One year ago, American golfers were mired in their longest major title drought, Darren Clarke’s victory at the 2011 British Open becoming the sixth major crown in a row to escape US clutches.
Northern Ireland’s Clarke, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, Germany’s Martin Kaymer and South Africans Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen had kept the majors outside US grasp since Phil Mickelson’s 2010 Masters triumph.
But now the tide has turned in a major way.
Keegan Bradley ended the American drought by capturing last year’s PGA Championship, countryman Bubba Watson won the Masters last April and Webb Simpson claimed the US Open last month — all of them first-time major winners.
If the Claret Jug falls into American hands, as it has only once in the past five years, then US golfers will own all four major titles for the first time since 2004.
Mickelson won the first of his three green jackets at the 2004 Masters to complete a run of four major titles in a row by Americans, capping a streak that began with Jim Furyk at the 2003 US Open and included victories by Ben Curtis at the 2003 British Open and Shaun Micheel at the 2003 PGA Championship.
And an American winner next week at Royal Lytham also would open the way for US golfers to complete a sweep of the calendar year’s four major titles at next month’s PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.
That has not happened since 1982, when Craig Stadler won the Masters, Tom Watson won the US and British Opens and Raymond Floyd took the PGA Championship.
And there is always Tiger Woods, a 14-time major champion chasing the record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus. He has won three US PGA titles this year, the most recent this month, and could capture his first major since 2008.
“One of my thoughts on the back nine was I don’t know how Tiger has won 14 of these things, because of the pressure,” Simpson said after his US Open triumph. “I couldn’t feel my legs most of the back nine. It grew my respect for Tiger all the more.”
Simpson will skip the British Open to be with his wife when she gives birth to their second child and Australian Jason Day, ranked 21st in the world, will stay home to be with his newborn son.
But while Simpson cites Woods as an inspiration to a young generation of talented golfers, he also noted that Bradley’s victory at last year’s PGA gave many US players a sense that if Bradley could capture a major so could they.
“If I see Keegan Bradley win a major, I respect his game a ton, but I feel like, Keegan Bradley won one, I want to go win one,” Simpson said. “All these guys that won before me, I played with these guys all my life. I want to win.
“Everybody is so competitive in this world that we just kind of feed off of each other.”
There have been 15 different winners in the past 15 majors and the past nine majors in a row have gone to first-time major champions, a good omen for a stellar group, including Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, seeking a major breakthrough.
England’s Justin Rose, ranked ninth, and Australian Adam Scott, ranked 12th, have shined at times this season and seek their first major triumphs as well.
There are, however, some Americans in the fight as well who have yet to claim a major.
Jason Dufner, ranked seventh, has two victories this year and was the nearly-man at last year’s PGA Championship, collapsing late to hand Bradley the victory.
Matt Kuchar ranks eighth and Hunter Mahan 10th and either could figure into the drama at Lytham before the pot bunkers claim their final victim, as might Steve Stricker, the World No. 13 who at 45 knows his chances are running out.
