The name has changed — nice knowing you, Mercedes; hello, SBS Championship — but last week's Hawaiian romp fulfilled its traditional role by kicking off the PGA Tour season with an enjoyable mix of jaw-dropping scenery and bushels of birdies. The tournament may have also heralded something more momentous: a new era in professional golf. This has only a little to do with the new grooves rule. The SBS was the first official Tour event that required reshaped grooves on irons with 25 or more degrees of loft, effectively reducing the amount of spin that can be imparted from the rough. Even with the wide fairways and huge greens of Kapalua's Plantation course, the early returns suggested that this year there will be an uptick in finesse, shotmaking and creative thinking, three skills lost as the Tour went caveman in the first decade of the 21st century.

By the end of the week Geoff Ogilvy had emerged as the most adroit early adopter, shooting a stellar six-under 67 on Sunday to pull out a one-stroke victory over Rory Sabbatini and reaffirm his standing as one of the most talented players in the game. But as has been the case since Black Friday (Nov. 27, 2009), Tiger Woods loomed large by his absence...

Ready or not, change has come to the PGA Tour