You know it's golf season...

When you get the press release from Lorena Ochoa's people announcing what tournaments she will be playing in. Lorena juega? "No" or "si."

Yes, I'm back. After taking, what TWO WEEKS(?!?) off from the blog, I'm here again. And yes, I'm feeling... talkative.

Today I want to talk professional golf. Were you prepared to see Geoff Ogilvy in a lei last week? OK, more specifically, were you prepared to see him hoisting a PGA Tour trophy? Ogilvy won the Mercedes-Benz Championship, and just like that, the 2009 PGA Tour golf season is underway.

I'm still trying to absorb the 2008 golf season (just like I'm still trying to celebrate the 2008 KU basketball national championship). Yes, Tiger had the tournament of the year and then, poof, was gone the next day. Then Paddy Harrington stepped up and filled the void, and what do you know, there was still great golf down the stretch, even without Tiger prowling the fairways. It was actually a great subplot to Tiger's early season dominance: who will take his place?

It was Harrington, winning both the British and the PGA. I could hear his teeth grinding all the way from Lawrence, Kan., on that tee shot on No. 18 at Oakland Hills. Having walked that hole a few times that week, I knew why. It was this intensity, and of course, his success, that made me cast my vote for Paddy in the Golf Writer's player of the year selection. And sure enough, that was who we selected (along with Lorena Ochoa for women's and Jay Haas for Champion's) as player of the year.

There were some other interesting things: Vijay Singh walks away with the FedEx Cup (and $10 million). Camilo Villegas catches fire and comes away second in the FedEx Cup standings -- a missed cut away from walking away with the $10 mill himself. Sergio still doesn't have the major. Phil. Meh.

There are some great questions for this year. Who will come out hot? Who will fade away?

The thing I love about professional golf is that there are so many unknowns. It's not like in other sports -- say, baseball, where we know we signed an awesome right-hander out of college and traded for a new shortstop, replacing that bum from last year.

No, in golf, you have no idea who is on the verge of perfecting their game. For all I know, Skip Kendall gave up sleep in the off-season and is as dialed-in as anyone, while a regular atop the leaderboards is having marital problems and could care less about working on his short game right now.

That's why the pick 'ems that we do always seem like such a crapshoot. And that's also what makes them so much fun.

So, who are you taking in 2009 to break-out? To breakdown? What will Tiger do?

There are no wrong answers, as we know, so post them in the comments section. If your player has a great year, we'll go back to this post and look back and say, "(Name) was right!"

My breakouts for 2009... I don't know how much American golf he'll play, but I'll mention Jeev Milka Singh as a guy ready to break through. I'll throw Ben Curtisback in the fold since I thought it was cool to see what we thought was a one-hit wonder back on top of the leaderboard at a major. Always one of my favorites, I'll kindly request that Jerry Kelly makes a comeback. Greg Norman? Yes, I'll say more Shark sightings this year.

Those who will continue to shine? OK, I'll stick with Camilo (Damon, willing to back off my boy now that he played so well down the stretch in '08?). Anthony Kim, I think. Tiger will of course come back strong.

If you know me, you know I'm picking Mickelson to slide down in the standings.

Last prediction: Lorenawins more tournaments in 2009 than she did in 2008. !Odelay!

Comments

[Damon]

SJ-Yeah, I'm ready to lay off Camilo now. He really did have a great end of 2008. So I'll admit he's stepped it up a notch....

My prediction is that the European's will be strong this year. The Swedes and Danes look strong.