General / Paul Krishnamurty / 28 December 2011 /

Can Rory make amends and win the Masters? Will this be the year when Woods dominates again? Or will Lefty eclipse them both? Paul Krishnamurty looks ahead to the four Majors of 2012.

US Masters

When: April 5-8
Venue: Augusta National
Defending Champion: Charl Schwartzel

The early US Masters narrative centres on two men, with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy both trading in single figures already. Despite finishing just 128th on the PGA Tour Money List, Tiger served notice of a return to form with victory on his final 2011 start, and duly resumed his normal position as favourite for a major he's won four times. Whether he remains a shorter price than his successor as the game's principal box office attraction, however, will depend on how their respective form compares throughout the early season. All eyes will be on Rory, after he threw away the Green Jacket in spectacular style last year, having dominated for three days.

It would be wrong to see the Masters as anything like a two man event though, not least because that ignores the massive claims of three-time champion Phil Mickelson. Indeed, Phil is the only winner since 2005 who didn't start the week at odds over [100.00]. One especially notable candidate for 2012 must be last year's runner-up Jason Day, who produced the best debut performance seen at Augusta for several decades.

US Open

When: June 14-17
Venue: Olympic Club, San Francisco
Defending champion: Rory McIlroy

The US Open returns to San Francisco for the first time since 1998, when Lee Janzen won the second of his two titles. Americans have won all four previous US Opens at this venue, which could throw a spanner in European dreams of a third straight victory, after Graeme McDowell and then McIlroy consigned 40 years of failure for our continent to the history books.

Anyone expecting a re-run of McIlroy's record-breaking -16 winning total will probably be disappointed. Janzen's winning total here was level par, and the best previously was three under. Rory's remarkable score owed much to an easier than usual layout, and so long as we don't see more unseasonal wet weather in June, this major should revert to its usual gruelling nature. So expect to see a tournament specialist, just like Janzen or 1987 champ Scott Simpson. Mickelson and Jim Furyk spring to mind as obvious candidates.

British Open

When: July 19-22
Venue: Lytham St Annes
Defending champion: Darren Clarke

Americans have also won the last two Opens held at Royal Lytham; David Duval in 2001 and Tom Lehman in 1996. A better clue for punters, however, is that champions here tend to be of the highest class. Duval was the closest challenger to Tiger Woods at the time, while Lehman's victory was well-deserved considering numerous near misses in the Masters and US Open. Prior to that, the modern-era champions here were Seve Ballesteros (twice), Gary Player and Tony Jacklin.

That trend runs completely contrary to recent Opens, as the shortest priced winner of the last three was Darren Clarke at a pre-tournament [260.00]. Unlikely as it may seem, lightning could very plausibly strike twice as Lytham was the scene of Darren's previous best in his favourite major. Another lesson from the 2001 renewal is that this classic links venue is ideal for trading purposes. The leaderboard is liable to change frequently, with dramatic effect. Duval was seven shots behind at halfway.

PGA Championship
When: August 9-12
Venue: Kiawah Island
Defending champion: Keegan Bradley

Kiawah Island Golf Resort will host it's first ever major at the PGA Championship, although this South Carolina layout has already made a mark on golfing history. This course is best known for hosting the 'War on the Shore' - a particularly acrimonious Ryder Cup renewal, won by the USA in 1991. Given that last year's shock winner, [600.00] chance Keegan Bradley, was barely known beyond the Nationwide Tour 12 months ago, making predictions at this early stage is fraught with difficulty.

Indeed, as the style and character of PGA Championship venues offer fewer consistent clues than the other majors, when the time comes, punters may be best served by considering the layout's creator. Pete Dye is arguably the modern game's greatest course designer, with an eye for the TV audience and its desire for drama and volatile, fast-changing leaderboards. Dye is best known for creating Sawgrass with its infamous dramatic finish, and also designed Whistling Straits, that hosted the two most dramatic recent PGAs in 2004 and 2010. In-running traders will be looking forward to another treat in August.

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