NY Times · Jan 7, 2016
New Year Begins With Strongest Field in 10 Years
KAPALUA, Hawaii — The Plantation Course at Kapalua was considered the ideal start to the PGA Tour.
The idyllic setting on the west end of Maui made it feel like a working vacation, and the generous fairways — some 80 yards wide on some hole — were nearly impossible to miss even for players who were trying to shake off rust from their long winter's nap.
These days, a new year brings midseason form.
Patrick Reed is the defending champion in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, and he had little reason to worry about his form. He played in Hong Kong, Malaysia, twice in China, Dubai and The Bahamas in a seven-week span, and then went home for three weeks before resuming his year.