ESPN PGA Championship 2008

It's not often a PGA Tour player will share a detailed list of who he thinks has the best shot at winning a major championship.

Roland Thatcher, a three-time winner on the Nationwide Tour who has his PGA Tour card for 2008 but is sidelined for the rest of the year with a wrist injury, does just that this week as he unveils his rankings for how he thinks the top 25 places will shake out at the 90th PGA Championship this week.

The Auburn product prognosticates on who he thinks will win at Oakland Hills plus dissects other topics, including what a star player such as Adam Scott has to do before becoming considered a favorite at a major championship.

PGA Championship Field: From 1 to 25
Player	Best Finish	Analysis
1. Jim Furyk	T-6	It's an easy pick. I know he has only one major under his belt and has dropped to No. 11 in the world, but when the tournament becomes a grind, he is always around. I think it is time for him to win major No. 2.
2. Stuart Appleby	T-4	I have picked Appleby to win numerous majors in the past, and it is about time I am right. Great swing, easy demeanor, and he is coming off a solid finish at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational this past week.
3. Anthony Kim	T-50	You have got to go with the hot hand, and this year there are few who have shown they can handle tough courses like AK. He is coming off of a disappointing finish at the Canadian Open, but all you have to do is ask Anthony whether he is ready to win again. I bet the answer is yes.
4. Lee Westwood	T-15	Westwood has been overlooked this year, which is hard to believe considering how close he has been to winning big tournaments (1 shot at the U.S. Open and second at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). He is one of the few top European players to have won in the United States, and I think he could be ready for another win.
5. Phil Mickelson	Win	The most talented player in the field each week, Tiger or no Tiger. Phil cannot be encouraged after his three bogeys in the final four holes, caused mostly by issues off the tee, to finish 2 back at the WGC event this past week. However, the finish does show that he is ready to play like the highest-ranked player in the field this week.
6. K.J. Choi	T-6	I have to root for my neighbor and fellow Carlton Woods touring professional. K.J. is one of the hardest workers on tour, and although he had a poor weekend at the British Open, he has had his name on the leaderboard at numerous major championships. This may be the event where he breaks through.
7. Ian Poulter	T-9	Poulter is better known for his attire and comments here in the U.S. than he is for his golf game, and that is a shame. I have been paired with him in the past, and I was very impressed with his game. His putt on 18 at Royal Birkdale this year was forgotten as Harrington finished his win off in style. However, the putt Poulter made from 18 feet looked at the time as though it was a putt for a chance at a major.
8. Vijay Singh	Win	He is still one of the best players in the world and just won his 20th tournament since turning 40. Even on his way to victory, his putting was hard to watch, though, and the greens at Oakland Hills won't be very forgiving.
9. Stewart Cink	T-3	Cink just keeps playing well. I am not sure that anyone but the most die-hard golf fans, and probably Cink himself, know that he is ranked No. 7 in the world. The way he closed out the field at the Travelers Championship this year should shake off doubts that any previous finishes may have created.
10. Steve Stricker	2	It would be fitting that the two-time comeback player of the year break through and win a major. He is ranked ninth in the world and finished seventh at the British. Maybe if he wins, my fellow tour players and I can make him comeback player of the year a third time.
11. Geoff Ogilvy	T-6	Basically I just think he is good. He hasn't played well in his last couple of starts, with a missed cut at the British and an average performance at the WGC, but he can get into a groove and stay there. He has validated his U.S. Open victory in big tournaments since 2006.
12. Sergio Garcia	2	He has been labeled "the best player not to have won a major," and almost everyone in the modern era, with the exception of Colin Montgomerie, has been able to shake that title. I think he'll win one, but if it doesn't happen, I am sure he will have something to blame it on.
13. Hunter Mahan	T-18	Although he may not be on everyone's short list of favorites, he will be in the future. He almost defended this year at the Travelers Championship, and he is coming off a T-10 at Firestone. He is a solid ball striker and may be ready to take that next step.
14. Henrik Stenson	T-14	Stenson is ranked 10th in the world and proved in the past few WGC Match Play events that he can compete with and beat the best. He is a good striker of the golf ball and is strong, which should help him with any thick lies in the rough. He may be able to get through most of the week without heavy attention, which could be to his advantage.
15. Padraig Harrington	T-17	The two-time British Open champion could be higher on this list. He has proved he can play well in the U.S., and defending his title at the British shows he is in top form. However, winning back-to-back majors has proved to be extremely difficult for those not named Tiger or Phil.
16. Kenny Perry	2	The three-time winner and active FedEx Cup point leader also could be higher on this list, but a poor performance at Firestone might mean the hot streak is cooling off. Still, with a long game like Perry's, winning is possible any week.
17. Ernie Els	3	It pains me to put Els this far down the list. He did have a top-10 at the British last month and picked up a win at the Honda earlier this year, but his play in the big events has not been as stellar as it once was. That being said, I will root for Ernie to win any week.
18. Retief Goosen	T-6	Retief has slipped to 39th in the world, but he finished fourth at the WGC-Bridgestone. There is something about Goosen on a U.S. Open course, which is what Oakland Hills is.
19. Paul Casey	T-40	I put Paul Casey (Arizona State) on the list because he was the best player I played with in college at Auburn. After playing against him, I realized that I needed to get much better. He is still that type of player. It is only a matter of time before he breaks though in the U.S. as he has already done over in Europe.
20. Adam Scott	T-3	Scott is another player who should be higher, but a pattern of poor performances in majors puts him at No. 20 on my list. I am always impressed when I watch him play, and I do believe he will break through and win majors like he won The Players Championship. I think he needs to be in the mix of a few majors before I can call him a favorite, though.
21. Sean O'Hair	T-12	O'Hair is coming off a third-place finish at the Canadian Open and a 12th at the WGC. He is the next generation of young stars on tour. He picked up his second win earlier this year at the PODS Championship. His finish at The Players Championship last year, when he put all those shots in the pond at 17 while firing at the pin, shows he is there to win and not just to get a better paycheck.
22. George McNeill	--	McNeill has one tournament win under his belt and recorded a top-10 in Milwaukee a few weeks ago. He is one of the longest and strongest players on tour. When he puts it all together, he can be dominating.
23. Ryuji Imada	--	Ryuji broke though with a win this year in Atlanta. He has one of the better short games on tour and a solid U.S. Open record. I play practice rounds with him and have seen the potential. He will win again, and he is a player to watch.
24. Steve Marino	--	Marino has had four top-10s this year and has the potential to break through soon. He is one of the best ball strikers on tour, and if this is his week on the greens, he may break out on the biggest stage.
25. Nicholas Thompson	--	What PGA Championship prediction would be complete without picking someone on the alternate list, a la John Daly at Crooked Stick? Thompson most likely will get into the field, and he is a threat. He plays aggressive and, when he is on, can make more birdies than anyone in the field. He's fun to watch and is not scared to play well.

Roland Thatcher is a PGA Tour professional who will be providing analysis for ESPN.com throughout the week of the 90th PGA Championship.