinced that once he finds the winning formula he'll be a prolific winner, but he needs to find a way of getting over the line more often. Perhaps I'm being unkind to the Dane give he's notched two top-5 finishes this year; I just really want to see him win the tournaments his talent dictates he must.

Peter Hanson

Peter Hanson has been one of the most consistent performers on the European Tour over the last few years, so his indifferent form this season does come as a surprise. Again, it could be the case that dedicating all his time to one tour is the way to go. This year he's plied his trade on both circuits and failed to breach the top 10 on either.

Nick Watney

With so much emerging American talent on the PGA Tour, Nick Watney has almost become a forgotten man. I honestly can't remember the last time I saw him hit a live golf shot on television, a product of his poor recent form. Watney's golf swing is one of the most aesthetically pleasing in the world game and he's tutored by arguably the best coach of the modern generation, Butch Harmon, but the two of them are having difficulty finding  the right formula at the moment. Watney's best finish this year was a tie for 24th at the Honda Classic and he's missed his last three cuts, falling out of the world's top 50 as a consequence.

Photo Credit: TourProGolfClubs.com

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