NO CLEAR FAVORITE: Tiger’s not playing like Tiger. Phil Mickelson‘s not in top form, either. And Lee Westwood‘s not even here. Those are the world’s top-ranked players … and those are the reasons why the expectations of a breakthrough major winner are so high going into Thursday’s opening round at Whistling Straits.
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“There’s going to be a lot of guys here thinking that it’s the right time for them to break through, and I’m definitely one of those guys,” said Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who captured his first PGA TOUR win earlier this year at the Wells Fargo Championship. “And you can never write the likes of Tiger and Phil off. But I definitely think … (other players have) a better chance coming into this event with those two guys not playing great and Lee obviously not playing.”
England’s Paul Casey said it wouldn’t matter even if Woods and Mickelson were in peak form. The talent level on the PGA TOUR, as well as in Europe, has made things much more equitable.
“Even when you get these guys, Phil and Tiger, playing great golf, we now are at a level where we can compete with them,” Casey said. “Maybe not day-in, day-out, as consistently, but when we are on our best, we can certainly win tournaments when they are in the field.”
Author PGA Tour
