2013 Season Finally Underway at Kapalua

After incredible winds on Friday, Saturday and early Sunday, the Tournament of Champions has finally begun at Kapalua. Players began the first round on Friday, but the holes played didn't mean anything as the round was called due to high winds. Pairs are starting off both nines today to try to get rounds 1 and 2 in today and then have the final round Monday. This will make it only 54 holes. The weather conditions will force the Players to try things they would not usually. It will certainly be a great test of skill over the coming days.

For more on the Tournament of Champions, visit PGATour.com

2013 Season set to Begin Next Week

The 2013 season is set to start on January 4th on the Plantation course at Kapalua. This event is very exciting because it has most of the winners from last year, it is the Tournament of Champions. The problem is that it is too early in the year. I would love to watch a tournament like this with many of the top PGA Players in a smaller event (only worth 500 FedEx Cup points), but because it is in January, and not in the heart of the season I will most likely not watch it because I am not in the golf season. This event could be good for the PGA Tour though, especially in coming years because of the shortened season. The 2013 season will be 7 events shorter because the 2013-14 season will start in the fall of 2013. The Tournament of Champions could start to be a bigger event if people are following the season right from the start of the fall.

For more preview of the Tournament of Champions, go to PGATour.com

Montgomerie, Schofield round out Hall of Fame Class 2013

Colin Montgomerie and Ken Schofield will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in May joining Fred Couples, Willie Park Jr. and Ken Venturi in the class of 2013. The inductions will take place on May 6, 2013 to kick off the Players Championship. Montgomerie was an excellent player on the European Tour, finishing 1st 7 years in a row. He won 31 titles in Europe, and was also a player on 8 European Ryder Cup teams in a row and went undefeated in Sunday Singles over these years. Schofield was the first in command of the European tour from 1975 to 2004 and in this time expanded it from just 17 events to 45 events plus more Challenge and Seniors Tour events. Both men are deserving of this honor and have both contributed to the growth and celebration of the game, worldwide.

Tom Watson Named US Ryder Cup Captain for 2014

Tom Watson, an exceptional Ryder Cup player himself, has been named the captain for the 2014 American Ryder Cup team. Watson has also won 5 British Opens, so he will be right at home in Scotland at Gleneagles. He is also a fan favorite in Scotland, so it will be tough for the Scots to cheer against him. Team Europe has yet to name it's captian, but has had some suggestions from Rory McIlroy over Twitter. McIlroy wants Paul McGinley for 2014 and Darren Clarke on American soil in 2016. The US has not had a winning Ryder Cup team since 2008 at Valhalla. They will be looking to retake the Cup with the help of a young batch of upcoming stars like Bud Cauley who could be ready to play for a Ryder Cup sometime in the near future. If the Ryder Cup is as exciting in 2014 as it was this year, it will be a Ryder Cup to remember.

Start of the 2013-2014 Schedule Released

Over the weekend, the PGA Tour released the schedule for the start of the 2013-14 season. Starting in the fall of 2013, some Fall Series events will now be part of the season starting the following year. This will get fans to follow golf year round. There is still a break during December, but more people will watch during the fall months because these events mean something for the FedEx Cup. The schedule for events that involve the FedEx Cup are the same, but immediately after the 2013 Presidents Cup, the 2013-14 season will begin.

The fall 2013 schedule looks exciting as 3 of the events will take place outside of the US in China, Malaysia and Mexico. These events will also get top level players playing later in the year and again drawing more fans.

For the complete schedule, go to PGA Tour.com   

Rory, Huh Win Player and Rookie of the Year Honors

Rory McIlroy has won the Player of the Year award and John Huh has won the Rookie of the year. Rory was the youngest player since Tiger in 1997 to win the Player of the Year. He won 4 times, setting the record for the largest win in PGA Championship history, winning by 8 shots. He also won the Arnold Palmer Award as the Tour's leading money winner and the Byron Nelson Award for the lowest scoring average. He has also held the World's Number One spot for 24 weeks this year.

John Huh was the first player of Korean background to ever win the Rookie of the year award. He won his first Tour event in Febuary in an 8 hole playoff against Robert Allenby at the Mayakoba Golf Classic. He was also the only rookie to qualify for the Tour Championship and only the 5th to qualify since the FedEx Cup started in 2007.

Congratulations to both players. For more on John Huh and Rory McIlroy, go to PGA Tour.com

USGA will Ban Anchored Putters for 2016

Starting in 2016, the used of putters anchored to your belly, chest or chin will be illegal. This does not mean that the use of long putters is not allowed, just that they cant be anchored to your body. Players like Keegan Bradley who have always used belly putters will have to adjust ad thats the reason the rule will not be inserted until 2016. Someone like Adam Scott will have to find another way to win. Before using a chest putter, Adam Scott was just another guy with a pretty swing who couldn't use his talents to be what he really could. The chest putter helped him reach his full potential. Hopefully these guys can find a way to keep winning.

Rory Takes it all in Dubai

Having already locked up the European Tour's Race to Dubai, winning the DP World Tour Championship was just icing on the cake for Rory McIlroy, the current world number 1 from Holywood, Northern Ireland. This really was a fairy tale year for the kid who dreamed about being the best in the world from his diaper days. First he won the Honda Classic and took over the World Number 1 title from Like Donald, for a while. He then lost the top spot through the summer and even missed 3 cuts in a row at one point. Just when it looked like he had lost his game he stormed back and won the PGA Championship by 8 shots. This was a turning point in the year. During the PGA Tour Playoffs, Rory won 2 events in a row (the Deutsche Bank and the BMW) and was number 1 in points all the way until the very end at the Tour Championship where he was passed by Brant Snedeker because of a points reset. Then it was on to the Ryder Cup where he helped his European team complete the miracle comeback on Sunday to retain it. He then finished off the Race to Dubai title 3 weeks early because by that point no one could catch him, and finished the year by taking the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai and completing the 5 win season. Sounds like golf its next young super star.

McIlroy will Defend his European Tour Victory Next Year

Having already claimed the European Tour Race to Dubai crown, the World Number 1 has made it clear that he will remain with the tour next year. He was given a tour badge that says "Defending Champion for 2013". Rory also accomplished the same feat that the previous world number 1 Luke Donald did last year, by leading both the PGA Tour and European Tour money lists. Rory has had a sensational year, winning 4 events, adding another major championship at the PGA Championship, winning both money lists and he led the FedEx Cup all the way until the Tour Championship and if it weren't for the points reset he would have won that too. Maybe young Rory will get his 5th win of the year this weekend and cap off an amazing 2012.

For more on the European Tour Finale, visit www.europeantour.com/

Adam Scott is Victorious at The Australian Masters

In his home country of Australia, Adam Scott won the $1 million Australian Masters. This was Scott's 1st win of the year after a near miss at the British Open over the summer. Ian Poulter was in the hunt once again in a miracle fall that he hopes will carry over into next season. This is Scott's second last event of the year before the Emirates Australian Open, so he is only playing at home for the rest of the year. Poulter will be playing in the European Tour finale at the Dubai World Championship starting this Thursday. The event is like the Tour Championship here in North America. The top players in the 57 playing will be trying to capture the $8 million prize. Poulter has a chance to get into the top 2 but it is unlikely he or anyone else will take over the Top Spot from McIlroy.