The Starter: Round 1, SBS Championship

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Jan. 7, 2010
By PGATOUR.com Staff

The 2010 PGA TOUR season is about to begin, with the first groups ready to tee it up in Round 1 of the SBS Championship. Here's a look at Thursday's round:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time	Players
2:10 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1		Paul Casey, Stephen Ames Casey is set to play in his first PGA TOUR event since a rib injury last summer. This is his debut at Kapalua.
3:50 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1		Sean O'Hair, Zach Johnson Both of these players shot lights-out on the weekend to move into the top 10 at Kapalua. A win by either of them this week would not be surprising.
4 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1		Geoff Ogilvy, Steve Stricker It is becoming very obvious that the real Steve Stricker is the one that has won three times on TOUR in 2009. He plays with the defending champ on Thursday.

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR NETWORK on-site correspondent Fred Albers previews Thursday's round:

Steve Stricker hated to see 2009 come to an end. He won three times on the PGA TOUR and was part of the successful Presidents Cup team. So how did he prepare for the SBC Championship while living in Madison, Wisconsin? "I hit balls out of a tent, into the snow to stay limber, but really it's hard to prepare for this tournament." Don't let him fool you. Stricker seemed well prepared in 2008. He finished second after losing a playoff to Daniel Chopra. ...

The Plantation course is the hilliest walk on tour. It has so much elevation change players and caddies get a cart ride from the fourth tee to the fairway.There is not one hazard to be crossed -- only a huge hill to climb. It's not uncommon for players to take a cart ride from green to tee, but the Plantation course is the only one necessitating a ride from tee to fairway. ...

Thursday's forecast

Partly sunny
Temp: 80 high/63 low
Partly sunny with winds around 15 mph.

Zach Johnson did not spend the holidays eating Christmas cookies -- he arrived in Maui very fit. Johnson was one of the first on TOUR to embrace physical fitness, and it shows.He is not muscle-bound with bulging biceps; his workout routine concentrates on core fitness and flexibility. Johnson will have no trouble with fatigue climbing the hills at Kapalua. ...

Geoff Ogilvy is the defending champion, but comes to Maui with different equipment. Gone are the Cobra clubs he used to win a pair of PGA TOUR events last year. Instead, is carrying Titleist through the entire bag. "Cobra is moving in a different direction, but changing to Titleist is like staying in the family. Besides, every Titleist club look great," Ogilvy said. Acushnet owns both the Titleist and Cobra brands. We'll see how many players are in the "groove" in Thursday's opening round. ...

New regulations go into effect governing the shape of grooves on irons. From practice rounds, players say there is little difference on full shots from the fairway, but balls will have less spin out of the rough and greenside chips.

INSTRUCTOR'S CORNER: Todd Jones, head instructor at the TOUR Academy, analyzes the playing conditions at Kapalua

The conditions have been dryer than years' past, so the course is going to play faster. In addtion, the greens on the Plantation Course have been verticut to take out some of the grain. This will speed up the putting surfaces. Distance control will play a huge role in scoring. Look for a player that has good ball control blended with solid putting, like Steve Stricker, to be near the top of the leaderboard after Round 1. Watch to see how the best players in the world precisely control distance on the greens by controlling length of stroke while matching up the backstroke and forward stroke.

The Film Room

	Memorable Moments: SBS Championship Through the years, the SBS Championship has showcased some great champions. Do you remember Tiger Woods' 1997 playoff win over Tom Lehman, Ernie Els and Woods' duel in 2000, and Stuart Appleby's three-peat from 2004 to 2006? Watch it
	Preview: SBS Championship The 2010 PGA TOUR season kicks off in Maui where Geoff Ogilvy looks to defend his title at the SBS Championship at The Plantation Course at Kapalua. Watch it
	Equipment Video: 2010 grooves changes Adam Barr reviews the new rules regarding grooves on the PGA TOUR, and examines the impact they might have on the world's best golfers. Watch it