Aloha, Hawaii!

The PGA Tour may try and tell me that the two events in Hawaii to start the year are no longer the start of the official golf season, but as far as I’m concerned it still is. Sure, there are a few events at the end of 2013 that offer official FedEx Cup points, which is nice for those events to give them some recognition, but there is only a certain level of excitement I can provide for the Frys.com Open. The holiday season is behind us, and a new year has begun, and while we’re all freezing our hind parts off in most of the country, the best of the PGA Tour gave themselves a week in paradise. Here are some things the first two PGA Tour events of 2014 have taught us:

- Zach Johnson isn’t a good player. He isn’t even a great player. He is an absolutely fantastic player, with all the skills to contend in every event he tees it up for, and the confidence to win in battles against the best the tour has to offer. Zach also proved that length is not what is going to win a multitude of events, even at long courses like Kapalua. I will trade a 350 yard drive for a masterful short game any day of the week.

- I don’t take much out of Jordan Speith’s missed cut at the Sony Open. We’re still witnessing a superstar in the world of professional golf. Speith isn’t a “great player waiting in the wings.” The future is now. Speith will be contending in more Sundays than he will going home on Fridays.

- Almost every professional golfer will tell you that they have confidence, but it is one thing to be saying it every week and quite another to truly realize it. Jimmy Walker finally broke through at the Frys.com Open last (though technically this) year. The field was weak, sure, but holding up a trophy for someone who has been on Tour for a long time and has been in contention is enough to send a career soaring to new heights. After going 0-for-187 on Tour previously, Jimmy Walker is now 2-for-his-last-6. A few more good weeks, and who knows? Ryder Cup?

- It’s ok to take a break now, Adam Scott. I understand that many in the golf media have questioned your decision to take the next six weeks away from golf, but seeing as you just played at the highest level at a time when most golfers were home gnawing on turkey, I believe your break is well earned. Bravo to you.

- The Sony Open has always been good to Asian players, particularly those playing on the Japan Tour or Japanese pros on the PGA Tour. The big benefactors this year were Ryuji Imada and Hideto Tanihara. Honestly, the only thing I knew about Tanihara prior to this event was that he is married to former Coconuts Musume singer Ayaka Kimura. He notched a top 10 finish in this event, however, and has an exemption into the Humana Challenge, if he decides to use it. Ryuji, on the other hand, is a former winner on Tour who has struggled the last several years and has had a hard time getting into tournaments. He finished one shot out of a top 10 finish, but his top 25 finish should get him into a couple more events. I hope so, at least.

- On the flip side, Ryo Ishikawa (my favorite member of the Tour) had a pretty rough 2013, especially if you consider the promise he brought in when he was dominating events as a teenager on the Japan Tour. After regaining his Tour card through the Web.Com playoffs, though, it seemed like Ryo regained his confidence; however, Sony was a disaster for him. Hopefully this is just a one week blip, and Ryo gets back to contending.

- Someday, in some future that can be seen, Charles Howell III will win a Sony Open. How he’s contended here this many years and has yet to hoist the trophy has completely baffled me, as well as the majority of the golf media. You would think Hawaii owes him one by now.

- Big applause to Retief Goosen for notching a top 10 this week. Goosen has been plagued by injuries the last several seasons, and has not gotten much of an opportunity to return to the form where he was a top 10 player in the world. Hopefully this week is a sign of things to come for the two time US Open Champion.

Next week is the Humana Challenge from La Quinta, California. It’s a relatively weak field, so it’s a perfect opportunity for someone to sneak up the leader board and grab some much needed FedEx Cup points and, more importantly, put themselves in a good position for the next category reshuffle. I like the Belgian Bomber Nicolas Colsaerts to have a big week.

Onward We Go!