BY MIKE CORMACK
sportsnet.ca

By Mike Cormack

SPORTSNET.CA

The PGA Tour returns to action this week at the SBS Championship in Hawaii. While the field ready to tackle the Plantation Course at the Kapalua Resort is full of golf's top talent, the one player who will not be there is undoubtedly be the focus of the weekend.

Tiger Woods is less than a month in to his break from golf and when the world No. 1 will return to the course is anyone's guess. Until Tiger breaks his silence and steps on to the first-tee in a Tour event, sportsnet.ca examines which golfers are poised to wear the crown in Tiger's absence.

Who wants it?

With Tiger Woods out of action indefinitely, the stage is clear for someone to assume the mantle of best golfer in the world (at least on an interim basis).

Listed are the four players entering 2010 most likely keep the throne warm until Tiger's return.

Phil Mickelson, 39, USA:

Thanks to a late-season putting lesson from ex-Ryder Cup captain Dave Stockton, Mickelson closed 2009 with impressive wins at the Tour Championship and HSBC Champions event in China; the latter while paired with Woods on the final day. Given his renewed confidence with the flat-stick and his career early season success, don't be surprised if he heads to the Maters with three or four wins already under his belt.

Like Mickelson, Westwood didn't want to see 2009 end. Beginning with a runner-up finish at the French Open in June, Westwood was the hottest player in the world the rest of the year by posting two wins and 12 Top 10s in 14 starts. He capped off the year with a dominant win at the Dubai World Championship, subsequently edging Rory McIlroy for the European Order of Merit and moving up to No. 4 in the world rankings.

Rory McIlroy 20, Ireland:

Fellow young stars Anthony Kim and Camillo Villegas boast PGA Tour wins on their resumes, but neither of them have had the likes of Tiger Woods, Geoff Ogilvy or Ernie Els say they are destined to become the No. 1 player in the world. Coming off a breakout year in which he posted 12 Top 5 finishes, including two Top 10s in the majors, McIlroy looks poised for multiple wins in 2010.

Padraig Harrington, 38, Ireland:

Harrington was in the midst of a horrible year last July before something finally clicked with his swing changes. Beginning at the Bridgestone Invitational in August, Harrington closed the year with seven Top 10s in his last eight starts and shot 69 or better in 14 of his 16 rounds in the FedEx Cup playoffs. Although he didn't win a tournament in 2008, he was knocking on the door every week from August on and he bookies have taken note, making him an early third favourite at the Masters behind Woods and Mickelson.

Your guess is as good as mine, but most observers seem to agree that the Masters in April seems most likely. First, an April return will have given Tiger a four-month break, presumably enough time to get some direction in his personal life. Second, Augusta National's notoriously stringent media credentialing all but guarantees Tiger won't have to face TMZ or US Weekly during his return press conference. But what if he skips the Masters? Might he also pass on the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where he won by 15 shots in 2000? Or the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews, where he won in 2000 and 2005? Not a chance. It says here Tiger's back by the first week of July at the latest.

Get in the groove

The hot topic on Tour until Tiger re-emerges will be the new regulations on grooves in irons. The idea is to put the fear back in playing out of the rough and place a greater importance on driving accuracy, but the jury remains out on how big of an impact the new rules will have. For a more detailed description on the changes and their potential impact, check out sportsnet.ca's Grooves 101.

The Ryder Cup

Golf's biggest event shifts back to Europe this October and Wales' Celtic Manor resort. The Americans, led by captain Corey Pavin are coming off a surprise victory in 2008, while the Europeans, led by captain Colin Montgomerie are early favourites and could feature several rookies including the likes of Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer and Ross Fisher. Tiger Woods missed the 2008 edition while recuperating from knee surgery, and his participation this year is questionable at best. But one wonders if Montgomerie's recent assertion that Woods has lost his 'mystique' might inspire Woods into action. The U.S. hasn't won a Ryder Club played on European soil since 1993.

Mission impossible

In the past two years, Greg Norman (53), Kenny Perry (49) and Tom Watson (59) made serious runs at becoming the oldest player to win a Major championship. Had David Duval taken two less strokes at last year's U.S. Open he would have become the lowest ranked player (882) in the history of the world rankings to win a major. Given what's occurred, what seemingly impossibility might 2010 produce? Could Fred Couples steal the Masters at 50? How about one Canada's rising amateur stars, Nick Taylor or Matt Hill, walking away with the U.S. Open in June? Or what about Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie or 53-year-old Nick Faldo, climbing out of the TV tower to win the Open Championship at St. Andrews? If Tom Watson taught us anything last July, it's that anything is possible ... almost.