PGA Tour hits Kapalua with lots of questions
Woods, McIlroy look to bounce back from health issues.
KAPALUA, HAWAII — The PGA Tour rings in the new year at Kapalua for the 20th straight time. That’s not the lone attraction in the new season that starts this weekend.
Tiger Woods, who turned 42 on Saturday, once again is offering hope.
He’s still not bigger than Jack Nicklaus when it comes to golf ’s ultimate yardstick, most majors won. But Woods, who makes golf must-see TV when he’s playing, leads the list of five questions to consider for 2018:
What’s up, Tiger?
The question wasn’t much different a year ago.
Woods returned to the Hero World Challenge after a 15-month recovery from two more back surgeries, and more was made of his 24 birdies than finishing 15th against an 18-man field in an unofficial holiday event. When the new year began, he lasted three rounds over two tournaments.
This time, he is returning from fusion surgery on his lower back. Most noticeable last month in the Bahamas was his power. He said in a recent blog that he is hitting a full club longer than before.
Who’s going to France, Ryder Cup?
The more pertinent question is who goes to Paris for the Ryder Cup matches?
Much attention will be on Phil Mickelson, who hasn’t missed a team competition since 1993 and is desperate to make the next one. He hasn’t won since 2013.
The Americans had 14 players in their 20s win on the PGA Tour last year, and six of them were on the Presidents Cup team. Odds are not all of those six will be in France.
How will the schedule change?
Sometime this summer, the PGA Tour will announce a significant overhaul to a schedule that for years has been predictable.
This is the last PGA Championship in August before it moves to May in 2019. Paring the number of PGA Tour events to achieve a Labor Day finish to the FedEx Cup won’t be an issue with the loss of one playoff event (Boston), moving one event to the fall (Greenbrier) and likely converting one into a World Golf Championship (Memphis).
The tough part is figuring out where everything else goes.
That starts with March, which currently features a pair of World Golf Championships (Mexico, Match Play) and next year adds The Players Championship. Something will have to give.
Also, title sponsorships must be resolved for the Houston Open and possibly Colonial.
How will Rory McIlroy respond?
For the first time since 2009, Rory McIlroy goes into a new year outside the top 10 in the world.
Attribute that to nagging injuries that persuaded him to take a long break at the end of last year.
He will have gone more than three months without competition when he returns in Abu Dhabi, the start of an ambitious schedule in which he will play eight times before he gets to Augusta National.
Golf should have a good idea by then if McIlroy is back in the conversation.
Who makes it back to paradise?
Justin Thomas said he would love nothing better than to start every year at Kapalua.
As good as he is, there’s no guarantee.
Only nine players from the 32-man field last year made it back to start 2018. Among the missing are Jason Day, who started last year at No. 1, and Bubba Watson, missing from the Sentry Tournament of Champions for the first time in four years.
There were 14 first-time winners last year on the PGA Tour. It’s not getting any easier to win.
That applies to Woods, too.
Monday’s Game
Tuesday’s Games
Penguins 5, (at) Flyers 1: Phil Kessel and Conor Sheary scored in a four-goal second period. Flyers goalie Brian Elliott allowed the four goals on eight shots in the second period.
Bruins 5, (at) Islanders 1: Patrice Bergeron had the go-ahead goal in the second period, and Danton Heinen,
Brad Marchand, Tim Schaller and Noel Acciari also scored for Boston, which is 7-0-2 in its last nine games.
Capitals 5, (at) Hurricanes 4 (OT): Alex Ovechkin scored his NHL-leading 26th goal 1:57 into overtime to give Washington its third straight win. Ovechkin also tied it with 7:15 left in regulation.
Lightning 2, (at) Maple Leafs 0: Andrei Vasilevskiy had 30 saves for his NHL-high sixth shutout this season and second straight shutout for Tampa Bay.
Sharks 4, (at) Canadiens 1: Timo Meier scored twice as San Jose handed Montreal its fifth straight loss.
(At) Wild 5, Panthers 1: Matt Cullen and Eric Staal each scored twice as Minnesota snapped Florida’s five-game winning streak. Zach Parise (back surgery) made his season debut for the Wild after missing the first 39 games.
(At) Blues 3, Devils 2 (SO): Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko scored in the shootout for St. Louis. The Devils have lost three straight following a five-game win streak.
Blue Jackets 2, (at) Stars 1: Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice as Columbus snapped a three-game losing streak.
Jets at Avalanche: Late
Kings at Oilers: Late
Ducks at Canucks: Late
Predators at Golden Knights: Late