2017 sets up nicely for McIlroy
No. 1 ranking, two major wins possible
Time for our fearless predictions for golf in 2017.
At the end, there will be a new man at the top. All things significant tend to spin off Tiger Woods in some fashion.
The latest example is the Official World Golf Rankings. From 1998 to 2009, Woods dominated the rankings, ending the year as the No. 1 golfer 11 of 12 times.
But since his personal issues exploded in late 2009, it’s been a revolving door at the top. A different player has ended the year at No. 1 six of the last seven times: Lee Westwood (2010), Luke Donald (2011), Rory McIlroy (2012), Woods (2013), McIlroy (2014), Jordan Spieth (2015) and Jason Day (2016).
This isn’t too fearless, but I believe McIlroy will again ascend to the top. I know, he’s right there at No. 2, but the edgy side McIlroy exhibited in the Ryder Cup shows he’s entering a new phase of his life that includes marriage.
The wee Northern Irish lad has grown into quite a man, even if he has a “pea head” as he described himself on Twitter.
Woods, meantime, improved to No. 652, climbing 248 spots, simply by playing in his first tournament in 15 months. He should crack the top 75 by the fall, with a couple of near-misses at Bay Hill and Memorial. LPGA GETS EVEN YOUNGER There’s a reason the LPGA tour offers courtesy cars to its best players — they’re not old enough to rent cars.
One of the most amazing statistics in recent sports is that the average age of winners on last year’s LPGA tour was 23.
Twenty-three! There are college teams almost as old.
That’s what happens when Ariya Jutanugarn, 21, wins five times and Lydia Ko, 19, wins four times in a season, as they did in 2016.
Four teenagers and a host of 20-somethings made it through Q school, so the LPGA is keeping it fresh.
One thing will change in ’17, though: After a year in which only two Americans won on the LPGA last year, expect the USA to have a resurgence in this Solheim Cup season.
We’re looking at you, Stacy Lewis, Mor- gan Pressel and Paula Creamer. LANGER DOMINATES CHAMPIONS WITH CANE OK, we’re kidding on that one. Slightly.
At 59, and with a new putting stroke, Bernhard Langer continued to rule the full-belly circuit in 2016. He won four titles, including a pair of majors, to clinch his third consecutive Charles Schwab Cup Championship and his eighth money title in the last nine years.
Langer was almost robot-like, finishing in the top 10 in 18 of 21 starts with his worst finish a tie for 13th.
Now the scary part: Langer insists he can play better.
“My main goal is to still improve; I really feel I can,” he said. “My technique and ball striking can get better and so can my putting. If I can just slightly improve, my scoring average will come down and I will win more majors and tournaments.”
THE MEN’S MAJOR CHAMPIONS
The Masters: Bubba Watson will win his third green jacket.
“They should call it Bubba Watson Country Club,” Kenny Perry once said, referring to how the long-hitting lefty’s game and creativity are a perfect fit for Augusta National.
Love to see how that pink or limegreen Volvik ball looks among the azaleas and dogwoods. U.S. Open: Only once in the last six years has the U.S. Open champ been ranked outside the top 15.
It won’t happen this time, either. McIlroy wins at Erin Hills, a Wisconsin public course than can stretch to almost 8,000 yards.
British Open: Royal Birkdale favors ball strikers, not putters. Westwood finally gets his major.
PGA Championship: McIlroy solidifies his Player of the Year Award by winning a second major.