With Jimmy Walker triumphing at the PGA Championship, we had four first-time winners in the four major championships this year. It just proves once again the incredible depth of talent we have in golf these days.

As much as the efforts of Danny Willett (Masters), Dustin Johnson (US Open), Henrik Stenson (the Open Championship) and Walker were lauded by the media and fans, I have seen an equal number of articles and social media posts wondering as to what happened to Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Jordan Spieth.

The truth is, we have been spoiled by the exploits of Tiger Woods throughout his career, Vijay Singh’s stellar 2004 season when he won nine titles, McIlroy’s efforts in winning two majors in 2014, Spieth’s incredible 2015 and Day’s form in the past one year.

Unlike many other sports, where the gulf in class between the top four and five players in the world and the rest is very apparent, it’s not so in golf. There are at least 20 players at any given tournament who are good enough to win it.

Walker himself is a great example. He came into the PGA Championship ranked 48th in the world, having missed the cut in the Open Championship and generally not having the best of times on the golf course lately. But it all clicked for him this week, and he turned around his fortune in impressive style.

Of the three players mentioned earlier, I don’t think we can fault Day in any way and he once again showed what a fantastic time he is having on the golf course by finishing second. This was achieved despite playing just one practice round (both he and his wife were unwell before the tournament), and the fact that midway through the second round, he was actually battling to make the cut.

I also loved the way he played the par-5 18th hole in the final round. When on the tee, he was two shots behind Walker and knew his only chance to defend his title was to make an eagle. He did exactly that with three shots of the highest quality. Really, what a player!

As for McIlroy and Spieth, they both struggled with their putting. The strength of Spieth’s game is his ability on and around the greens. He does find it difficult to contend once that is compromised. Having said that, I think there is immense improvement in his overall hitting this year.

With McIlroy, driving the ball is the cornerstone of his game. And he has done that consistently well all year. He was awesome at the Open Championship, resorting to the driver on most holes despite the windy conditions, and he was superb once again at Baltusrol. But with none of his first putts dropping, it wasn’t a surprise he missed the cut.

The stage is now set for the Olympics. I am most excited about it and I hope India — to be represented by Anirban Lahiri, SSP Chawrasia and Aditi Ashok — does well. A medal would be wonderful, and given the talent of these players, not a far-fetched idea.

— Jeev Milkha Singh is a four time champion on the European Tour