For most, the new year is about setting resolutions that will change their lives.
Here at Golfweek, our lives are all about golf. So we all took a moment to make one prediction, plus weigh in on Tiger's chances of winning in 2011.
Jeff Babineau, Vice President, Editor
An Englishman will win a major in 2011, but — surprise! — it won't be Lee Westwood.
Tiger victories: 3
Jim McCabe, Senior Writer
Ian Poulter will send out more tweets in the first week of January than Tiger Woods will for the entire year. Oh, and Americans will win three majors.
Tiger victories: 2
Beth Ann Baldry, Senior Writer
Jiyai Shin will separate herself as a dominant World No. 1. The Final-round Queen should come back healthy and rested in 2011. Her strong mind, precise iron play, and Duluth, Ga., home will give her the tools necessary to succeed in America.
Tiger victories: 3 (including a major)
Ron Balicki, Senior Writer
Daniel Summerhays will be the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2011. He earned his first PGA Tour card by finishing fifth this season on the Nationwide Tour money list and did so without winning a tournament. He's saving his wins for the PGA Tour.
Tiger victories: Three, with one of those victories being a major championship (Masters).
Alistair Tait, Senior Writer
Building on the success of fellow Europeans Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer in the majors last year, Lee Westwood finally gets his hands on a major trophy in 2011 to justify his World No. 1 status.
Tiger victories: 1
Adam Schupak, Senior Writer
“Competitive golf is played on a five-and-a-half-inch course, the space between your ears.” Bobby Jones said it. I just believe it. I don’t believe instructor Hank Haney was responsible for Tiger not winning in 2010. It wasn’t his swing. It was what he was going through off the course that weighed him down. Tiger still has a lot of baggage for the overhead compartment. He might have to check some of it at the gate. So I'm less concerned with his swing change than how he adjusts to his new life as a divorced father of two. That's hard to decipher, especially when he is less than forthcoming.
Tiger victories: I think he overcomes some of his off-course adversity and wins three times, including one major. Eighteen, here we come!
James Achenbach, Associate Editor, Equipment
Tiger Woods hints at retirement for the sake of his kids and a more solemn life ... Tiger Woods publicly renounces any quest to catch Jack Nicklaus and his 18 majors ... Tiger Woods becomes the poster boy for inconsistent putting ... Tiger Woods becomes Arnold Palmer, switching putters countless times ... driver shafts dip below the 40-gram barrier as golf enters a new featherweight phase ... the USGA promotes the popular Mike Davis from senior director of rules and competitions to executive director, replacing David Fay ... the number of golfers in the United States is in decline, forcing golf course owners to implement new strategies such as dividing their courses into three six-hole loops ... the USGA decides to allow the posting of scores for six- and 12-hole rounds ... as talk of 8,000-yard golf courses continues to escalate, the USGA announces a new phase in its research to replace the modern golf ball with a shorter ball with more spin.
Tiger victories: Zero on any major tour.
Jeff Rude, Senior Writer
Lee Westwood will win a major championship and end the season No. 1 in the world.
Tiger victories: 3
Alex Miceli, Contributing writer, PGA Tour
• Lee Westwood will win a major.
• A golf company will acquire or be acquired by another major golf company.
• U.S. women will make a decided comeback on the LPGA, with at least one major win.
• Tiger will not win a major in 2011.
• Greg Norman's Presidents Cup team will win in Australia.
• The U.S. will win the Walker Cup at Royal Aberdeen.
• Kenny Perry will win a Champions Tour major.
• Phil Mickelson will win the U.S. Open at Congressional.
• The PGA Tour will get a deal done with the TV networks that will have no increases in the rights fee.
Tiger victories: 2
Sean Martin, Staff Writer
Dustin Johnson will be PGA Tour player of the year. Johnson will learn from his missteps at two majors, but won’t be scarred by them. Combine his strong mental game with his impressive physical capabilities, and you have a recipe for success.
Tiger victories: 2
Bradley S. Klein, Senior Writer
Despite modest economic recovery nationally, the golf course market will continue to show signs of slowing down, with no uptick in new course development and the round count holding steady if not declining slightly.
Tiger victories: Tiger will win two relatively non-consequential events in 2011, and it will feed a raging media debate as to whether he's back ("he's won twice") or he's not ("no majors").
Gene Yasuda, Deputy Editor, Business & Multimedia
Following his debacle at the PGA Championship, Dustin Johnson showed he has as much resolve as he does length off the tee. That will earn Johnson a major in '11.
Tiger victories: 3, including a major for him, too.
Marty Kaufmann, Managing Editor, The Golf Life
Michelle Wie will win six times on the LPGA in 2011, including two majors (Kraft and LPGA Championship). The final rounds of those two majors will draw higher TV ratings than the competing PGA Tour events in Houston and Connecticut, enticing second-tier PGA Tour events to consider once again offering Wie sponsor exemptions.
Tiger victories: 2. His form is improved, but his aura is diminished.
Ryan Lavner, Assistant Editor, Golfweek.com
The Oklahoma State men’s golf team will NOT win the 2011 NCAA Championship, despite having a significant home-course advantage (Karsten Creek), a wealth of postseason knowledge to draw upon (NCAA finalists in 2010) and arguably the best amateur player on the planet (junior Peter Uihlein).
Tiger victories: 4, including the PGA in Atlanta.
Julie Williams, Assistant Editor, Golfweek.com
Lexi Thompson will win an LPGA event.
Tiger victories: 2 (neither of those will be majors)
D.J. Piehowski, Assistant Editor, Golfweek.com
Phil Mickelson will go winless in 2011. Since Lefty spent U.S. Open week sprawled out on his couch – a product of his psoriatic arthritis – he just hasn’t looked the same. Apart from a final-round 67 at the PGA Championship and a 4-and-2 win at the Ryder Cup, the highlight reel was slim for the second half of his 2010 season.
Tiger victories: 4. After a storybook win at the Masters, Tiger wins three more on comfortable tracks.
Steve Harmon, Deputy Editor, Content Development
European dominance? That's so 2010. Our Yanks are much more than a one-man band, and they'll reclaim their rightful spot atop golf in 2011.
Tiger victories: 2010 signaled one certainty: An end to the aura. He's still searching, and that quest will continue through a winless 2011.
Asher Wildman, On-air talent/producer
USA will win the Walker Cup. Forget the fact this year’s Walker Cup is across the pond. This year’s team will be stacked and nearly as talented as the 2007 team that won at Royal County Down. This year’s team most likely will feature Peter Uihlein, Scott Langley, David Chung, Bud Cauley and Russell Henley. Captain Jim Holtgrieve will have some pressure to win after Buddy Marucci won back-to-back Walker Cups for the U.S. In the end, the Americans should be loaded with talent and ready to hoist the Walker Cup once again on GB&I soil.
Tiger victories: 2
Lance Ringler
In men's college golf, Oklahoma State will again be the top team after 54 holes of stroke play but will lose somewhere along the way in match play.
Tiger victories: 3
Craig Horan, Managing Editor
Laura Davies, coming off five victories on the Ladies European Tour in 2010, will win twice on the LPGA to earn her spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame. The perfect scenario: Victory at the Wegmans LPGA Championship in Rochester, N.Y., site of her last LPGA triumph in 2001.
Tiger victories: 5, including one major.
Nick Masuda, Director of Digital Content & Innovation, Golfweek.com
Tiger will win at least 2 majors, winning the Masters running away from everyone. The momentum will not stop there, as he will reclaim the No. 1 ranking by April.
Tiger victories: 6
Kevin Adams, Assistant Managing Editor
Alexis Thompson wins on the LPGA.
Tiger victories: 3
Jared Clemons, Videographer
Oklahoma State will be upset yet again in the NCAA Championship finals.
Tiger victories: 4
Ryan Gordon, Senior Web developer, Golfweek.com
Young amateurs will win events (but not majors) next year on both the LPGA and PGA Tour.
Tiger victories: 4 (if he keeps a light load) or 6 (if he thinks he has something to prove and enters lots of events)
