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PGA TOUR 2007 forecast: Top story
 
Dec. 27, 2006
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PGATOUR.com's panel of prognosticators have taken time out from their holiday cheer to take a look at the 2007 season. We're pondering the top stories, picking players to watch and going out on a limb to predict the winner of the inaugural FedExCup and Presidents Cup.

Hopefully, we won't make total fools of ourselves, but only time will tell.

Brett Avery
The Fantasy Insider
Pick: FedExCup
The Fantasy Insider was ready to predict the FedExCup phrase "$10 million bonus" would be written and said almost as many times as "Swedish wife." Before the points race really intensifies, though, there will be another on-going story that commands the headlines. Just as polls of likely voters become the obsession of reporters covering elections, everyone's playing schedule will be probed and dissected by golf writers and broadcasters. Expect a flurry of Tuesday and Wednesday stories on the topic before each tournament. Will the top players compete more or less? How will they pace themselves as the playoffs approach? Are q-school grads getting into enough tournaments to have a "fair" shot at the playoffs? Will players on other tours try to make an extra start or two on the PGA TOUR to guarantee a spot in the 144-man field for the Barclays Classic, which kicks off the playoffs? And, TFI's favorite, how will everyone pace themselves during the playoffs when they're not sure whether they'll compete the next week?
Lauren Deason
PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator
Pick: FedExCup
Sure, Tiger Woods is going for his seventh straight PGA TOUR win when he hits the links next, but the overarching story of the year will be the new FedExCup. For the first time, the TOUR will have a playoff system and the possibilities and questions are endless. Can Tiger earn enough points to be the No. 1 seed heading into the final four events? Will the notoriously hardworking and consistent Vijay Singh, who typically plays in more tournaments than Woods, take the inaugural FedExCup trophy? The first winner might be a big name or a Cinderella story, and with each tournament in 2007 the excitement should build toward a fantastic finish.
Melanie Hauser
PGATOUR.com Contributor
Pick: Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Never underestimate the possibility of another Tiger Slam. He's off and running with the last two majors of 2006. So, will Tiger pick up where he left off? When will the streak end? What will he redefine next? Good questions, all. But let's not forget the other thing on everyone's mind -- what will Phil do next? He ended the year on a precipitous downhill slide. Will the 72nd hole at Winged Foot linger? Or will those gameplans turn things around?
John Maginnes
PGA TOUR Network on XM Satellite Radio analyst
Pick: Tiger Woods
I have an amazing history for prognosticating. I am the anti-Nostradamus. Friends call me to find out who I like in a football game just so that they can bet the other way. With absolutely nothing to base my new-found confidence on, I believe that I have turned a corner. This is the year that my predictions come true, so pay close attention. Tiger is the top story every year, but in 2007 he will be upstaged. Not by a player on the PGA TOUR -- don't be ridiculous. No, Tiger will be upstaged by a member of his own family. I predict that he and Elin add a cub to their litter; the heir to the throne. How can this be the top story in 2007, you might ask? Simple, because the world cares more about Tiger as an icon than they do about his career. Now, that is star power.
Helen Ross
PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents
Pick: Tiger Woods
I see two storylines -- one that could command attention the first part of the season and a second that will certainly dominate the end of the year. First things first, though. Tiger Woods may have played the best golf of his career in 2006 as he won six straight PGA TOUR events, including the last two majors of the year. Will he break his tie with Ben Hogan and move closer to Byron Nelson's record 11 in a row? Will there be another Tiger Slam? We'll know the answers to both by the time the FedExCup season really heats up and the race for the $10 million bonus dominates the headlines. Of course, if Tiger answers the first two questions in the affirmative, he'll undoubtedly be the FedExCup frontrunner.
Dave Shedloski
PGATOUR.com Senior Correspondent
Pick: Phil Mickelson
It depends on how Tiger Woods begins the season. He has a six-tournament winning streak on the PGA TOUR to protect, and should he manage to extend that, the focus will grow exponentially, as will the pressure and publicity. He's also halfway to his second Tiger Slam after winning the 2006 British Open and PGA Championship. A larger passion play worth watching, however, will be the resuscitation of Phil Mickelson. His implosion at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot was as inexplicable as it was debilitating. The shocking loss overshadowed an impeccable performance at Augusta National Golf Club, where he won his second Masters title, and it rendered the remainder of his '06 season forgettable and fruitless.
Mike Vitti
ShotLink Analyst
Pick: FedExCup
This season will be the inaugural one for the FedExCup and the story of positioning for the playoffs will permeate golf coverage throughout the year. It has not even started yet and players are already talking about how it might affect their playing schedules. The media is already discussing how it works, and fans are already debating what it is and who might win. The FedExCup will always be a part of the story at every event this year. However, for me personally as a golf stats and equipment nut the biggest story is the introduction of Trackman to the PGATOUR. This high-tech device will be recording ball speed, spin rates, trajectories and other statistics at PGA TOUR events throughout the season. Keep a watch on PGATOUR.com for more information on this technology.