Welcome to PGA Tour 2011, golf fans! As we turn our calendars over to a new year, the Tour wastes no time getting things started in Hawaii with the newly sponsored and named Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua’s Plantation Course on Maui. This tournament has been sponsored by many places since its inception in 1953 and was called the SBS Championship in 2009. Prior to last year, Mercedes Benz was the title sponsor going back to the mid 90s. It has not mattered to Geoff Ogilvy who puts up the cash to have their name on the tournament the last two years as he has come away with the trophy and winner’s check in 2008 and 2009. He’ll be back in the small field again this year as the sole qualification for a spot in the tournament is having taken home a victory on the PGA Tour in 2010. The course itself is modestly long and features wide fairways and big greens, partially due to the fact that it can play very differently from day to day based on the sea breeze/wind on Maui’s coast. In looking at the field this week, I like the guys who hit it long but, more importantly, the guys who have had success on this course in the past. There are a number of former champions in the field and they all have to like their chances to start the 2011 season on a strong note.
