New year, new start.
With 2017 comes a clean slate for every player in the world of golf. Like the other sports, golf is very much a “what have you done lately?” league.
Best finish of 2016 went to Rory McIlroy, who comes into the new season testing equipment, not always the best scenario.
Jason Day is still the world’s No. 1 player, but health issues continue to plague him.
Dustin Johnson got his breakthrough major championship in 2016 and looks like he’s just getting started.
Henrik Stenson had a career year at age 40 but knee problems are his Achilles heel.
Jordan Spieth will defend his title this week at the season-opening Tournament Of Champions but a disaster in Augusta led to a season that saw him struggle with his accuracy.
Hideki Matsuyama was simply dominant over the last 90 days of 2016 and his task is to take the next step and establish himself in major championship golf.
Adam Scott is in a decline. His talent is unquestionable but putting has him trending in the wrong direction.
Patrick Reed looked unbeatable in Ryder Cup competition but major championships are where reputations are made in this game.
Alex Noren has burst onto the world stage in a big way, working his way to No. 9. How will he fare in the majors this year?
Bubba Watson is still Bubba Watson, a curious competitor who is either really good, or really disinterested.
The 2017 season begins with those players sitting as the top 10 in the world.
What does this season hold in store? Let’s take a quick look.
The good news is that there are no Summer Olympics to disrupt the major championship schedule this year.
The Masters will be staged April 6-9. The U.S. Open at Erin Hills in Wisconsin will be played June 15-18. The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale will be contested July 20-23 with the PGA at Quail Hollow in Charlotte back in its traditional August slot (10th-13th).
The two players with the most upside this year could be McIlroy and Johnson. They have the most talent, the most firepower. Johnson has found the consistency that McIlroy is still searching for. If you had to pick two early favorites at Augusta, it would be that pair. McIlroy is still trying to complete the career Grand Slam and needs that Green Jacket to do it.
Day has to prove he can bring his “A” game more often. He’s pushing 30 but is very much in the prime of his career but it is the constant cloud of his body’s health that puts a question mark next to his game. He has the game to win the Masters.
Speith is the biggest head-scratcher among the top 5. He lost his accuracy and his consistency. Still, he won twice which shows how good he is, even without his “A” game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
In no particular order, here are some guys to keep an eye on this season.
Jon Rahm: Here’s a young guy with a lot of firepower. Earned his tour card the hard way and did it without a lot of experience with PGA Tour venues.
Brooks Koepka: Brooks has all the tools but needs some polish to contend in the majors. This could be a big year for him.
Alex Noren: Here’s the guy no one talks about but may be the next big thing coming to America. Has secured an invitation to his first Masters.
Bubba Watson: Totally in need of a comeback.
Rickie Fowler: Can the tour’s Good Time Charlie win this year?
Phil Mickelson: Is the sun beginning to set on him as a serious contender or does he have another push like the one at the 2016 Open Championship?
Tiger Woods: He will be the most-watched player in 2017. So many questions, so few answers. Schedule will be the biggest challenge for Woods. If he is going to find his old form, he needs to play more but Woods has always played a skinny schedule throughout his career. The fact that he is no longer qualified for the WGC events is a big problem as that’s where he has made his living, in those limited-field, no cut events. Woods is also trying to find his next set of clubs and that’s a task in and of itself.
Can Tiger Woods win again? That will probably be the most-asked and most debated question of 2017.
