Saturday, December 21, 2013

Adam Scott to take over Tiger Woods as world No. 1 among our 14 predictions for 2014 in golf

4:24 PM

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FOURTEEN predictions for 2014 in golf.

Which one do you think is the closest to the mark and which is way off?

Vote in the poll and leave your comments below.

Add 'em up: Adam Scott will win his second major championship, but this time he'll lift the claret jug at Hoylake on Royal Liverpool, making amends for his two near misses in back-to-back years at the Open.

Hail the chief: The win will make Scott the first Aussie to top the world rankings since Greg Norman handed over the mantle for the 11th and final time in January 1998.

Pass the baton: We waited ages to break through at Augusta National, but Jason Day will make it the shortest possible wait in April when Scott slips the green jacket on to his shoulders in Butler Cabin.

One more time: Karrie Webb will add one last major championship to an already bulging trophy cabinet - her eighth, in a playoff for the US Open. The triumph will come a staggering 15 years after her first.

No-go in Euro: Europe will defend the Ryder Cup it won in such stunning circumstances in Chicago in 2012, toppling the big-name, fast-talking US team again on home soil in Scotland.

Tiger time: The drought and "Is he finished?" debate will finally end when Tiger Woods salutes at the US PGA Championship at Valhalla - a course he won at when it last hosted the tournament in 2000 - for major No.15. But don't hold your breath that he'll reach Jack's 18!



Bear hijacks the Roar: Rory McIlroy will defend his Australian Open title at the Australian Golf Club where Jack Nicklaus will steal the show all week.

Ball tearer: The debate on "slowing" golf balls will rise to prominence when Nicolas Colsaerts and Dustin Johnson drive the 372-yard par four 2nd hole at Royal Liverpool.

Brace for the crash: History - well, Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy in successive years before him - suggest Henrik Stenson will tumble down the pecking order after he won the European Tour's money list and was second to Tiger in the US after a year he'll struggle to repeat.

A true tear-jerker: Jarrod Lyle will make an emotional return to the US PGA Tour late in the season - his return after beating cancer for a second time will spark an outpouring of emotions from the game's biggest names and bring Lyle himself to tears.

Lyds off: Lydia Ko, newly minted New Zealand professional, will charge towards the world's top ranking by winning a major championship shortly after her 17th birthday. The wunderkind will approach the game's summit before year's end.



Amateur hour: Australia's next wave of superstars will continue their rise around the world. Oliver Goss will finish top amateur at Augusta National, with Brady Watt and Ryan Ruffels hot on his heels.

New kids on the block: Speaking of emerging stars, expect a continuation of the rise of young pros Nathan Holman, Jack Wilson and Jin Jeong who all showed a great ability to mix it with the seasoned campaigners in 2013. They hit it a mile and can back their intentions with their actions.

Senior moment: After racking up a truckload of top-10 finishes in his first few years on the US Champions Tour, Peter Senior will finally land the win he so richly deserves - but only on a shorter course where the big hitters (Kenny Perry, Fred Couples, etc) are rendered "normal".

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