The 2009 season on the PGA Tour didn't exactly provide a true changing of the guard. Tiger Woods began the season at No. 1 in the world rankings, and he finished right where he started. After returning to the Tour in late February following eight months away from the game, he won seven tournaments worldwide, including marquee events like The Memorial, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, and the BMW Championship. He also captured the FedEx Cup for the second time in three years.
Woods was, for the most part, his usual dominating self, and his performances silenced any questions about the quality of his game after his long hiatus due to knee surgery. But for Tiger, there was one glaring omission on this season's resume - for the first time since 2004, Woods did not capture a major title. He seemed on track to capture the 15th of his career at the PGA Championship at Hazeltine Golf Club in August, but surrendered a 54-hole lead in a major for the first time in his career.
"Tiger always measures his years by how he does in the majors, but I think this year is a bit of an exception," explains TSN golf analyst Bob Weeks. "Coming back from the knee surgery, no one — including him — knew what to expect so winning seven times is remarkable. For most players, that's a career, so it's pretty hard to think his season was anything but a success.
"I think the only event he is disappointed with would be the PGA Championship where he let the lead slip away on the final day to Y.E. Yang," adds Weeks.
Tiger's inability to convert at the majors opened the door for a quartet of veteran players to step up on golf's biggest stages, and in three cases, win them for the first time. Lucas Glover (U.S. Open), Stewart Cink (British Open), and Yang joined two-time winner Angel Cabrera (The Masters) as golf's breakthrough players in '09.
But it was also a year where the young guns and big hitters were occasionally trumped by age and experience. 48-year old Kenny Perry lost a two-hole playoff to Cabrera at the Masters, and nearly became the oldest player ever to win at Augusta National.
"Perry really should have won the Masters and he knows that," says Weeks. "He gave an extremely emotional scrum in front of the cameras after losing the playoff to Cabrera where he basically admitted that he blew it. That's hard to do but very honest."
That story was followed in July at Turnberry in Scotland when Tom Watson, just weeks shy of his 60th birthday, led the British Open nearly wire-to-wire and missed a putt on the 72nd hole that would have given him the title. Instead, the putt came up short, and Watson faded in dropping a four-hole playoff to Cink.
"The best story of the year, possibly in all of sports, could have been Tom Watson winning the British Open," says Weeks. "One poor swing on the 72nd hole cost him a chance at immortality. But on the other hand, a 59-year-old guy coming second really isn't too bad, it's just that we all know he was so close to winning."
Mike Weir of Bright's Grove, Ontario and Stephen Ames of Calgary once again carried the Canadian flag on Tour, with Ames stepping into the winner's circle this past weekend at the season's final event at Disney World in Orlando. With the victory, Ames moved back into the Top 50 in the world rankings.
Weir didn't win, but managed six top-10 finishes, including one second and one third-place result, and made an excellent 20 of 24 cuts. He also shot an opening-round 64 at the U.S. Open.
"Weir had a very solid year and considering the major changes he made mid-season, parting ways with his swing coaches and his trainer, and I think he was pleased despite the fact he didn't win," explains Weeks.
Canadian golf fans can soon add Chris Baryla to the roster, as well. The resident of Vernon, B.C. recently earned his 2010 PGA Tour card by finishing among the Top 25 on the Nationwide Tour's money list.
The RBC Canadian Open itself at Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ontario will probably be better remembered for its weather delays than the actual golf played. The 100th edition of the tournament was marred by lightning, rain, and a waterlogged course that allowed only two-and-a-half rounds to be completed between Thursday and Sunday. Only a marathon 30-hole finish on Monday allowed the field to complete all four rounds, and even then a two-hole playoff was required before Australian Nathan Green won his first PGA title by defeating Retief Goosen. Other highlights of the tournament included Weir's hole-in-one during the third round, and Mark Calcavecchia's PGA Tour-record nine consecutive birdies in round two.
Off the course, it was an emotional season for Phil Mickelson as he announced that both his wife and mother were battling breast cancer. Mickelson was limited to just two tournaments between the middle of May and the beginning of August as he stayed home to be with his family. John Daly was among several players on tour who showed their support for the Mickelson family by wearing pink during tournaments, and Phil's return in time for U.S. Open proved to be one of the highlights of the year. He nearly won the tournament at Bethpage Black in front of a supportive crowd on Long Island, and finished second for an Open-record fifth time. Mickelson finished the year in superb fashion by winning the Tour Championship in Atlanta, and the WGC-HSBC title in Shanghai.
Match play was featured in October at the Presidents Cup in San Francisco. Playing at Harding Park Golf Course, Woods, Mickelson, and the American team handily topped Weir and the International team, 19 1/2 to 14 1/2. Woods was dominant and went 5-0 in his matches, while the Americans retained the Cup for the sixth time in eight competitions.
And more international golf competition will soon be featured on one of the biggest stages in sports. After years of lobbying, the golfing world was rewarded with official inclusion into the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the decision in early October.
"There are mixed feelings about golf being in the Olympics although generally it's being welcomed," says Weeks. "I don't think it will have much effect in Canada or other established golf nations, but where it could help is in non-golfing countries, places like China, where the game is in its infancy. The Olympics mean everything to countries like that so you'll see some investment in infrastructure and coaching. Whether that translates to grass roots growth is, to me, the real question."
The 2010 season promises more highlights, including the British Open at St. Andrew's and the Ryder Cup in Wales. St. George's Golf Club in Toronto will host the RBC Canadian Open for the fifth time, but the first since 1968. And Woods will resume his hunt for the 15th major title that narrowly eluded him in August, with Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 firmly in his sights.