Top Storylines from the 2014 Golf Offseason
The PGA Tour is in a short recess before beginning the 2015 portion of the 2014-15 season.
One of the benefits of that break is that enthusiasm and interest can build toward the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii early in the new year.
Following is a list of some top storylines coming out '14, heading into '15.
Tiger Woods: New Coach; Healthy Game?
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Millions of eyes will be on Tiger Woods, his surgically repaired back and his golf swing when he first tees it up in a PGA Tour event in 2015.
He figures to be rusty for a while, but the expectations will be high for Woods, who will be 39 by then.
His road back to the top of the golf world won't be easy, with the landscape being littered with very talented young players such as Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth and Victor Dubuisson.
No doubt about it, he'll be one of the biggest stories every time he tees it up.
How Will Rory McIlroy's Quest for a Green Jacket Play Out?
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Rory McIlroy has made it clear his No. 1 objective in 2015 is to win the Masters in April and complete the career Grand Slam before he reaches age 25.
That will be the obvious answer to the question: How will McIlroy top the season he had in 2014, the one that included a pair of major titles sandwiched around a World Golf Champions event?
Winning the Masters might do it for him because of its significance.
But how about it if he doesn't? Will he have put so much physical and mental energy into getting the keys down to Augusta National that it could affect the rest of his season?
That seems unlikely, but it will certainly be interesting watching it play out.
Clock Is Ticking on Anchored Putters
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On Jan. 1, 2016, the use of an anchored putting stroke will be banned by the USGA and R&A.
That's significant for players such as Adam Scott, Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley, Carl Petterson and Tim Clark.
Will that add pressure to these guys as they go about the business of playing on the PGA Tour? Scott, Simpson and Bradley have won major championships and might feel the heat of wanting to get another one before having to change putting styles.
And will these guys at any point in the season go to the putter or the style they plan to use in 2016?
It will be interesting to watch.
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How Will Billy Horschel Follow Up on His 2014 Finish?
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Billy Horschel, who caught fire in the biggest way possible, finishing T2, first and first in the last three FedEx Cup playoffs, won both the FedEx Cup and the Tour Championship.
The rest of his year was OK but nothing spectacular, and he'll be in the spotlight from the start of the 2015 season.
Horschel's fiery disposition will be tested all year as the expectations on him will be much higher.
He showed he has the game, now he has to perform over the course of a full season.
Tom Watson's Farewell at St. Andrews
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Tom Watson will play in his final British Open in 2015 on the Old Course at St. Andrews, thanks to a special exemption extended to him by the R&A. If he happens to finish in the top 10, he'll get another year, but that's the only way he'll play again.
The buildup started not long after the 2014 Open as Watson's farewell tour at St. Andrews was anticipated.
And then came the debacle at Gleneagles where Watson took a great deal of heat as the captain of the United States Ryder Cup team. Some very questionable decisions, the rumored lack of communication with his players and then getting hammered by Phil Mickelson in the post-match press conference.
Let's hope none of that takes away from what promises to be an emotional week at St. Andrews.
Who Will Cash in 1st: Rickie Fowler or Jordan Spieth?
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Rory McIlroy appears to be on the verge of distancing himself from Tiger Woods and Adam Scott.
But not all that far behind those three are a pair of players who are ready to make the jump to either join those players or pass them.
Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth.
They each have only one victory on the PGA Tour, but they are extremely talented and have proven their ability to play in golf's biggest events. Both contended in majors last year and can be expected to take the next step soon.
The question is, which will be the one to get that major first?
That will make for some fun watching in 2015.
U.S. Open: Chambers Bay and Fox Sports
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When the U.S. Open is played in the Great Northwest at Chambers Bay in June, we'll all be watching through a different sets of eyes.
Those eyes belong to Fox Sports, which reached an agreement with the USGA for the broadcast rights to that organization's championships. Joe Buck and Greg Norman will be the voices on the Fox lead crew, and they'll be calling the action on a course unlike any other U.S. Open venue.
Much was made about Pinehurst No. 2 being a links-like course, but it's nothing like the linksy-ness of Chambers Bay. The U.S. Amateur was played there in 2010 and passed all of the USGA's tests.
It will definitely be a unique test of golf for the field of 156 players.
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