Posted Thursday, January 06, 2011 10:03 AM
The 2011 PGA Tour season tees off on Thursday last afternoon from the Plantation Course at the Kapalua Resort in Kapalua, Hawaii for the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. It is called the Tournament of Champions because it is an invite for 2010 PGA Tour winners only and even the $1.12 million winner’s check is not strong enough to lure everyone to paradise. Only 34 players are in the field this week with notable names Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy not part of it.
The new season is an early start right after the holidays so a lot of players extend their offseason instead of coming right out of the gates. Only one of the four Majors winners are teeing up this week as U.S. Open Champion Graeme McDowell is here. As for other European players who are not full time PGA Tour members, a lot of them prefer to play elsewhere and not use their limited visits here. Nonetheless, it is a strong field with a lot of big names for the 2011 opener.
The Plantation Course will play as a par-73, 7,411-yard test that uses elevation changes, doglegs and the ever-present winds. It is a very difficult test for the season’s first event because it is safe to say that most players are not at their best right now with a lot of rust needing to be shed. We have no current performances ... [More]