Groups to watch: Northern Trust Open, Round 1

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Action begins at Riviera today with an outstanding field. There goes your productivity again.

Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Rory Sabbatini
Tee time: 10:37 a.m. ET
Tee: No. 10
Total TOUR wins: 37
Why you should watch: Sure, Mickelson missed the cut at Pebble Beach, but his other two starts this season resulted in top-six finishes. After top-30 finishes in his first two events, Mahan will try to stem the tide of two consecutive missed cuts.

Meanwhile, Sabbatini comes back from a week off after two top-three finishes in his past three events.

Charles Howell III, Rod Pampling, Luke Donald
Tee time: 10:47 a.m. ET
Tee: No. 1
Total TOUR wins: 6
Why you should watch: Donald makes his 2008 PGA TOUR debut this week after a modest 2007 campaign that saw him post two runner-up finishes. Howell III defends a title for the first time in his TOUR career this week. He's searching for his first top-10 finish in a full-field event this season.

Pampling has made two cuts in his past three tournaments, but is still searching for his first top-25 run of the season.

Adam Scott, Troy Matteson, Kenny Perry
Tee time: 3:01 p.m. ET
Tee: No. 1
Total TOUR wins: 15
Why you should watch: Scott, like Donald, makes his 2008 PGA TOUR debut this week with a European Tour win already in his bag. He had a closing 61 at the Qatar Masters. Matteson was eighth at the Sony Open and a tie for 11th at Torrey Pines.

Perry, meanwhile, finished in the top 20 in his most recent PGA TOUR event, the FBR Open in Phoenix.