Roundtable preview: Other burning questions for 2010

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For the previous four days, our PGATOUR.COM experts have weighed in on some of the biggest questions going into the 2010 season (see table at bottom). For the final day of our roundtable discussion, our experts offer up a different burning question of their choosing.

Can the U.S. retain the Ryder Cup?
by Stan Awtrey, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent

The Americans responded well in 2008 at Valhalla under Captain Paul Azinger. Will they do likewise for the somewhat less demonstrative Corey Pavin at the Celtic Manor in 2010? Both teams will again be stacked at the top. The United States will have Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk while the Europeans mainstays are Lee Westwood, Padraig Harrington, Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia. It gets interesting once you start filling in the rest of the slots. The Americans must wonder if Kenny Perry can duplicate his Kentucky performance. And who will be this year's Boo Weekley or J.B. Holmes? The Euros will likely have a healthy Luke Donald back in the lineup, as well as wunderkind Rory McIlroy. But it's often the guys at the bottom of the lineup who determine the outcome. So are Hunter Mahan and Lucas Glover better than Ross Fisher and Martin Kaymer? We'll find out in September. Let the first chorus of "Ole" begin.

What impact will the new grooves have?
by Craig Dolch, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent

It's going to be a groovy year on the PGA TOUR. The new rule on lessening the impact of grooves will have quite an impact for some of the younger players who are used to stopping virtually any shot out of a rough. No more just gripping it and ripping it. No more just grabbing a lob wedge every time you miss a green. The grooves won't affect the players who have superior short games and ball-striking abilities as much as it will guys who rely on their length to take apart a golf course. There will be adjustments all around. Spectators will do well to stay involved with the action because there's certain to be plenty of frequent fliers. The new grooves won't radically change the game of professional golf. But the better players should be able to distance themselves a little more from the not-so-skilled pros.

Will this be a year of superstar majors or another of major upsets?
by Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent

Last year was so unpredictable. Everything got turned upside down, inside out. What we thought would happen, didn't. New faces joined the major club which isn't a bad thing. We just didn't expect a 4-for-4 campaign. This year? Well, Augusta National could depend on weather and Tiger. Pebble Beach brings out the best of the best, not a new face. Ditto for St. Andrews where, if the wind's blowing in the right direction, Tom Watson might make another run. And Whistling Straits? Tough terrain and it could be anyone's. That might mean one new face in four.

How much effect will the economy have on golf?
by John Maginnes, PGATOUR.COM Contributor

On the golf course I don't expect much to be different on the PGA TOUR. Stars will rise and fade the way they always do in sports. The most compelling question facing professional golf, though, is sponsorship and television contracts. While we all try to weather this current economic storm the suits in Ponte Vedra have their hands full. For the first time in recent memory, though, the players have become increasingly aware of just how important sponsor relations are. This disconnect has always been an issue on the PGA TOUR. If the players are willing to give just a little of their time to shake hands with those who write the checks (and they seem to be) then the PGA TOUR could come out of this economic downturn stronger than ever. Only time will tell. But the time for the players and the TOUR to act is now.

Is this the year Phil Mickelson dominates in the majors?
by Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents

He's won three of golf's crown jewels -- two Masters and a PGA Championship -- which admittedly is an enviable tally for anyone but Phil Mickelson has loftier goals than most. And last year, despite worries over his wife and mother, who had both recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, Mickelson narrowly missed getting the third leg of the career Grand Slam at Bethpage in posting his fifth second-place finish at the U.S. Open. He was playing like a man on a mission at the end of 2009, too, thanks to a putting tip from Dave Stockton, and Mickelson went on to win his second World Golf Championships event at the unofficial HSBC Champions. The 2010 season is shaping up to be a big, big year.

What about Tiger?
by Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM Site Producer

There won't be one question, there will be many and they'll all center around Tiger Woods. When will he return to golf? What kind of shape will his game and mind be in when he does? What sort of impact will his absence have on the sport? Will Woods even play golf this year? We don't know the answer to any of those questions yet, obviously, and right now there's no timetable to when we will. Whatever happens, it proves just how much Woods drives the sport, which has now been elevated to pop culture status. At some point, Woods will return and when he does, it'll be the front page story on every newspaper across the country and the lead story on all the news channels.