Trying to predict who is going to emerge victorious from the Atlanta Athletic Clubhouse this Sunday (or later, you never know) was like guessing on which color - or color scheme - Dennis Rodman was going to run out onto the United Center court for the Bulls way back when. I actually had a running, game-by-game bet with a few people back then but I had absolutely no success in getting neither the colors nor the schemes correct.
PGA Up For Grabs
In other words, I haven't a clue who is going to grab the Wanamaker Trophy this weekend (or later; again, you never know). Assorted pundits are of the opinion that Adam Scott, who is coming off of an impressive four-shot victory at Firestone, is a good bet to garner his first major championship win. These same savants believe Scott, at 31, is long overdue for garnering his first big win, and this weekend will serve as his true breakout performance.
Besides, Scott now has the self-professed super caddie guiding him, that being Steve Williams. I agree with Scott and others that believe a good caddie can shave a stroke or two off of your scorecard per tournament, maybe even per round. But they can't win you a tournament, let alone a major one. There are simply too many variables at play in any golf tournament, whether they are three, four or even five days in duration.
Scott Has A Tall Order
The closest to there being a sure thing in golf, up until a couple of years ago, was Tiger Woods. Well, Woods isn't the Woods of old and he will (now, it seems) be the first to tell us that. Nevertheless, I'd be willing to bet that Woods has a better chance of winning this thing than Scott. Why? That's because Woods has customarily proven, on the biggest stages and in the most pressure-packed situations, he can come out on top. Scott has not.
What about Rory McIlroy, the newly ordained next superstar of golf? Since his dominating performance at the U.S. Open, he has faltered a bit, although he did shoot quite well last weekend in Akron. So maybe McIlroy gets his second major and first PGA Championship this weekend? Or maybe Ian Poulter, a highly regarded golfer in his own right but not necessarily deemed an upper echelon PGA player, will come out of virtually nowhere to pull it off?
I could throw out a tee-box full of names and provide ample reasons as to why each player has a legitimate shot to ultimately top the leaderboard. Without Woods' formerly inordinate skills routinely on display, there isn't what you and I would call a sure thing in golf these days. It's too wide-open nowadays and I am kind of liking it.
