Predictions for 2021: Major winners, yearly awards, Ryder Cup picks

With the new year right around the corner, it's time to turn the page on a difficult 2020 and look ahead.

The 2021 PGA Tour schedule starts Jan. 7 with the Tournament of Champions in Maui. From there, it's similar to what we've become accustomed to in recent years. Barring some drastic changes, there will be four major championships, a Ryder Cup, the Olympics, and, of course, a ton of other tournaments spread out over 12 months.

Let's make some predictions for how 2021 will unfold in golf.

Majors

The Masters

When: Apr. 8-11
Where: Augusta National, Augusta, Georgia

Justin Thomas continued the trend of improving on his prior Masters finish by placing alone in fourth in 2020. He was right in the thick of things with Dustin Johnson during Round 3 this past November but ultimately came up short.

However, 2021 will be the year Thomas dons the green jacket. His sixth attempt at Augusta National will be the one where he finally puts it all together. Expectations are high for the 27-year-old in 2021 and a Masters title would go a long way toward meeting them.

PGA Championship

When: May 20-23
Where: The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Nine years after capturing his second major title at Kiawah Island by a whopping eight strokes, Rory McIlroy will return to the scene and claim his fifth major title.

McIlroy's often-discussed major drought is completely unexpected after he collected four wins rather quickly. But it'll all change for the Northern Irishman in 2021, opening the door for another magical run of golf with multiple majors on the horizon in the coming years.

U.S. Open

When: Jun. 17-20
Where: Torrey Pines South Course, La Jolla, California

Jon Rahm is undoubtedly the best player in the world without a major title, but that will change after the U.S. Open visits Torrey Pines in 2021. The San Diego venue is where it all began for Rahm in 2017 when he won his first PGA Tour title in dramatic fashion on the 72nd hole. With good memories and the all-around game to pass golf's toughest test, Rahm will get it done at Torrey for his first of many majors.

Open Championship

When: Jul. 15-18
Where: Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England

In what will be a highly anticipated Open Championship after the event was canceled in 2020 for the first time since 1945, England's own Tommy Fleetwood will hoist the Claret Jug at Royal St. George's Golf Club.

Fleetwood possesses all the traits of an Open Championship winner: a track record of success in links golf, piercing ball flight to cut through the wind, and the right attitude if weather conditions are rough. Look out for a big year from one of Europe's most talented players.

Awards

Player of the Year

As we said earlier, big things are coming for Thomas in 2021, culminating in PGA Tour Player of the Year honors. The race will likely be between Thomas, Rahm, and perhaps McIlroy or Dustin Johnson (if he can somehow repeat his incredible showing in 2020), but Thomas will take home the hardware. He easily could have had two or three more wins in 2020 and expressed himself that he believes a five- or six-win season is possible.

Rookie of the Year

Get familiar with the name Will Zalatoris because he will make noise on the PGA Tour in 2021 and win the Rookie of the Year. The pandemic limited the number of players promoted from the Korn Ferry Tour, which makes Zalatoris' path to becoming top rookie a little easier, but he's already proven he belongs with three top-10s in six Tour starts, including a tied-for-sixth finish at the 2020 U.S. Open.

Breakout player

Scottie Scheffler, the reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, is poised to take a giant leap in 2021 and has the ability to turn in a season similar to the one Collin Morikawa put together in 2020. Scheffler had six top-five finishes last season, including one at the PGA Championship and one in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, and should continue to climb the world rankings. Don't count out Scheffler as a possible representative for the United States Ryder Cup team either.

Most likely to disappoint

This past year wasn't Morikawa's official rookie season, but it was his first full year on Tour, so the sophomore slump could be looming. The 23-year-old claimed the PGA Championship and beat Thomas at Muirfield Village in 2020 ... talk about a tough act to follow.

What's concerning is that Morikawa showed some inconsistencies to wrap up his year, with two straight missed cuts and a couple of other less-than-impressive outings.

Bold calls

Tiger wins gold medal

A lot has to happen for Tiger Woods to win the gold medal at next year's Summer Olympics, but let's get crazy, shall we? Tiger is currently the 21st ranked American golfer, and only four will be selected to represent the USA if the Olympics do happen.

Woods will need a quick start to the 2021 season (perhaps an early win at Torrey Pines?) to give himself a chance to qualify. If he can get in the ballpark of No. 10 for the United States, there's a chance that fellow Americans will bow out of the Olympics to give Woods the rare opportunity of competing for a gold medal in Japan.

Jordan Spieth wins

Enough is enough - Jordan Spieth's comeback tour begins in 2021. With rumors swirling that Spieth visited with highly touted swing coach Butch Harmon ahead of the new year, it sounds like the three-time major winner is exhausting all of his options in order to regain his form.

If Spieth does make some changes and gets a new set of eyes on his golf swing, the fix could be simple. Of course, his woes could also prove very hard to correct, but Spieth is far too talented to go another year without a win. If he can't find the winner's circle in 2021, it will be nearly four-and-a-half years since his Open Championship title in 2017. Consider 2021 Spieth's last shot at turning his career around.

Brooks goes winless, again

Brooks Koepka's run as one of the most intimidating golfers could be over. The 30-year-old spent the last year or so battling a knee and hip ailment, limiting his ability to play a consistent schedule and get into the rhythm of a regular PGA Tour season. These injuries will continue to linger for as long as he chooses temporary fixes over surgery and will keep him out of the winner's circle for the second straight year.

Ryder Cup

For a while, the state of the Ryder Cup was up in the air, but organizers decided it was not worth hosting without fans in 2020, which means we'll be treated to the historic event in 2021.

Here are our early roster predictions for both teams heading to Whistling Straits based on the current Ryder Cup ranking and factoring in 2021 results.

United States: The most glaring omission here is Koepka, who we've already predicted might be battling the same injuries that kept him off the 2019 Presidents Cup team. It's hard to imagine a team without Tiger on it, regardless of how he is playing. However, if Koepka is healthy, the final spot will likely come down to rookies Morikawa or Matthew Wolff.

Europe: The team that arrives in Wisconsin should resemble the winning squad from Paris in 2018. Veterans Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, and Sergio Garcia will need to have solid 2021 campaigns to earn their way onto the team. Thomas Pieters, a force in 2016 at Hazeltine, will be brought in as a European power hitter who can go toe to toe with the long-hitting Americans.

Prediction: Europeans stun Americans on home soil.