Opinion & Analysis

Six Bold Predictions for 2015

Published

11 years ago

Jan 3, 2015

There were some memorable, forgettable and downright soap opera-ish events in the golfing world in 2014.

Golf is notoriously difficult to predict, but I will go all out—offering some brazen thoughts for 2015. We’ll see how stupid these statements make me look by season’s end, but for now, here are some unbridled predictions about professional golf in 2015.

Nick Watney and Scott Piercy will be breakout players in 2015

Few talk about Watney anymore even though he is just four years removed from a stellar two-win, 10 top-10 season that netted him fourth place on the PGA Tour’s strokes gained category.

He massively struggled for most of 2014, but he really showed signs of form down the stretch. At 34, he’s also still in the midst of his prime, and that 2011 season was just too good to sleep on Watney. I feel his form returns in a big way in 2015.

Piercy was out five months in 2014 and enters this year on a Major Medical Extension. The 36-year-old, while not recognized among casual fans, is a two-time PGA Tour winner who’s firmly in the long bomber category. He’s not very consistent, but his talent is top-flight, and that makes his potential high-end performances something to salivate over.

The inconsistency will continue, but I’m betting on Piercy channeling his best more often and winning multiple times on the PGA Tour in 2015. His long-driving, high-ball, strong-putting trio is perfect for the Masters, so if he can somehow qualify again for Augusta this season, he’s an excellent darkhorse candidate there.

Michelle Wie wins two majors, Lydia Ko wins zero

I think Wie really lets it loose in 2015. The formerly named Kraft Nabisco will finally fall into her hands, and Wie will capture one of the final four majors to add to her total.

As for Ko, her rookie season was electric with three wins and the Race for the CME Globe crown.

But Ko was only one-for-five when she contended in a major on Sunday in 2014. She’ll also be devoting time with her studies at Korea University, a significant distraction from her golf game.

The 17-year-old will no doubt remain among the game’s elite in 2015, but a major victory just won’t factor in quite yet— partially due to her obligations and inexperience, but also a result of timing and chance.

Joost Luiten becomes a household name in the U.S.

If you’re American and do not pay attention to the golf played in Europe, please educate yourself to this name!

Luiten is a European Tour mainstay whose profile has risen quickly in the last two years. As recently as June 2013, the Dutchman was 137th world golf rankings, before winning twice in Europe as part of an eight top-10 campaign. His new top-50 ranking allowed him into all of golf’s majors and WGCs for the first time, and he produced a stellar one-win, nine top-10 follow-up season to put his world ranking at No. 29 for the moment.

The 28-year-old has the excellent results and the endorsement of Paul McGinley as a future Ryder Cup star and mainstay, but attention in the U.S. still eludes him.

While he’ll remain on the European Tour in 2015—where most American fans hardly notice anything—he’s in good standing to qualify for all majors and WGCs once again, and that is where he will make his splash.

Will he win a major or WGC in 2015? I’m not too confident in that, but I wouldn’t put it past him. At the very least though, he will contend in multiple big events and see his recognition rise on the other side of the pond.

Brooks Koepka Struggles in First Full Year on PGA Tour

This 24-year-old American is the golden boy for those prognosticating a breakout young superstar in 2015, and I don’t necessarily disagree on Koepka’s long-term potential.

The hype is understandable. Koepka was a three-time All-American at Florida State who built his infant pro career with three wins on the European Challenge Tour in 2013 and a one-win, seven top-10 campaign on a PGA Tour/European Tour combo path in 2014.

Now he’s an experienced, successful professional with all of the talent in the world entering into a full PGA Tour membership. The signs are there, but golf usually isn’t too smooth, even for the ultra-skilled.

Just recently, Koepka’s buddy Peter Uihlein, a former World No. 1 amateur, produced a promising one-win, eight top-10 season in 2013, and while he fought injuries at times this past year, he only managed a two top-10 season in 2014 that included a six consecutive missed cuts at one point.

That’s just one example of the fact that many talent-heavy youngsters do experience regression at certain points in the early parts of their career. Koepka had a good start in the wraparound fall, but with him transitioning full time to the tougher fields on the world’s toughest tour, that short-term drop-off appears primed for 2015.

The Rise of Italy

Matteo Manassero really faltered in 2014, but I mostly chalk that up to the young career regressions I mentioned with Koepka (a huge equipment change and focus on altering his swing for power didn’t help Manassero either).

He’ll be in for a rebound season, and at least one of the Molinari brothers will be in for a career-best campaign.

Three other Italians join them on the European Tour—one of them a 17-year-old—and that trio will produce enough excitement that, along with the strong chorus from Manassero and a Molinari, Italy will make itself a boisterous force in the game in 2015.

Tiger Woods wins major No. 15

OK, not a wild belief.

Going back to his last measurable season in 2013, the 39-year-old won five times, including victories at the Players Championship and two WGCs, was the world’s best golfer and may or may not have been a pin rattling away from winning the Masters.

Still, there is no guarantee he is that man in 2015. Woods has also been major-less for 6.5 years now, and some have pondered whether this drought is leaving him mentally stilted down the stretch of majors.

Woods remains too talented though to be stuck on 14 majors for much longer. The year’s first three courses profile well for his game (and the fourth one does too, the results just haven’t been there), and the American has been close in majors several times since his last triumph in 2008. The winless streak falls in 2015.

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Kevin Casey

Kevin's fascination with the game goes back as long as he can remember. He has written about the sport on the junior, college and professional levels and hopes to cover its proceedings in some capacity for as long as possible. His main area of expertise is the PGA Tour, which is his primary focus for GolfWRX. Kevin is currently a student at Northwestern University, but he will be out into the workforce soon enough. You can find his golf tidbits and other sports-related babble on Twitter @KevinCasey19. GolfWRX Writer of the Month: September 2014

24 Comments

RG

Feb 1, 2015 at 6:09 pm

Predictions looking great 3 weeks in….
Tiger can’t play, Koepka wins straight off and Manassero can’t make a cut.
Just waiting for Lydia Ko to win the first major of the year….. Could you predict anyone else to fail? I’ll bet on them next week!

Reply Report comment
Jafar

Jan 5, 2015 at 11:23 am

No way,

Lydia Ko wins two majors, Brooks Koepka wins one as well.

Tiger finally competes in a major…

Reply Report comment
DEVLIN

Jan 5, 2015 at 10:42 am

nice predictions, however you have obviously left out several players that have a better chance at majors…
Rory will win, despite the distractions of the lawsuit.
Bubba Watson will win again, he knows how to now, and his caddie keeps his distractions in check.
Jimmy Walker, gets no respect but know what needs to be done.
Martin Kaymer will win again, probably another major! he fixed the new swing.
Jason Day, needs to get rid of his thoughts on in the final round but should do it this year.
Finally, the dark horse for me should be Patrick Reed, he wants to win so badly that its getting in his way…maybe after his wife calms him down…once the baby routine settles down. HE needs to find a good caddy!

Reply Report comment
herman

Jan 5, 2015 at 12:05 am

How about Sergio winning a major? Best player atm without a major win.

Reply Report comment
- Kevin Casey
  
  Jan 8, 2015 at 10:25 am
  
  I definitely agree with Sergio winning a major: http://www.golfwrx.com/237019/why-sergio-garcia-isnt-going-to-end-his-career-without-a-major/
  
  The reason I don’t put him here is because I personally wouldn’t classify it as a bold prediction. As you said, you could easily call him the best active player without a major, to me it’s not going out on too much of a limb to say that a player who should’ve won a major by now and absolutely has the talent to, will finally get the job done this year.
  
  Regardless, making the prediction that Sergio will win his first major in 2015 is not a bad idea at all.
  
  Reply Report comment
Mccance79

Jan 5, 2015 at 12:01 am

Tiger winning another Major I will be willing to wager that he does not!! My prediction for 2015… Rickie Fowler wins his first Major!!!

Reply Report comment
- brian
  
  Jan 7, 2015 at 1:13 pm
  
  eh I think rickie will in another year but not this year.
  
  Reply Report comment
JHM

Jan 4, 2015 at 8:51 pm

well, at least his game…..

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TigerWho

Jan 4, 2015 at 6:48 pm

No Tiger will win 5 majors this year!!!

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Bladrick_Gets_Bageled

Jan 4, 2015 at 2:46 pm

Pfft. Baldrick isnt gonna win squat……..he’ll muddle through much of the season. He might win 2 on some of his favorite tracks—majors—no way. Look at the Jenkins piece—hes going to have to play like someone not 40 yrs old!
Fowler? Gimme a break. All you ever needed to know about Fowler was that even after his HUGE Puma contract was inked—he still layed up in Arizone on that PAR 5 –failing to win when he had the chance. The commercials say -oh the kid has guts! Really? Guts? His career will be a big orange hat stuffed with $$. He’ll be remembered as one of the first huge golf superstars that didnt win squat—the male equivalent of Anna Kornikova. Big name—plenty of $$—no record.

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leon

Jan 4, 2015 at 1:48 pm

Predictions never come into reality…

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Kyle

Jan 4, 2015 at 10:35 am

And why would tiger retire? Best player to ever play, just got healthy, still makes a ton of money, etc.

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Claude

Jan 4, 2015 at 9:50 am

Tiger Woods will come back like life he needs time and he’ll start to play again, and even if he doesn’t play the pga circuit there’s always the senior one but that’s a way to go yet and retire no don’t think so!

Reply Report comment
- Mr Obvious
  
  Jan 4, 2015 at 9:21 pm
  
  Tiger is not eligible for the Champions tour for another decade. Perhaps Tiger will win one of the 5 places he won in his last healthy year. Maybe the guy knows how to win just a bit.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - brian
    
    Jan 7, 2015 at 1:15 pm
    
    I dont think tiger will play the senior tour. When he cannot compete on the PGA tour he will retire. This is because it is likely that his retirement will be due to injury rather than not being able to compete
    
    Reply Report comment
Ponjo

Jan 4, 2015 at 5:11 am

Stenson wins one of the majors

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No Major for you

Jan 3, 2015 at 9:49 pm

“Woods remains too talented though to be stuck on 14 majors for much longer.

Nah. You could change that sentence with “_____ remains too talented to not win a single major” and call it a day. So many good players without a major.

Reply Report comment
No Major for you

Jan 3, 2015 at 9:47 pm

Eldrick gets injured early from trying out a mad shot and cancels rest of year.

Reply Report comment
- Philip
  
  Jan 3, 2015 at 11:27 pm
  
  Actually there is a lot of truth to this in that he doesn’t accept when to lay up, even if it risks hurting himself. I still think he’ll continue on with the season, but unless his driving becomes quite reliable, his chances of stressing his body to make the shot is still quite high.
  
  Reply Report comment
The dude

Jan 3, 2015 at 8:06 pm

Tigers prediction is the biggest stretch

Reply Report comment
- Kyle
  
  Jan 4, 2015 at 1:00 am
  
  No it isn’t.
  
  Reply Report comment
Gus

Jan 3, 2015 at 7:03 pm

Furyk wins a major, Fowler doesn’t

Reply Report comment
- Forsbrand
  
  Jan 4, 2015 at 5:51 am
  
  Fowler best record in the majors last year. So what, maybe he had his chance and that’s as close as he’ll ever get. Too many people stating he’ll win a major or multiples. It’s like this ridiculous tag “best player not to win major” well, if he was good enough to win one he would have! As for tiger winning, he might win the state lottery ………
  
  Reply Report comment
- John
  
  Jan 5, 2015 at 2:52 pm
  
  Where? US Open is his best bet, and that dog track Chambers will play like a tricked out Open Championship venue.
  
  Reply Report comment

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