10. K.J. Choi - The South Korean would have been nowhere near our list in years past, but he has enjoyed a stellar season which has catapulted him up to 13th in the current world golf rankings. He won Jack Nicklaus’s Memorial and the new tournament held near Washington hosted by Tiger Woods, the A, T & T, in Washington this year. Choi’s best finish in a major is third at the Masters in 2004.

9. Justin Rose – okay, this one is a little bit of a stretch, but Rose is a Briton, we like his attitude and he has proven this year that he has got the game that we all knew he had when he pitched in at the last hole to tie for fourth in the 1998 Open at Royal Birkdale and won the silver medal as the leading amateur. Rose finished tied for fifth at the Masters in April, having shared the first round lead with Brett Wetterich. He returned from a back injury to tie for tenth at the US Open at Oakmont, in the process becoming one of five players to record top-10s at first two majors of 2007.

8. Henrik Stenson – despite not enjoying his best year in 2007, the big-hitting Swede has become a major force in the game and showcased his abilities by winning against a stellar field against the best players in the world at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, where he beat Geoff Ogilvy, the reigning champion and then US Open champion in the final. Having Nick Faldo’s former caddy, Fanny Suneson, on the bag must count for something, too.

7. Robert Allenby – to be honest, the Australian does not have a great record in majors, but that is not to say that if he were to find himself in contention it would be a surprise, because his pedigree is excellent. Allenby is a four-time winner on the PGA TOUR, has also earned 11 PGA Tour of Australasia victories and four European Tour titles

6. Stuart Appleby - the likeable Australian has eight victories on the PGA Tour and certainly has the game to win a major, highlighted perfectly at this year’s Masters, eventually won by Zach Johnson, where he led until a 75 in the final round. He came closest of all, though, at the 2002 Open at Muirfield, where he shot a 65 on the final day to get into a four-man playoff featuring Ernie Els [the winner], Steve Elkington and Thomas Levet.

5. Chris DiMarco – he achieved that rare feat [the last had been Tom Watson in 1978/79] of being beaten in play-offs in successive major tournaments, losing out [along with Justin Leonard] to Vijay Singh at the 2004 US PGA held at Whistling Straits, and then in the Masters to Tiger Woods the following April. Woods beat him into second place again at the Open at Hoylake, just weeks after the death of DiMarco’s mother. His form has not been great this year and he is unorthodox in the way he swings a golf club, but DiMarco is a real fighter.

4. Luke Donald - the man with the swing as smooth as silk that any of us useless amateurs would pay thousands for currently sits at No 13 in the world rankings. His short hitting is a hindrance at tournaments like the Masters, whereas you would think his accuracy off the tee would make him an excellent choice as a US Open winner. In fact, it is the US PGA Championship where he has come closest, sharing the 54-hold lead with Tiger Woods at Medinah in 2006. Playing with the world No 1 in the final round, he made the dreadful mistake of wearing a red shirt (a tradition with Woods on day four) and faded away with a two over 74. Tied for third matched his previous best at the 2005 Masters.

3. Adam Scott – if you go by the world rankings, then the popular Australian should be at the head of our list. He is currently No.5 in the world, and has won some huge tournaments, most notably the Players Championship in 2004 and last year’s Tour Championship featuring the best that the PGA Tour has to offer. But he has been sadly lacking when it comes to the four majors, only finishing in the top three on a single occasion, the 2006 US PGA Championship at Medinah.

2. Sergio Garcia – the Spaniard dominated this year’s Open at Carnoustie, only to fall apart in the final round and throw away a three-shot lead. He even had a chance to redeem himself on the final hole, but made bogey, and was beaten in the ensuing play-off by Padraig Harrington. Since running Tiger Woods close as a teenager at the 1999 US PGA Championship, Garcia has finished second twice and third twice in majors. Surely it is only a matter of time before he gets himself off this list.

1. Colin Montgomerie - “Oh, Monty, Monty,” goes the advertisement for chocolate featuring the big Scot, and you wish he’d have a break when it came to a major championship. Alas, his failings with that seven iron on the final hole at Winged Foot in last year’s US Open [“what kind of shot was that”] lost him what was his best and probably last chance to win the big one. He has finished runner-up in majors five times - twice losing in playoffs, at the 1994 US Open to Ernie Els and the following year’s US PGA to Steve Elkington.