PGA Tour: The Stage Is Set for One Exciting Season

As the ground is finally beginning to thaw in most parts of the country, indicating that the heart of the golf season is nearly upon us, the stage is set for what could be one of the most exciting PGA Tour seasons in quite some time. 

The PGA Tour right now has as much talent and as many legitimate superstars as it has at any other time in recent memory, and the stage finally appears set for a legitimate clash of these titans.

Needless to say, Phil Mickelson’s career might have been a lot different had he not been dealt the unfortunate hand of being born within 10 years of Tiger Woods. 

Now, after 16 years on the PGA Tour, "Lefty" is within a hair of overtaking Woods to become the No. 1 player in the world.

At last week’s WGC-CA Championship, Mickelson finally displayed a game that was as good as, if not better than, what it was during his great run back in 2004-2006. 

Could Mickelson finally climb his way back to the top of the mountain and capture another major in 2009? 

If he didn’t complain so often, we might even feel bad for Sergio Garcia and the tragic way in which he has let several majors slip right through his fingers. 

Garcia won the Players Championship last year, which is widely regarded as golf’s fifth major, and is also well within striking distance of Woods’ No. 1 spot in the World Golf Rankings.

Will 2009 be the year that Garcia finally gets over that proverbial hump and wins a major? 

We have a slew of ambitious young guns just awaiting their chance to nip at Tiger’s heels. 

Will the likes of Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas, or teen sensation Rory McIlroy actually step up and challenge Woods? 

The golf world is certainly waiting to see if any one of them has what it takes to go head-to-head with Woods on Sunday of a major championship.  

Could it be a quiet talent such as Geoff Ogilvy that steps up and goes head to head with Woods in 2009? 

Ogilvy has now won a major and three World Golf Championships and has the ability to go on short streaks of absolute perfect golf that even Woods himself might have a tough time keeping up with.

Then, of course, we have the most intriguing story of the year. 

How will Tiger Woods recover from his reconstructive knee surgery and nine-month layoff?

Can Woods win a major in 2009?

Will Woods have lost any of his skill or mental edge over the long layoff? 

Have we already seen Woods’ best years, or are they still yet to come?

Forget just a golf fan; anyone who is even remotely interested in sports is anxiously awaiting the answers to these questions.

Finally, although he gets about as much respect as the guy who rakes the sand traps at the British Open, Padraig Harrington is, believe it or not, halfway to completing a form of the grand slam.

If Harrington were to somehow win the Masters in a few weeks, all other stories in the golf world will go right out the window because, needless to say, it is not often that a player has the opportunity to win the grand slam.

Bobby Jones of course won all majors in one year.  Hogan won all three majors he played in during one season, and Woods won all four majors consecutively over the course of two years, which is now know as the "Tiger Slam."

Harrington is halfway to having his name appear alongside Jones, Hogan, and Woods. 

Could any story in the game be bigger than that right now?

You are probably thinking that even the thought of Harrington winning the grand slam is absolutely ludicrous.  But, you would have probably said the exact same thing if someone had told you before last year’s PGA Championship that Harrington would win his second consecutive major.

If you consider yourself a golf fan in any way and the possibility of what might take place over the course of the 2009 PGA Tour season does not appeal to you, you might as well devote most of your time to watching baseball this summer.