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Whether or not Tiger Woods can regain his diabolical form is still up for debate. Whether or not Tiger Woods is one of–if not the–greatest players of all time is no question.

At the age of 25, he could eat breakfast out of every major championship trophy while wearing the green jacket. The feat is one we may never see again. But, with the passage of time another golfing great will rise up and match Woods and win the Grand Slam. The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship. Here’s a list of contenders and their chances on a scale of 1-10.

40-Somethings Last Gasp: It’s the end of the line for this bunch. Still, with a few healthy years, they pose the greatest threat to “catching them all”.

Phil Mickelson, 41, has seen his window of opportunity shrink in recent years. Once labeled with the moniker “Best Player Never To Have Won A Major”, Lefty has solidified his legacy as one of this generation’s will a Hall of Fame caliber resume. Four majors (3 Masters, 1 PGA). Still, his mantle is lacking and Mickelson knows he has let numerous majors slip through his hands. The telling statistics: 5 runner-up finishes in the U.S. Open, 1 in the PGA Championship (Losing to David Toms on the 72nd green). Time is the cruelest of elements and Mickelson has been battered by injuries, family turmoil and general fatigue. It is unlikely that he’ll ever conquer Scotland’s wind-swept links, either.

Score: 5

Ernie Els, 41, always had a superior demeanor. No highs, no lows. The Big Easy may have already cracked this hurdle if it wasn’t for Woods’ brilliance during his era. Still, he’s got all the tools to finish off a slam. Check off the U.S. Open (’94, ’97) and ’02’s Open Championship, and that leaves two more majors to claim. Injuries have also stalled Els, but he appears to have finally regained his footing. I believe Els will win one more major before the nail slides into his professional golfing coffin, but odds are his best Masters challenges are finished. Despite two second place finishes, I see the next couple of visitors to Butler Cabin coming from golf’s next crop of talented 20-year-old’s.

Score: 5

Padraig Harrington, 39, the crafty Irishman stole the big stage for much of 2007 and 2008. Winning the 2007 British Open was a dream come true. Stealing it again in 2008 and topping it off with the year’s PGA was just added icing. His swing, and confidence, was dialed in. Don’t look for any more major championships from Paddy. Some players define a generation. Others find a swing that works, get hot for a period of time and then drop off. Golf is a fickle game, and the gods only preordain a select few.

Score: 3

Vijay Singh, 48, It’s just simply too late for the Fijian to fill his shelf up with the middle majors. His bookends (’00 Masters, ’98, ’04 PGA) are impressive, but not enough.

Score: 2

Baby-faced Assassins: This pair already shocked the golf world with major championship wins. Their killer instincts won’t surprise anyone the second time around.

Rory McIlroy, 22, Of course our list starts with the precocious 22-year-old superstar. What’s not to love about the kid’s game? Much like Tiger did in the late ’90s, Rory is reinventing the golf swing. A generation of players will no doubt try to emulate his body of work. McIlroy’s game is devilishly appropriate for all of the majors. A combination of length, shot-making ability, putting and guts ascend him to the top of the list. If a steady group of rivals can live up to their own expectations, McIlroy will need 20 years to secure all four pieces of hardware. He will also need to avoid some of the pitfalls of Woods’, who is struggling to adapt to a changing scenery. Still, it may be inevitable.

Score: 8.5

Martin Kaymer, 26, It’s always nice to have a major in your mid-20’s. Germany’s Kaymer has done just that, winning last year’s PGA Championship. The perils of success have caught up with him, however, and a period of adjustment seems to be in order. Once he is comfortable with the added pressures of his inflated world ranking, sponsorship expectations, and attention, he’ll be back in the winner’s circle. With a consistent, repeatable swing, Kaymer is the next-best young blood in the field.

Score: 7

No, Really, You Think?: This list may make you scratch your head a little bit, but be wary of how you judge them. They may just surprise you.

Lee Westwood, 38, I know what you’re thinking. He’s over the hill. Well, not technically. In golf terms, Westwood is right in the middle of his formidable years. He’ll need to go on a Paddy Harrington-type run sooner than later, but it’s certainly possible. Westwood has five Top-3 finishes in his last 9 major championships. If he gets one, the floodgates will burst at the seams. Westwood is mentally disciplined enough to take more than one major in his 40’s.

Score: 6

Paul Casey, 33, The crafty Scot is finally seeing dividends in major championships. If it weren’t for the pesky Louis Oosthuizen in last year’s British Open, he may already have the title “Major Champion”. Casey is learning to play with pressure, and has an all-around game to outshine his colleagues down the stretch. Mickelson won his first major at 33, and now has four.

Score: 4

Jason Day, 23, It’s been a whirlwind year for the Aussie. Two stellar runner-up finishes in majors. If he can nab his first in the next couple of years–watch out. Day has a versatile enough game for any venue, and could very well win one in 2011. Look for him to be in contention often, and when that’s the case, good things happen.

Score: 6

Dustin Johnson, 27, Here is America’s hope for wrapping up the future of major championships. With the game’s international reach, breaking through is more difficult than ever. However, Johnson, had a tremendous 2010 campaign. If he can overcome the sting of two major-meltdowns in the U.S. Open and PGA, he’ll lock up a cabinet full of metal.

Score: 7

In The Pipeline: The game is filled with brash, young stallions. File these two under “Let’s Talk In 5 Years”. It’s impossible to accurately grade them this early in their careers.

Ryo Ishikawa, 19, Not much is known just yet about Japan’s exported golfing prodigy. He hasn’t been tested, or seen much, in the majors. Still, the gritty kid keeps getting invitations in the mail somehow. That means he’s pretty damn good. Or he has some connections. Either way, Ishikawa has some room to grow in the next couple of years.

Matteo Manassero, 18, is another stud on the golfing front. He’s wiggled his way into the top-30 of the often unreliable World Golf Rankings. He’s already pocketed a win in 2011, and finished in a T-13 at the 2009 British Open at age 16. Manassero could very well be the next Ty Tryon or the next Gary Player. Time will answer all of mystery that surrounds the young Italian.