Frank Nobilo: 2014 can’t be as strange as last year

The former pro turned pundit believes the unpredictability of 2013 won’t be repeated this year.

Frank Nobilo has been around golf all his life.

The 53-year-old was a professional for a quarter of a century, winning 15 titles worldwide, before moving to the other side of the camera to become a highly-respected pundit.

But the New Zealander insists he has never seen as odd a year as 2013 and expects the coming 12 months to be a bit more predictable!

“It was just such a weird year,” says Nobilo.

“For a start, who would have thought Rory McIlroy would struggle as much as he did after his electrifying displays of the previous years when he won two Majors?

“There are, however, signs that things could be on the up for him.

“At the start of last month he won the Australian Open, and he has just announced his engagement to Caroline Wozniacki.

“So I think we will see a different McIlroy this year, which will be good for golf.

“But can we say the same about Luke Donald? Where did he go, just when we all thought he would win a Major? How weird was that?

“Equally odd have been the fortunes of Sergio Garcia.

“Just when we were beginning to forget about him, he is starting to look more like the Sergio of yesteryear.

“I believe he will be a major player in 2014, and I certainly can’t wait to see if he finally comes into full bloom because he is one of the best ball strikers around.

“So Rory and Sergio will be back in the frame, and one man in particular they’ll have to shift is Adam Scott.

“At the start of last year everybody was asking: “When is Adam Scott going to do it?

“Well, to do it at Augusta of all places where no Australian had ever won before, was phenomenal.

“Towards the end of the year, he returned home to Australia and won two of their triple-crown tournaments.

“He did so despite all the distractions of the Australian media and TV commitments as it was the first time he had been back since he won his Green Jacket.

“That just shows me he has reached another level.”

Justin Rose failed to really build on his US Open win, but Nobilo believes that long-awaited Major, and the manner in which it was achieved, marks the Englishman down on the list of players to watch this year.

Nobilo says: “Justin played the last four or five holes at Merion in a way that would have made Ben Hogan proud.

“He simply has to be in the mix this year.”

But despite Rose and Scott’s breakthrough victories, and McIlroy entering 2014 apparently having sorted out his life away from the golf course, it is the old guard of Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods that intrigue Nobilo most as he peers into his crystal ball.

“Mickelson looks the best he has ever looked in his career,” he continues.

“With the US Open coming up at Pinehurst where he finished runnerup to Payne Stewart in 1999 there is a lot of motivation for him to have another good year, and finally win the US Open to complete his set of the four Majors.”

And Nobilo believes Woods’ 2013 record was probably the weirdest statistic of all.

“Five wins in the year, and not a Major amongst them,” he muses. “Who would have bet on that?

“Tiger has won at three of this year’s Major venues, and finished runner-up at Pinehurst.

“So, while storms dominated a lot of the weather forecasts in 2013, I think we have a perfect storm gathering in golf this year.

“Bring it on!”