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TSN Senior Reporter

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Tiger Woods' return to the PGA Tour may be the biggest story in golf as the new season gets underway, but it isn’t the only one.

Here are four others to watch:

INJURIES PILING UP

Did the compressed PGA Tour season add to the number of ailing golfers? This week, two major champions announced an extended break to deal with bad backs.

First up was Jason Day, who will skip the Australian swing for the second year due to a wonky back. Day was forced to withdraw from the last two FedEx Cup events with the injury and said this week he’d be skipping the World Cup and the Australian Open. He’s also missing a charity match against Rory McIlroy in the Philippines. Day said he’d take the remainder of 2016 off.

Joining Day on the sidelines is Justin Rose, the gold medal winner from this year’s Olympics. He announced that he will take two months away from the game to rest his ailing back.

Rose missed a month earlier this year when a herniated disc caused him pain. He added that a heavy schedule and intense preparation for the Olympics never allowed him to heal properly.

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WILL THOMAS PIETERS JOIN THE PGA TOUR?

After a standout performance at the Ryder Cup, Thomas Pieters might become the next European star to move to the U.S. and play for the bigger bucks on the PGA Tour. He’d join the likes of Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson and Graeme McDowell to name just a few.

But fellow Belgian Nicolas Coelsarts told ESPN that while Pieters would like a PGA Tour card, he isn’t likely to move to the States permanently.

While playing on a golf scholarship at the University of Illinois, the 6-foot-5 long hitter reportedly had a hard time adjusting to the American way of life. He left school after three years, but with an NCAA individual title to his credit.

Coelsarts speaks from experience. He played well in the 2012 Ryder Cup and then played the PGA Tour full-time the following year. He suffered from injuries and poor play and then returned to Europe the next year.

For now, it appears Pieters will continue to make his home in Antwerp and play the majority of his golf on the European Tour, where he’s won three times in the last two seasons.

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CAN A CANADIAN WIN?

The corps of Canadian golfers on the PGA Tour expanded by one in 2016-17 with MacKenzie Hughes and Brad Fritsch moving up from the Web.com Tour (Mike Weir, meanwhile, is out of exemptions for the first time since 1999). The duo will join Adam Hadwin, Graham DeLaet, David Hearn and Nick Taylor.

Taylor was the last Canadian to win on the circuit, capturing the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2014.

Fritsch is returning to the PGA Tour, having played there in 2013 and 2014 before dropping back to the Web.com Tour the last two seasons.

Hughes, a two-time Canadian Amateur champion, is making his first visit to the big circuit.

With the increasing numbers, the hope will be that one can notch a victory, something that’s proved elusive. DeLaet and Hearn have come exceptionally close in recent years, while Taylor and Hadwin’s games continue to improve year after year.

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THE BEEF EFFECT

Andrew Johnston finished 21st on the Web.com priority ranking, but may be No. 1 in terms of fan appeal. The man known as "Beef" has become the most popular character in golf since the days of John Daly.

Johnston has an engaging personality and an “everyman” appeal that’s made him a fan favourite. Already, he’s starred in commercials for Arby’s - his newest sponsor - that have gone viral.

But his talent on the course shouldn’t be overlooked. Johnston has five top-10 finishes on the Euro Tour this year, including his win at the Spanish Open. He tied for eighth at the Open Championship and made the cut in both the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. He’s currently 18th on the European Tour’s Order of Merit.

There’s no word on when he’ll make his debut as a PGA Tour member, but there’s little doubt he’ll have an impact both on and off the course.