Without question, 2011 was the year of Luke Donald. He was No. 1 in the world and the PGA Tour money list and played dominant golf the entire year. We're used to filling in Tiger Woods' name when discussing who was the standout player of the year, but since his drop off, it's been a welcome addition to highlight the play of other golfers on Tour.

We're still very early into 2012, but if the first three months have been any indication, my money is on 2012 being the year of Rory McIlroy. It may seem easy to say with him coming off a victory at The Honda Classic, but his game has been consistently good for the past six months. Just because we turned over to a new year doesn't mean that momentum will stop - and it hasn't.

McIlroy finished 2nd at the WGC-Accenture Match Play and followed that with a win at The HOnda Classic. When asked about the state of his mental and putting game as compared to last year, he simply responded, "It's much better."

That should be a scary statement for the other golfers on the PGA Tour. McIlroy had one huge hiccup in 2011 at The Masters, but did go on to win the U.S. Open. In retrospect, he only needed to finish the final round of the Masters playing at his normal level and we'd be calling him a two-time major winner instead.

Maybe I shouldn't call his 2011 Masters a hiccup though. It was a complete and utter disaster. But he did follow that up with taking the U.S. Open, so we know how he rebounds from adversity. He may just be a 22-year-old kid, but even the worst of days on the golf course - days that would cripple most others - seemed to only motivate him and elevate his game the next time he found himself in a high-pressure situation.

While all the talk seems to be centered around Woods shooting a 62 to close out The Honda Classic, my attention is being redirected toward McIlroy. That's where the action will be and, in my opinion, where the most spectacular golf will be seen.

Who do you think will have the best year? Let us know on Twitter: @HurricaneGolf