They have already proved to be six-shooters in the Major Championship arena and now, heading to the US PGA Championship in Georgia, the pride of The European Tour have their sights set on becoming The Magnificent Seven.
Since Graeme McDowell triumphed in the US Open Championship at Pebble Beach 15 months ago, it has been a joyous six-win journey for European Tour Members.
Following McDowell was Louis Oosthuizen’s remarkable seven shot Open triumph at St Andrews before Martin Kaymer made it three in a row when he emerged from a play-off at Whistling Straits with the US PGA Championship in his grasp and the German will proudly defend the title this week at the Atlanta Athletic Club.
“The confidence you get from winning a Major Championship is world class and there is nothing you can really compare it to,” said Kaymer. “There is no-one that could beat you in one of the biggest tournaments of the year and that gives you so much satisfaction.
“You put in so much work into your game over the years and you sacrifice a lot too but when you manage to succeed by winning a Major Championship that is the payback you get and is the reason why I will go to Atlanta with a lot of confidence.”
Into this season and Oosthuizen’s fellow South African Charl Schwartzel was next to step up to the mark, becoming the first man in the illustrious history of the Masters Tournament to birdie the last four holes at Augusta National to claim the Green Jacket.
McDowell’s fellow Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy ensured a Major high five for the European Tour with a truly stunning eight shot victory in the US Open at Congressional in June, conclusively announcing his arrival at world golf’s top table, before another Ulsterman, Darren Clarke, made it six of the best with his fantastic Open Championship triumph at Royal St George’s.
All six men mentioned above will be at the forefront of the quest for the Wannamaker Trophy, which aside from Kaymer, has also had European hands on it recently in the shape of Ireland’s Padraig Harrington following his victory at Oakland Hills in 2008.
Harrington will be back to try and claim his fourth Major title but it says everything about the rude health of European Tour golf as a whole that the illustrious group of players mentioned above will not even be the ones topping the Official World Golf Ranking heading into the steamy Georgian heat.
That honour goes to the English duo of Luke Donald and Lee Westwood who have quite simply been the two most consistent and successful golfers of the year and proved so again last week when both finished in the top ten in the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club, Donald closing with a 66 to finish tied second, while Westwood went one better with a 65 to share ninth.
Westwood was the man who initially ended Tiger Woods’ reign as World Number One last October and, despite since being overtaken in that spot by Donald, has shown his game is in exceedingly fine fettle with back to back victories in Indonesia and Korea this year.
Donald, however, has had a season to relish with victories in both the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club and the Barclays Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, as well as claiming the WGC – Accenture Match Play in Arizona.
“There is more expectation and more pressure at Majors,” he said. “Those are the tournaments you want to win, especially being ranked number one in the world and I think there is some expectancy from the media as well.
“You do try and treat it like any other event and just go about your business of what you can control and keep doing what you know you can do. Hopefully, if you do that, you will give yourself opportunities and if you are lucky, you’ll be able to take them.”
