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Westwood & Singh: top tips

Let's put thoughts of the Ryder Cup to one side for a short while and focus on the USPGA Championship.

Of course, making the Ryder Cup team is a big concern for many of the players walking out at Oakland Hills this weekend, but I would say definitively that winning a major championship is much more important to everybody in the game.

The thing about golf is that success is self-perpetuating. Whoever goes out there and wins this weekend will inevitably have countless doors opened for them, including - for most of the European and American players - a Ryder Cup place.

For the likes of Paul Casey and Sergio Garcia, who have not guaranteed their places at Valhalla, winning a first major championship will be the priority but the Ryder Cup will be there for them if they step off the 18th green and lift the trophy.

For the likes of Phil Mickelson the focus will be on trying to win this tournament for a second time while Vijay Singh will be hoping to continue his good run of form by claiming his third USPGA Championship title.

Nothing matters to these guys more than winning a major championship and many of them know that in the absence of Tiger Woods, they might not get a better chance.

Atmosphere

The absence of the world number one will have a much bigger impact at Oakland Hills than it did at the British Open, where the crowds and the atmosphere were amazing.

The dominance of Tiger Woods in the thoughts of American golf fans is much more apparent than it is over here and I suspect there will be a lack of atmosphere as a result.

I would say Tiger's injury will affect the gate and it will definitely have an impact on TV ratings over there.

But the players won't be too disappointed, that's for certain. Tiger has won this tournament four times, including the last two in a row, and the likes of Vijay and Phil will be much more comfortable battling each other down the stretch than they are battling against Tiger because he's the toughest competitor in the world.

Pick

If I was asked to pick a winner in Tiger's absence I'd go for Singh who will go there with very positive thoughts after his win at the Bridgestone Invitational last weekend.

But I also wouldn't look too far past the man Singh held off at Firestone, Lee Westwood, because he's been in fine form.

The WGC events are full of the world's top 50 players and the fields are arguably marginally stronger than those at a major championship, so Westwood will be able to take great confidence from his display last weekend.

Once again he was within a whisker of victory - as he was in the US Open at Torrey Pines - and his mind will be screaming to him the message that he's good enough to win a major.

There is no doubt in my mind that he's a strong favourite this weekend. I know he disappointed at the Open Championship, but I feel he struggled a bit with the greens at Royal Birkdale.

He alluded to it himself in an interview last week that he's much more comfortable on fast greens than slow greens. At Royal Birkdale the greens were running at about 10 on the stimpmeter so he has to make a hit at the ball and he's not comfortable with that.

When he has to make a stroke and roll the ball then he's much more comfortable and I think he'll enjoy himself at Oakland Hills - as he does at most courses because he's such a great striker of a golf ball.

So I'd put Westwood down as my second favourite behind Vijay, but I'm also looking forward to seeing what sort of performance Ian Poulter gives us.

Stage

Poulter played very solidly last week and he loves playing on the big stage at the majors, so I'm backing him to have a good one and to play his way into the Ryder Cup team this weekend.

Indeed, if we do let ourselves think about the Ryder Cup for a moment, there is an awful lot at stake for those on the fringes of the team.

Justin Rose and Martin Kaymer have not guaranteed their positions yet and a good performance from the likes of Poulter, Casey or Garcia could result in them somersaulting into the team.

There are four more tournaments until the team is announced at Gleneagles and there's so much to play for, so it should make gripping television.

But while thoughts of Valhalla will loom large in the minds of Sky Sports viewers, the players must remain focused on trying to win the final major of the year.

They call this tournament "glory's last shot" - and that is certainly the case for these guys, in more ways than one.