General / Editor / 12 February 2007 /

Whisper it quietly, but it is now nearly 11 years since an Englishman won a major championship

While golf fans are acutely aware that it is 29 majors since Paul Lawrie became the last European player to win a Grand Slam event, it is another 15 tournaments since Nick Faldo overhauled Greg Norman's seemingly unassailable seven-shot lead to win the 1996 US Masters by three strokes.

But the signs are promising that the wait could about to come to an end with English golf, arguably, never having been in a healthier state.

With the likes of Luke Donald, Paul Casey and David Howell firmly established in the world's top 20 and players of the calibre of Oliver Fisher emerging all the time, England's next major winner may be waiting just around the corner.

Europe romped to a historic third successive victory in the Ryder Cup at the 'K' Club last year and a cornerstone of their triumph was the four Englishman who were included in Ian Woosnam's team.

Donald, Casey, Howell and Lee Westwood made up a third of the European side and all four recorded wins in the final day singles as Woosnam's men swept to an overwhelming victory.

English golf's glowing health check is confirmed by the world rankings. At the time of the Ryder Cup, there were 13 Englishmen in the top 100 players and this is still very much the case, with 11 players in the top 100 at the time of writing.

So who represents England's best chance of emulating Faldo? Casey, Donald and Howell are the names that immediately spring to mind, with some majors suiting certain players better than others.

It should also be remembered that they have time on their side. Sandy Lyle did not win his first major until he was 27, while Faldo had to wait another three years before recording his first success in one of the big four at the 1987 Open Championship at the age of 30.

The trio have all had their moments at Augusta in recent years. Casey finished sixth in his first US Masters in 2004, Donald tied for third a year later while Howell was well-placed at the halfway stage in 2006 before a disastrous start to his third round cost him any chance of victory.

With Casey's prodigious length off the tee and ability to reel off a string of birdies, his best chance of major glory in 2007 would appear to lie at Augusta, while Donald and Howell's accuracy suggests they will fare best at the US Open and US PGA Championships - where Donald finished third last year after sharing the lead with Tiger Woods at the end of the third round.

But with English golf's strength in depth, it would be no surprise if another player emerged to beat them and add their name to the list of England's major champions.

And heading that group of players would have to be flamboyant Arsenal fan Ian Poulter, who is desperate to make amends after missing out on last year's Ryder Cup.

It wasn't that Poulter played badly in 2006, it was just that his touch on the greens seemed to desert him at crucial moments.

But the 31-year-old still managed four top-ten finishes on the US Tour and his game has been on a dramatic upward curve since he recorded his seventh European Tour success in Madrid last September.

With his putter now working in harness with the rest of his game, the world number 28 will be a force to be reckoned with wherever he plays and he could be a good bet for the majors, especially after finishing ninth and 12th at the US PGA and US Open Championships last year.

Justin Rose seems to have been around the game for years but is still only 26 and, with a new coach on board, believes he is now equipped to challenge the best in the world.

Few players have experienced more of a rollercoaster ride than the amiable Englishman but Rose is convinced that all his experiences, especially on the PGA Tour, have made him a better golfer.

The length of modern-day golf courses is never going to be a problem for Rose and, with improved accuracy and a tougher mental approach, this could be the year he makes his big breakthrough.

Rose led the 2004 US Masters at the halfway stage before falling away and it will be interesting to see what happens now if he finds himself in a similar position.

Nick Dougherty, Faldo's protégé, has flattered to deceive in the last few years but the 24-year-old has the talent and time to reach the top while Anthony Wall has made great strides in recent years.

Wall may not have won a tournament since the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa in 2000, but he has finished in the Order of Merit's top 80 for the last eight years and had his best season ever in 2006 when he came 13th in the final standings.

The 31-year-old tied for eleventh at last year's Open to finish as the leading British player while his impressive performances for Europe at last month's Royal Trophy showed he is improving all the time.

Simon Dyson, ranked 79 in the world, is another player who has made great progress over the last few years after a slow start to his professional career and, with his putting ability and strong mental character, looks set to continue improving this year.

Simon Khan and John Bickerton, one of the most accurate drivers on tour last year, have both proved they are strong enough physically and mentally to win on the European Tour and will be keen to add to those successes.

Ross Fisher proved to himself and the rest of the world than he can match the best by finishing a close fifth behind the likes of Henrik Stenson, Ernie Els and Tiger Woods at this month's Dubai Desert Classic and the golfing world is waiting to see if he can build on his performance.

But perhaps the player everyone should be keeping an eye on is Fisher's namesake - Oliver Fisher.

The 18-year-old has already filled hundreds of newspaper column inches after becoming the youngest player to win a place on the European Tour and his first three months as a professional have more than justified the attention.

Fisher has made all four cuts of the tournaments he has played in - Rose didn't make a cut for 22 tournaments after turning professional at the same age - and finished tied 11th at his last event, the Qatar Masters.

Accurate off the tee, solid around the green and having already displayed a strong nerve mentally to come through the gruelling Tour Qualifying School, Fisher looks to have a bright future ahead of him and is tipped to become the best player England has ever produced. That's some reputation to live up to.

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