Season preview: 12 burning questions about 2012

text size

2012 PGA TOUR SEASON: Schedule | Top 100 to Watch | Fantasy Rankings | Play Fantasy
DISCUSS: What storylines are you following for the 2012 season?

The 2012 season officially kicks off Friday with the first round of the 28-player Hyundai Tournament of Champions. The first full-field event is next week's Sony Open in Hawaii.

A busy whirlwind of golf followed the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, leaving more questions than answers. Rickie Fowler won a pro event ... but not on TOUR. Tiger Woods beat Zach Johnson head-to-head to win the Chevon World Challenge, but his detractors pointed that out that it was an 18-player event. Several surprises also emerged from q-school, giving the TOUR another unpredictable rookie class.

So ... what are the key storylines ahead of the 2012 season? We asked PGATOUR.COM editorial team some burning questions ahead of the season opener.

WILL RICKIE FOWLER FINALLY BREAK THROUGH ON TOUR?

Fowler

Some people seem to be getting fidgety that Fowler has yet to win on TOUR. You do realize that he just recently turned 23 years old, right? Sure, he's struggled on Sundays -- his final-round scoring averaged tied for 125th on TOUR last year -- but he's putting himself in position to contend.

Of his first 60 starts on TOUR, he has four second-place finishes and 13 top-10s. It's really just a matter of time, and 2012 is setting up quite nicely for Fowler to finally start realizing the lofty expectations on him. He blew away the field in winning in Korea in October, and he'll be grinding hard to make the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Don't be surprised if 2012 is the Year of the Orange. -- By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM Managing Editor

WHICH 2011 CHAMPION HAS THE BEST CHANCE TO DEFEND IN 2012?

No-hitters are more common in Major League Baseball than successful defending champions on the PGA TOUR. The odds are simply against finishing lowest in large fields in consecutive years. So, with due respect to the three-time defending champ of the John Deere Classic, Steve Stricker, and Michael Bradley's uncanny knack to tame Trump International in Puerto Rico, I'll push my chips over to Jonathan Byrd at the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Aside from the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola -- whose field is capped at 30 and is an event for which the defending champ isn't guaranteed to qualify -- Kapalua hosts the coziest gathering all year. Moreover, since 2004, the reigning champ has defended three times. -- By Rob Bolton, PGATOUR.COM Fantasy columnist

WHICH VETERAN WILL HAVE A REBOUND YEAR?

Garcia

Any person who knows me would automatically think I'd go with Padraig Harrington, one of my personal favorites. Certainly you'd think the three-time major winner would turn it around at some point after three winless years on TOUR while working through swing and coaching changes. But the more logical pick -- at least in the non-Tiger category -- is Sergio Garcia, who hasn't won a TOUR event since claiming THE PLAYERS Championship in 2008.

Garcia had three top-10s last year and will have a great springboard into 2012 after winning back-to-back European Tour events in Spain in October. And speaking of springboards, look for Jim Furyk to play better in 2012 after a fantastic showing at The Presidents Cup. -- By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM Managing Editor

WILL PHIL MICKELSON WIN BEFORE HE GETS INDUCTED INTO THE WORLD GOLF HALL OF FAME IN MAY?

Mickelson

Mickelson has a history of playing well out of the gate when his enthusiasm for the season is at a high. Not to mention, he is a West Coast guy and he's racked up 15 of his 38 victories before he heads to the Florida Swing. Remember, Mickelson nearly won out of the box last year at the Farmers Insurance Open, finishing second to Bubba Watson at Torrey Pines where Lefty has three wins. Phoenix, where Mickelson has won twice and has nine top-10s in 22 starts, is another prime possibility.

And if he should leave the West Coast without a win, don't count Phil out at the Masters where he's won three times and finished fifth or better on seven occasions since 2000. By the time Mickelson gets to St. Augustine for the sure-to-be emotional induction ceremonies, that win total will be at least 40 -- and counting. -- By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents

WHO'LL WIN MORE MAJORS -- AMERICANS OR THE REST OF THE WORLD?

Johnson

This prospect of going up against the Rest of the World is a formidable task, isn't it? But this will be the year the Americans collectively reassert themselves after winning just two of the last eight majors. Keegan Bradley turned the tide in August when he went head-to-head against Jason Dufner to win a playoff at the PGA Championship.

And the previous month Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson challenged the charmed and eternally charming Darren Clarke at the British Open before tying for second. There's a crop of fearless young Americans poised to make their marks -- and they have earned the respect of none other than Ian Poulter.

"There is some great talent coming out of the States," the colorful Brit said prior to his win at the Australian Masters in December. "I'm not going to say they are in a slump in any way, shape or form, they have some fantastic players. But I think certainly in the next 18 months, two years, we will see a push from those young guys in the States." Oh, and don't forget the old man, Tiger Woods, who is ready to renew his assault on Jack Nicklaus' major record of 18 after ending the year with a win at the Chevron World Challenge. -- By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents

WHAT DOES LUKE DONALD DO FOR AN ENCORE?

Donald

Donald will do what he does best -- find fairways, hit greens and make key putts -- as he continues the remarkable run of consistency that lifted him to the No. 1 spot in the world. Donald picked up his third and fourth PGA TOUR wins on the way to the money title and Player of the Year honors in 2011, as well as his fourth and fifth victories in Europe. What he needs to do in 2012, though, is win a major to cement his legacy as one of the game's best players.

The steady Englishman has played in 34 of golf's crown jewels now and he has just six top-10s -- but two came in 2011 as he tied for fourth at the Masters and eighth at the PGA Championship so he's certainly trending upwards. Donald's best bet might be at Augusta National where he has three top-10s in seven appearances. And another consistent season like 2011, where Donald posted 14 top-10 finishes in 19 starts, will keep him in contention for the FedExCup title after third-place finishes each of the last two years. -- By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents

WHAT WILL BE THIS YEAR'S HOT EQUIPMENT TREND?

The story of equipment in 2011 was a two-part series. The first part featured glamour as much as function, with TaylorMade's white-headed metal woods making a huge splash in the pro game and amateurs' bags (some 2 million units were sold worldwide). Part II was all about the long putters, as nine TOUR events were won by players brandishing belly models or full broomsticks including Keegan Bradley at the PGA Championship .

Those two much-discussed storylines will be tough to top in 2012. The long-putter craze should continue on TOUR, with more players at least experimenting with them and some putting them in the bag for good -- and weekend hackers following suit. One trend to keep an eye on is the continuing rise of adjustable drivers. Callaway, eager to regain market share after a down period, will introduce the RAZR Fit, its first adjustable driver. Titleist and TaylorMade have dominated that marketplace, we'll see if there's room for more competition. -- By John Schwarb, PGATOUR.COM site producer

WILL SOMEONE OTHER THAN THE BIG FIVE (J.B. HOLMES, BUBBA WATSON, DUSTIN JOHNSON, ROBERT GARRIGUS, GARY WOODLAND) BE THE DRIVING DISTANCE LEADER IN 2012?

Kokrak

J.B. Holmes led the big show last year with a 318.4 yard average -- and it really wasn't even close. Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson averaged 314 a pop, Robert Garrigus checked in at 313 and Gary Woodland completed the Big Five at 310, even though he hits a lot of 3-woods and 2-irons, even on wide-open holes. Holmes hits his drives higher than anyone, and he will always be tough to beat. But there's one rookie who has a shot at putting up 320 yards per drive next year.

Jason Kokrak has the stocky build of Holmes (225 pounds), Bubba's height (6-foot-4) and Johnson's low ball movement. That scary combination led to a 318-yard average last year on the Nationwide Tour, where he won twice late in the year. Hello, confidence. Kokrak finished fourth on the Nationwide Tour money list last year, giving him excellent status for 2012, so he will get plenty of chances at inserting his name among the biggest hitters on TOUR. -- By Ryan Smithson, PGATOUR.COM site producer

WILL TIGER WOODS END HIS TOUR DROUGHT?

Woods

In a word, yes. What we saw at the Chevron World Challenge in December wasn't an aberration -- it was the culmination of what Woods has been building toward for months. The two big factors for Woods is that he's finally healthy and he's gaining a lot of confidence from being able to execute the swing changes he's been working on with coach Sean Foley.

Confidence was never an issue for Woods in the past, but he's gone through so much on and off the course recently that it couldn't help but be damaged. The result was some of the worst golf Woods has ever played. I don't think Tiger will be the player he was from 1999-2009 when he won 35 percent of the time, but who says he has to be? If he's 75 percent of that, he can still win several times a year, and I think that's exactly what will happen in 2012 with Woods winning at least a couple of times. -- By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM site producer

WHO'LL HAVE THE BETTER YEAR ON TOUR, RORY McILROY OR LEE WESTWOOD?

Anyone who knows me or has read me before probably thinks they know which way I'm leaning on this one (and leaning would be an understatement). But it all comes down to your definition of better. Is a season with, say, one win, and rarely being in contention the rest of the year better than one with a few close calls and a bunch of top-10s?

Given McIlroy's success on the course and his meteoric rise off it, I wouldn't be shocked if he actually takes a (very small) step back in 2012. It's going to be hard not to. I also think given Westwood's experience that he'll be more consistent on a week-to-week basis. That said, I do think McIlroy will win in 2012 -- I'm just not sure it will be at a major championship again. But I don't think Westwood will win a major either, so the edge goes to McIlroy but not by as much as you might think. -- By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM site producer

WHO'LL BE THE TOP ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS?

English

It's going to be tough to match the success major winner Keegan Bradley, but this year's 26 rookies might just be up to the task. There are four guys among the Nationwide Tour grads to keep an eye on: money leader J.J. Killeen and Jason Kokrak, who both are proven champions with two wins last season, and Danny Lee and Jonas Blixt, who earned their TOUR cards due to season-long consistency with nine and eight top 10s respectively. Lee also had a win at the WNB Classic.

From q-school, look out for Harris English. He won on the Nationwide Tour, and hustled at the very end of the season after turning pro to earn his card, but came up just short, only to earn it at q-school. Bud Cauley is another candidate who has shown he can compete at this level. He earned his card via the top 125 money list with a third place and T15 during the Fall Series. Also, don't count out 2010 Nationwide Tour Player of the Year Jamie Lovemark, who was out much of last season due to injury and retains his rookie status. -- By Anne Szeker, PGATOUR.COM site producer

WILL HAVING TWO NEW COURSES IN THE ROTATION AFFECT THE FEDEXCUP RACE?

Two courses with major histories -- Bethpage Black and Crooked Stick -- make their debuts in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup this season. Bethpage, as we saw at the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens, can be set up to really challenge a field. While we can't expect another U.S. Open look, this year's Barclays should be tough and favor grinders and top-notch scramblers.

The BMW Championship will take its second excursion away from Cog Hill as a Playoff event, heading to Crooked Stick in Indiana. Luke Donald could sleep in his own bed for events at Cog Hill, but that luxury shifts to the likes of Bo Van Pelt, an Indiana native who has made back-to-back trips to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola. -- By Chris Dunham, PGATOUR.COM site producer