Monday Backspin: The Foursome, Quick 18, more

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Admit it, you like seeing gorgeous shots from the Hawaiian events when the snow's piling up outside your front door.

Welcome to PGATOUR.COM's newest feature. Each Monday, the Backspin will provide insight and analysis on the latest results, happenings and news on the PGA TOUR. We welcome your feedback; click here to let us know what you think!

SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE? HARDLY: There was a lot of hand-wringing last week about how some of the game's top players were skipping the season-opening Mercedes Championship. Would it have been nice to see Phil Mickelson playing? Of course. Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington? Absolutely. Tiger Woods? Duh. But here's why it almost doesn't matter: The event pretty much carries itself, no matter who's in -- or who's not in -- the field.

Golf in prime time, in Hawaii, with scenic shots of Molokai in the background while half the country is under a snow blanket is reason alone to watch. Young stars such as Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas is another. Word that Kate Hudson was canoodling with Adam Scott at the Ritz-Carlton Maui (see A Quick 18) was yet another. And given what happened Sunday -- Kim's near-albatross on 18, Ogilvy's near-collapse -- there's plenty of water-cooler talk.

So don't tell me the season's too long or that this event should be moved to a later date. Even though I'm a firm believer in less is more, those arguments simply don't apply in Hawaii. -- Brian Wacker

For a video version of the Backspin, click here.

The Top Three

Videos

• Anthony Kim on his record vs. Tiger. Watch • Ernie Els discusses South Africa's cricket win. Watch • Sunday's shot of the day was a doozy! Watch Videos chosen by product manager Jill Dantzscher

Spanning the Web

• Golf Digest's equipment 2009 Hot List is out. Click • Can titanium clubs damage your ears? Click • A 43-year-old's quest to make the TOUR. Click Links selected by Site Producer Brian Wacker

AS GOOD AS ADVERTISED: We knew long before Sunday that Anthony Kim was a dynamic player. But after viewing his final round, I can't wait to see what we're in for with this guy in the years to come. He's as good as advertised, which you can't say about many athletes.

Think about it. He started the day trailing by seven shots. That has to be deflating, knowing you basically need a miracle to win. In fact, Kim joked afterward that the number he thought he needed Sunday was 59. However, Kim -- thanks in part to some early blunders by leader Geoff Ogilvy -- trimmed that deficit to one shot. Absolutely incredible. Kim looked poised to pull off what seemed impossible ... until Ogilvy rebounded and pulled away.

Still, Kim, ever the competitor, left those at Kapalua with one last thrill on the 18th hole -- the longest hole on the PGA TOUR at 663 yards -- by nearly holing his second shot with a 3-wood for a double eagle. He didn't win ... but he left a pretty good final impression. -- T.J. Auclair

IS ERNIE BACK?: Seven of the last 10 winners of the Sony Open in Hawaii have taken the 30-minute flight from Maui to Oahu after playing in the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

Interesting.

The two courses couldn't be more different. One is built on the side of a mountain and has what may be the widest fairways on TOUR. The other is flat and tight. So what gives?

Never underestimate the value of having a few competitive rounds under your belt. And if history is any indication, Ernie Els is a likely candidate to win at Waialae Country Club again this year if he can continue to gain confidence in his short game. After all, the Big Easy tied for fifth at Kapalua on Sunday and he's a two-time winner of the Sony Open (2003 and 2004) with a runner-up there in 2005. It's good to see him playing well so early in the year. -- Helen Ross

BIG-GAME GEOFF: Geoff Ogilvy's list of victories is getting more impressive by the year. Of his five wins, just two have come in full-field events. His two World Golf Championships victories alone would put him in an elite category. Add the 2006 U.S. Open Championship at Winged Foot and his resume starts to read like a legacy. With Sunday's win, he moves into rarified air on the PGA TOUR.

Geoff has proven that when he brings his best stuff to the golf course that he can beat everyone in the world. Three of his victories came when Tiger Woods was in the field. His last two victories (he won the World Golf Championships-CA Championship last year) have been wire-to-wire.

At age 31, Geoff may no longer qualify as one of the TOUR's young guns. But if we're looking at emerging superstars, we would be remiss to overlook the quiet Aussie. -- John Maginnes

Stock up

Anthony Kim: Forget the near-albatross on 18. He proved all week he's ready to take the next step ... and that he's the closest thing to Tiger. Davis Love III: It looks like Love is picking up right where he left off last season. His re-dedication to practice is clearly paying off. Ernie Els: Had third-round struggles with the putter, but if the swing changes under Butch Harmon take hold, Els could make some waves in '09.

Stock down

Stewart Cink: Two days after posting two eagles in the same round, Cink closed with a 71-74 weekend. He never had a chance Sunday, starting with a double-bogey on No. 1 and two more bogeys on Nos. 2 and 4. Daniel Chopra: What a difference a year makes. Chopra carded one of our top 10 rounds of 2008 when he won in a playoff at Kapalua. This year, he opened with a 79 that featured a 7 and two 6s on the card. Camilo Villegas: He and Kim began Sunday tied at 12 under. While Kim was busy finishing in a tie for second, the 27-year-old Colombian struggled to an even-par 73 that kept him at 12-under for the tournament.

A Quick 18

Front Nine Back Nine Tiger Woods wasn't at Kapalua, but he's still $65,000 richer. Any player who qualifies for an official no-cut, no-alternate-list money event but is unable to play because of injury still receives last-place, unofficial money. Michelle Wie won't be in the Sony Open field this week, but despite earning her LPGA Tour card last year, she still says she wants to play against the men. "I always wanted to do it since I started golf," she said recently. Adam Scott and actress Kate Hudson are reportedly an item. Hudson spent the weekend at Kapalua with the 28-year-old Aussie. Annika Sorenstam and Mike McGee were married over the weekend, four weeks after the Hall of Famer retired. Approximately 125 guests attended the ceremony in Orlando, Fla. McGee is the son of former TOUR player Jerry McGee. Camilo Villegas, who turned 27 on Wednesday, failed to win an official TOUR event for the first time in his last three starts. A final-round 73 left him tied for 12th. Rich Beem has accepted a sponsor's exemption into the 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer. British-based oddsmakers William Hill has installed Tiger as a 9-4 favorite at the Masters. Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, is listed at 10-1, followed by Sergio Garcia at 12-1. Padraig Harrington, who will be shooting for his third straight major, at 14-1. Delta Air Lines said it plans to add more than 7,000 seats for flights between Augusta, Ga., and Atlanta during Masters week, as well as daily service between Augusta and New York's LaGuardia and peak service to JFK. Prior to Sunday, Vijay Singh had posted eight top-10s in nine appearances at the Mercedes-Benz. By comparison, the rest of the field had combined for 22 top-10s in 44 starts. Singh finished T27 this year. Ever wonder about all that global travel Ernie Els does? The Big Easy told the Golf Channel he keeps a healthy supply of vodka on board since he'd sometimes have to trade it for fuel as he hopscotches around the world. Speaking of Singh, he'll be out the next 4-5 weeks because of knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Surgery is scheduled for this week. According to The Guardian, Sandy Lyle is angling to be the captain for Europe in the 2010 Ryder Cup. The report also notes that should he get the captaincy, he'd like Bernhard Langer to be one of his vice-captains. Callaway Golf signed Stuart Appleby to a multi-year deal last week that will see the Aussie use Callaway clubs and ball along with the company's logo on his hat. Appleby's caddie will carry a Callaway bag. Appleby was previously with Bridgestone Golf. Anthony Kim's upcoming schedule will include the 50th Bob Hope Classic Hosted by Arnold Palmer, the FBR Open and, of course, the WGC events as he turns his focus to performing well in major championships this year. The 16th green at TPC Scottsdale should be even louder come next month's FBR Open. Officials have added general admission bleachers for about 3,000 additional fans to the right of the 162-yard hole. Retief Goosen made a rare albatross -- a double eagle -- on the 18th hole during the final round of the Joburg Open in his native South Africa. Despite nine bogeys and a closing 74, Goosen finished in style with a 216-yard 3-iron. While players were teeing it up in Hawaii, The Weather Channel aired a segment on Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost community in America with an average annual temperature of 10 degrees. That doesn't stop local hotel manager Jerry Hay from hitting the driving range. "When you love golf, you love golf," he said. Natalie Gulbis was the latest star to join social-networking site Twitter.com. Don't expect too much, however. "I don't think I would ever Twitter about my personal life, who I was dating, who I was going out with. That is something I would be very protective of," she told the New York Times.

The Forward Spin

This week's Sony Open in Hawaii couldn't be more different than the Mercedes-Benz Championship. Sure, both are played in Hawaii, but that's about where the similarities end. The greens at Waialae are much smaller than those at Kapalua and the course is much tighter and less hilly. In other words, there's a much different premium on shotmaking. Plus, it's the first full-field event of the season. In other words, time to get real serious.

Stock up/Stock down, Quick 18 and Forward Spin were written by PGATOUR.COM Site Producer Brian Wacker