PGA Championship chances: Can Rory McIlroy snag his second of ’11?
We've reached the PGA Championship, the final major of the season. It's the field's last chance for majors glory in 2011. So who's going to take the prize at Atlanta? We'll run down the top players' chances, continuing with current U.S. Open champion.
Rory McIlroy
Current world ranking: 4
So far this year: McIlroy's year is obviously going to be remembered for his win at the U.S. Open, where the youngster lapped the field at Congressional in Tiger-like fashion, but other than that, he hasn't done much. No other wins on either tour, a final-round meltdown at the Masters and an even worse situation at the Open Championship where McIlroy complained about the weather being such a factor in events like the British.
Record at the PGA Championship: Umm, very, very good? McIlroy has played in just two PGA Championships, and has finished tied for third on both of them, missing out on the Bubba Watson-Martin Kaymer playoff a year ago by just a shot.
[Make the PGA Championship more social with the into_now app from Yahoo!]
Why he could win: Because just like everyone else we're writing up, he's one of the top players in the game, and his confidence in these majors has to be sky-high, even after the weekend at Sandwich. I think McIlroy enjoys American golf more than he does play across the pond, and it won't hurt to be young at a golf tournament where the heat seems to be the big storyline heading in. Rory knows that adding to his legacy is his current goal, and if he could notch two majors in a year, he'd really become the talk of the golf world.
Why he could fall short: Because for all the fanfare we've given the kid, he still only has three professional wins in his career, and has yet to be in a bunched up major championship and come out victorious. McIlroy has a ton of game, but when the leaderboard gets jammed up top, it seems to affect him.
Our take: I really like Rory's chances this week, just because it seems he has the confidence and mentality to win multiple majors in a season. Any time you can pair distance with his touch around the greens you have to respect that, and both those things will come in handy at Atlantic Athletic Club. I think another top three is in the books for McIlroy.
Your turn, folks. Is Rory set for a second major?
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
• Tiger Woods' ex-caddie displays shocking lack of class
• NFL makes lockout amends with free jerseys
• Dolphins rookie beat murder charge, gets shot at pros
