A flawless 2011 season saw Luke Donald hold golf’s number one spot throughout the entire year while walking away with an astronomic amount of prize money. This stunning run of form seems set to continue with hardly anyone betting against the Englishmen in 2012.

Luke will get his illusive first major this year, possibly on the treacherous greens at the US Open. All eyes are on the king.

If Luke is the king than Rory is certainly next in line to inherit the throne. So much has been said about this talented youngster who blew as all away in 2011 with an unforgettable record breaking triumph at the US Open.

Rory has demonstrated he can dominate and hold his nerve but a real string of success has eluded him. After making the decisive move to the USPGA tour we can be assured of great things from the young Ulsterman as he sets the golfing world on fire once more.

A very impressive 2011 season saw the Australian climb the world golf rankings and secure his 8th PGA tour win at the World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational. An impressive performance on home soil at the Australian Open and Presidents cup demonstrates that this talented young player is finally hitting his stride and destined for great things in 2012.

With an impressive cut record to boot it seems like Scott is never far off the pace in most of the major tournaments.

Rickie Fowler Rickie gained a lot of attention throughout the 2011 season as part of the flamboyant new American generation. In only his second year on tour Fowler is still yet to win a PGA event but secured his first victory in the Korean Open as well as top 10 finishes in all of the World Golf Championship Events.

Other strong performances at the treacherous British Open futher emphasises his potential to be one of golf’s elite players. If Rickie continues to grow in confidence at this rate than 2012 could see him become a major contender.

I was really impressed by Jason Day during the 2011 season. Although the Australian didn’t win any PGA tour events last year he was ever-present on all of the big tournament leaderboards. His consistency was as impressive as his lack of victories. But Day finished second in the Masters and US Open proving he has what it takes to play with the best.

His performance in 2011, coupled with his rise through the World Golf Rankings, shows that Day has really hit his stride and I’m predicting he will walk away with a few big victories this year.

Webb Simpson This young American has come from nowhere to finishing sixth in the world golf rankings after an impressive 2011 season. After his third year on tour Simpson won his first two PGA tour events including the Deutsche Bank Championship. Consistent scoring saw Simpson finish in the top ten in half of the PGA tournaments he played as well as finishing second in the FedEx Cup.

Although most of his success has been on the PGA tour, Simpson is certainly one to watch on the international stage this year and a true contender for the majors. 

Dustin Johnson After demonstrating his prowess with a second place finish at the British Open, Dustin Johnson is quickly becoming America’s brightest new hope. His fourth season on tour saw a number of victories at the Barclays Championship and steady top five finishes in the World Golf Championships among others.

A fourth place finish at the FedEx Cup also saw Johnson creep into the top ten of the World Golf Rankings. Riding high from a brilliant fourth season, Johnson is certainly one to watch this year.

Tom Lewis Tom Lewis is my wildcard pick after a sensational amateur debut season which saw him take the lead at the British Open, win the Portugal Masters and be given the Rookie of the Year title by the European Tour.

Lewis turned professional after the Walker Cup and is set to follow in the footsteps of other great Open debutants like Rory Milroy and Justin Rose. It may still be too early to tell but Tom Lewis is certainly one to keep an eye on during 2012.