2018 saw the rebirth of many players who had not won a tournament in a number of years, but who is likely to take inspiration from that going into a new calendar year? By Lewis Blain.
10 Players On Big Win Droughts
2018 was the year many golfers ended lengthy winless droughts with both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson winning for the first time in five years.
The biggest of all, however, was Charles Howell III, who ended an emotional 11-year wait with victory at the RSM Classic.
But which players could take inspiration from their successes this season?
Nick Watney
Career high world ranking: 9th
PGA Tour wins: 5
Last victory: CIMB Classic – October 2012
(Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
It is now approaching seven years since Nick Watney last won on Tour. He saw off Dustin Johnson to win the WGC-Cadillac Championship in 2011 before winning the first FedEx Cup playoff event, The Barclays, in 2012.
Once a top-10 golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking, Watney only played four times on Tour in 2016 due to a herniated disc in his back.
The 37-year-old contended with Jason Day for the Wells Fargo early in 2018 and went on to miss just four cuts in 27 starts. A return to form could be on the horizon.
Hunter Mahan
Career high world ranking: 4th
PGA Tour wins: 6
Last victory: The Barclays – August 2014
(Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Another American that has fallen from grace is Hunter Mahan.
He has had multiple top-10s in all four Majors, been on two winning Ryder Cup sides, won two WGCs plus The Barclays.
Yet, Mahan is still only 36 and has had to regain his card for this year in the Web.com Tour finals.
His last win was in 2014, can he reach his former heights in 2019?
Peter Hanson
Career high world ranking: 17th
European Tour wins: 6
Last victory: BMW Masters – October 2012
European team captain Jose Maria Olazabal (right) with Peter Hanson (left) after Europe’s 14.5-13.5 win at Medinah Country Club in 2012. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
From one two-time Ryder Cup winner to another, Sweden’s Peter Hanson is entering a seventh year without victory.
His last win came at the now defunct BMW Masters, one of six victories on the European Tour.
Hanson tied for third at the 2012 Masters, arguably his best golfing year.
2018 was rife with missed cuts and withdrawals so he will need to find some form to contend this year.
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Graeme McDowell
Career high world ranking: 4th
PGA Tour wins: 3
European Tour wins: 10
Last victory: Mayokoba Golf Classic – November 2015
(Photo by Paul Mounce/Corbis via Getty Images)
A US Open victory, 14 wins worldwide, four Ryder Cup winning appearances in which he has returned a 60% point percentage…
Graeme McDowell isn’t someone you’d have thought was on a drought.
His last victory was the OHL Classic in 2015 and has only two top-10s since 2016.
Martin Kaymer
Career high world ranking: 1st
PGA Tour wins: 3
European Tour wins: 11
Last victory: US Open – June 2014
Martin Kaymer holed the winning putt in 2012 at Medinah (Getty Images)
It was only six years ago that Martin Kaymer sunk the putt at Medinah to win the Ryder Cup.
Two years later he won both The Players at TPC Sawgrass and his second Major at the US Open at Pinehurst, by a mammoth eight strokes.
2018 was his worst year on Tour and he only just regained his PGA Tour card through a special exemption.
Maybe 2019 will be better for Kaymer.
Zach Johnson
Career high world ranking: 6th
PGA Tour wins: 12
Last victory: The 144th Open Championship – July 2015
Zach Johnson during the final round of his 2007 Masters victory. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Zach Johnson’s last victory came at the 144th Open Championship, when he defeated Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen to win his second major title.
The 42-year-old has been in some good form since that victory with numerous top-10s but still without that return to the winner’s circle.
He could be the most likely on this list to break the drought.
Stewart Cink
Career high world ranking: 5th
PGA Tour wins: 6
Last victory: The 138th Open Championship – July 2009
Stewart Cink will hope 2019 is the year he breaks his long wait for a victory.
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The 45-year-old is still going strong and he isn’t as old as you think.
However, 2019 will be a tenth year without a victory which must be one of the longest on tour now.
Surely this Major champion has another win in him.
Luke Donald
Career high world ranking: 1st
PGA Tour wins: 5
European Tour wins: 7
Last victory: Dunlop Phoenix – November 2013
Luke Donald was a Ryder Cup vice-captain during Europe’s 2018 triumph.
(Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Luke Donald is a former world number one and 17-time multiple tour winner.
He returned from injury towards the back end of the year and could replicate Tiger Woods’ comeback with a victory in 2019.
The 41-year-old has not won since the Dunlop Phoenix in 2013. He is now world number 652 and has only made 3 cuts in his last 11 events.
Nicolas Colsaerts
Career high world ranking: 32nd
European Tour wins: 2
Last victory: Volvo World Match Play – May 2012
Belgium’s Colsaerts has a very good team record but is without a solo win since 2012.
(Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Another member of that 2012 Ryder Cup side was Nicolas Colsaerts, the Belgian has nine professional wins to his name as well as a handful of World Cup victories.
His last win on the European Tour came at the Volvo World Match Play Championship in May 2012.
Jamie Donaldson
Career high world ranking: 23rd
European Tour wins: 3
Last victory: Thailand Golf Championship – December 2015
Donaldson has three European Tour victories to his name but none since 2014.
(Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Welshman Jamie Donaldson enjoyed four years straight of winning between 2012 and 2015 but has been without won since then.
2018 was a poor year by his standards as he missed cuts in 50% of his tournaments and failed to record a place above T34.
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