2009 PGA Tour Preview

Predictions and observations for the 2009 PGA Tour seasons that begins in January. Will Tiger be back? Will Michelle Wie get invited to a tournament? Will David Duval win a tournament? Who knows, but it's a lot of fun to guess. With tournament sponsors hurting due to the recession the PGA Tour is praying that the players will provide plenty of entertainment to keeps fans and sponsors interested. I think they're in luck, because this year has a couple of story lines that could make it interesting.

John Daly Will Not Be Back

Big John is definitely going to play in some tournaments, but he will almost certainly miss the cut in each one and continue his struggle to stay on tour. My prediction? He'll soon be on the Hooters Tour (which should be easy to work out since Hooters is his sponsor).

Michelle Wie Will Probably be Back

Michelle Wie will undoubtedly get an invitation to play in a lower-tier PGA Tour event (i.e. the John Deere Classic) and will certainly miss the cut...as she has every other time she's played in a PGA Tour sanctioned event.

When will they stop inviting her? It was interesting when she was 15, now she's just like any other young golfer trying to make it on the LPGA Tour, and she isn't even the best there - if you're going to invite an LPGA golfer, invite one of the best.

Tiger Woods Will Definitely be Back

Tiger Woods is going to be healthy enough to play the Masters - even if he isn't 100% healthy, he'll still be playing. Plus he has a perfect excuse to skip the first few months of the season and hang out with his (beautiful) wife and baby daughter.

It has been obvious for the past few years that Tiger Woods will do just about anything to play in a major championship and inch his way closer to Jack's record. Playing on a sore knee is easy compared to what he's done in the past (playing after his father's death and playing on a broken leg).

Anthony Kim Will Win a Major

Anthony Kim is due. He is the best young golfer on tour since Tiger Woods debut in 1997 and while he isn't quite that good, he definitely deserves his top 10 world ranking.

I am predicting a win at either the Masters or the PGA Championship. He doesn't have the experience in links golf to win at the British and the U.S. Open is on one of the many courses that Tiger Woods dominates (Bethpage Black).

Stewart Cink Will Win a Major

Stewart Cink is one of the guys who competed with Tiger growing up and has never quite gotten a chance to jump out of Tiger's shadow. Last year he had a great year, and I predict this year he will finally come through in a major. The Masters and PGA are both good bets for him, and maybe even the British Open.

J.B. Holmes Will Still Hit the Ball Really, Really, Far

Duh.

Jim Furyk's Swing Will Still Look Weird

The guy's swing has always looked weird and he's won tournaments - including majors - with it. Why change it now? Expect to see Jim Furyk win 2-3 tournaments, maybe a top-tier tournament like the Tour Championship or a FedEx cup event, but no majors.

Boo Weekley and Bubba Watson Still Have the Best Names on Tour

Their names are great. Their golf is great. What's not to love? Two southern boys who happen to be good enough at golf to make millions so that when they aren't playing they can go fishin' and huntin'.

Colin Montgomerie is Still a Jerk

I really wish this guy would stay in Europe. He hates the crowds at tournaments, he's never won on U.S. soil, and he acts like a three year old when he doesn't get his way.

David Duval Will Win

This is a shot in the dark and more of a wish than a prediction, but I'd love to see Duval win a tournament and take back the career that he suddenly lost. Him and Vijay Singh are the only two people to have been ranked #1 since Tiger Woods joined the PGA Tour.

I don't think he'll ever get back to that level, but it would be nice to see him get his card.