The Open 2011: Who are the young Americans?

Published on Friday 8 July 2011 18:27

In the 48 majors from the 1996 US Open to the 2007 Masters a player from the United States was victorious on 34 occasions, a win ratio of 71 per cent.

Since then, Americans have won just five out of 17 - a success rate of 29 per cent.

The dramatic collapse in the form of former world No.1 Tiger Woods has contributed significantly to that change, while America's other standard bearer, Phil Mickelson, has been far from his best.

So who else is providing the US challenge?

DUSTIN JOHNSON

The 26-year-old has probably come closer than most among his contemporaries to making a major breakthrough. However, despite his four PGA Tour victories, his ability to handle pressure remains open to question after two high-profile events last year. Johnson led the 2010 US Open by three shots going into the final round but triple-bogeyed the second hole, double-bogeyed the third and shot a disastrous 82. Two months later, placed second heading into the last round of the US PGA, it appeared Johnson needed a par at the last to win but he bogeyed and then incurred a two-stroke penalty after a review ruled he had grounded his club in a bunker to miss out on even a play-off. His biggest individual win to date was at last year's BMW Championship in the FedEx Cup, where he beat Paul Casey by a stroke. Johnson's record at the Ryder Cup was unimpressive with just one point from four matches, although that was a 6&4 win over Martin Kaymer.

BUBBA WATSON

The 2010 US PGA also provided the long-driving left-hander with his closest sniff of a major. Having made the play-off against Kaymer he led after one hole but dumped his ball in the water at the third and final hole to lose by one to the German. Watson achieved some notoriety at the French Open a fortnight ago when he confessed to homesickness. The poorly-travelled Bubba said he was impressed by the Eiffel Tower but less so by the Arc de Triomphe ("the arch I drove around in a circle") and was relieved to get home. He doesn't plan on too many more jaunts to Europe but is expected to show up at Sandwich.

RICKIE FOWLER

The 22-year-old turned professional in 2009 with an impressive record behind him, having been the No.1-ranked amateur golfer for a total of 36 weeks in the two preceding years and a two-time Walker Cup winner. In only his second pro event he finished tied for second with an 18-under score after losing a play-off. He had two more runners-up finishes last year and was one of Corey Pavin's Ryder Cup wild cards and secured two half points, the second impressively so as he birdied the last four holes against Edoardo Molinari. His best major finish was joint 14th at St Andrews in the Open last year, when a few months later he was controversially named rookie of the year ahead of Rory McIlroy. He is five months older than the Northern Irishman but still some way short of realising his potential in the way McIlroy did to win the US Open.

ANTHONY KIM

Kim, at 26, has long been held up as America's next young gun and three PGA Tour wins in his first four years put him alongside Woods, Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott as the only player to win a trio of titles before the age of 25. His best year to date was 2008 when he won twice and debuted at the Ryder Cup, winning two-and-a-half points, including a devastating 5&4 singles victory over Garcia.At the 2009 Masters Kim set a new record for most birdies in a round (11) and a year later finished third to Mickelson at Augusta. He has worked hard to get rid of his party-boy image after lurid tales of excess in Las Vegas but doubts still remain about his mental attitude and commitment to practice. This year has been far from his best, however, and he needs to rediscover the game with which he began his pro career before things start to slip further.

ROBERT GARRIGUS

Like Kim, a late addition to the Open roster. Garrigus is a beneficiary of Thomas Levet's leap into the lake after winning the French Open which left the Frenchman with a broken shin. One of the longest drivers in the game, he finished tied for third at the US Open last month. Won his first PGA tour event last year at the Children's Miracle Network Classic in Orlando then caused waves by confessing immediately afterwards about his battle to overcome drugs problems. Garrigus claimed he and several other golfers on the second-tier Nationwide Tour used to smoke marijuana. "Oh yeah, there were plenty of guys on the Nationwide Tour who smoked in the middle of the round," he said. "You could go in the Porta John and take your drags." Garrigus said he cleaned up his act after a spell in rehab.