Golf saw three new major winners crowned in 2013 and also one of the greats, Phil Mickelson, claim the trophy that no one thought he could ever win.
Shock of the year
Europe had never won the Solheim Cup on American soil and were rated huge underdogs to buck that trend when the tournament headed to Colorado Golf Club. But from the very start Lotte Neumann's team looked as if they meant business and a sensational clean sweep of the Saturday footballs put them 10.5-5.5 in front going into the final day. Still there were fears of a big US fightback in the Sunday singles but Europe were relentless, running out 18-10 winners to inflict a totally unexpected rout. Sweden's Caroline Hedwall won all five points but, for most, the star of the show was 17-year-old English girl Charley Hull, who completed a stunning week by crushing US Solheim Cup queen Paula Creamer 5&4.
Disappointment of the year
Rory McIlroy had swept all before him in 2012, winning a second major title (the US PGA Championship) by the little matter of eight shots and landing Money List titles on both sides of the Atlantic. But in 2013 it all went wrong. Trying to adjust to new Nike equipment proved harder than expected and as the press questioned the wisdom of his switch, the Northern Irishman became embroiled in two multi-million dollar lawsuits, had his private life spread all over Twitter and fuelled the negative publicity by walking off the course after nine holes of March's Honda Classic as his title defence there fell to pieces. He flopped in the majors too, missing the cut by a distance in The Open at Muirfield and becoming the first player to drop from top of the world rankings to No 6 in just nine months.
Crystal ball for 2014
If 2013 was a nightmare for Rory McIlroy, there were at least plenty of positive signs at the end of it as he closed out victory in the Australian Open in Sydney. He's far too talented to be down for long and 2014 could see him bounce back with a bang. Expect a multiple-win season and a big bid for a third major title, perhaps in the US PGA at Valhalla. Adam Scott's record in the majors is fantastic (2-MC-25-7-8-15-2-11-1-45-3-5 since the start of 2011) so he'll surely be a strong contender to follow up his Masters win. If he maintains the incredible form he showed in the second half of 2013, Henrik Stenson has to have a golden chance of winning a first major while others who could make the big breakthrough include Jason Day, Brandt Snedeker and Matt Kuchar. Also keep an eye on young Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama and Frenchman Victor Dubuisson.
