A definite changing of the guard is taking place in the professional golf ranks and evidence of it should be on full display at the 2011 British Open. If the 2010 PGA Tour rankings offer any indication, a new generation of PGA stars is emerging.
Lee Westwood appears to be an obvious favorite to win it all at Royal St. George’s. Westwood placed third at the British Open two years ago and finished as runner-up last summer. He also finished second at the 2010 Masters. Westwood overtook Tiger Woods as the world’s No.1 ranked golfer last October and spent 17 weeks atop the list. He is the only golfer to hold a no. 1 ranking without winning a major. Westwood ranks 10th all time on the European Tour with 20 victories.
His biggest challenge could come from Martin Kaymer, a German golfer who currently ranks No. 1 in the world after taking over the top spot in late February. Kaymer claimed his first major PGA title when he won the 2010 PGA Championship. He finished regulation tied at 11-under par with Bubba Watson and defeated Watson in a three-hole playoff to win the tournament. Kaymer has earned three other top 10 finishes in his last five majors.
Besides Westwood and Kaymer, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson can always be considered realistic contenders to claim the Open Championship. There will be no discount golf on hand at this year’s Open Championship; only the highest quality will be on display.
Mickelson defeated Westwood by three strokes to win the 2010 Masters. He is a three-time Masters champion and also won at the PGA Championship in 2005. For his career he has accumulated 17 top 5 finishes in the four majors. His best showing at the British Open came in 2004, when Mickelson came in third for his only top 10 finish in that major.

Woods ranks third all-time in both PGA Tour victories (71) and European Tour victories (38). A rough year in 2010 dropped him from the No. 1 spot in the world rankings. But Woods can get it done at the British Open. Three of his 14 victories in the majors have come in the United Kingdom and he has posted four other top 10 finishes.
An unheralded winner could come out of nowhere, however, given what happened the last time the British Open was played at Royal St. George’s in 2003. That year, Ben Curtis shocked the field when he shot a final round 69 to claim his first major title.
Royal St. George’s has hosted 14 Open Championships during its history. The course has developed a reputation for being a rugged one to manage with deep fairways winding through thick rough and imposing sand dunes. Even the best golfers have a tough time staying under par on this course.


