Experts from the BBC's golf team pick their players to watch in 2004.Mike Weir, 33, US
Weir is someone who has proved himself in the majors. His victory at the Masters was a graduation in the calibre of tournaments he was winning so it was perfectly natural for him to go on and win a major.
He figured in all four majors in 2003 so the graph is still going upwards for Mike Weir. He could put himself in the elite category.
Chad Campbell, 29, US
Campbell came second at the USPGA which capped a very successful year on the US Tour. He proved an awful lot to himself and is someone to watch out for in 2004.
Fredrik Jacobson, 29, Sweden
Next year will tell us how sustained his rise is. He established his credentials this year with two top-10 finishes in the two majors he played, and rose from outside the world's top 100 to 17th.
He also finished fourth on the Order of Merit after winning three titles in Europe.
The Swede is just the sort of person European Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer will welcome with open arms for his ability to get birdies and remain mentally strong.
Others to watch:
You can't ignore Paul Casey after two wins in Europe, while Ian Poulter had a terrific year. Philip Price was very consistent and Brian Davis very quietly went about his business, ending up in Europe's top 10.
A lot of players had very good years and 2004 will show how much progress they've made, whether they can sustain it, and how they cope with sustaining that push in a Ryder Cup year, which brings its own pressures.
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
