With the year’s second WGC event being played in Miami, all eyes will yet again be focused on America, and specifically on Tiger Woods.  The LPGA and LET are taking the week off, leaving a supporting cast of “second” events in Puerto Rico, Madeira Island and Thailand, any of which might provide some drama – but very likely drama played out among lesser-knowns.

PGA, European, Asian & Australasian Tours:  WGC-CA Championship

Site: Doral Golf Resort & Spa (Blue course)  -  Miami, FL
Yards: 7,266 yds     Par: 72    
Defending: Tiger Woods  278   (beat Brett Wetterich by 2)
Field:   World Top 50: All, except Padraig Harrington (#11)     Other Notables: The rest of the field

Notes: The second of three annual WGC events, this one featuring a field of 77 culled from the World Ranking, FedEx Cup standings and Orders of Merit around the world..........Event replaced the old WGC-American Express in 2007, as well the many-named PGA Tour event played at Doral since 1962..........In addition to entering with five straight PGA Tour wins, Tiger Woods is a three-time defending champion here, the most notable victory being a one-shot triumph over Phil Mickelson in 2005..........Only Craig Parry, Ernie Els and Jim Furyk have won at Doral among the remaining 76 entries, Parry most memorably; he holed a 6 iron to eagle the second hole of sudden death (the 18th), defeating Scott Verplank in 2004..........Though the 16th and 17th will yield birdies, the 476-yard par-4 18th (the famed Blue Monster) was the PGA Tour’s toughest hole in 2007, averaging 4.625 strokes.

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PGA Tour:  Puerto Rico Open

Site: Coco Beach Golf & Country Club  -  Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Yards: 7,569 yds     Par: 72    
Defending: New Event
Field:   World Top 50: None     Other Notables: Mark Brooks, Ben Curtis, Lee Janzen, Tom Kite, Tom Lehman, Shaun Micheel, Larry Mize, Bob Tway

Notes: This will be the first full-field, fully sanctioned PGA Tour event ever played in Puerto Rico..........The unofficial Dorado Beach Open drew players during the 1950s and ‘60s, as did the Puerto Rico Open on the old Caribbean Winter Tour..........The host club is a 36-hole Tom Kite-designed facility (hence his sponsor exemption) with a composite of all four nines being used this week..........The club has recently been bought by Donald Trump, so this is our first look at what will inevitably soon be marketed as “the greatest course south of the North Pole,” or some such drivel.

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European Tour:  Madeira Island Open

Site: Santo da Serra Golf Club  -  Madeira Island, Portugal
Yards: 6,826 yds     Par: 72
Defending: Daniel Vancsik (Argentina)  270   (beat David Frost and Santiago Luna by 7)
Field:   World Top 50: None     Other Notables: Paul Lawrie, Stephen Dodd, Notah Begay III

Notes: Has never been a major fixture on the E Tour schedule, often being scheduled in the slot immediately following the Asian swing and/or when many stars are playing in Florida..........Beyond Mark James in 1993, the biggest names among past champions include Matts Lanner (twice), Niclas Fasth, Des Smyth and Jean Van de Velde..........The Santo da Serra Golf Club is a 1991 Robert Trent Jones design and occupies land upon which the game has been played since 1933.

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Asian Tour:  Asian Tour International

Site: Pattana Golf & Sports Resort  -  Chonburi, Thailand
Yards: 7,200 yds     Par: 72
Defending: New Event
Field:   World Top 50: None     Other Notables: Prayad Marksaeng, Thongchai Jaidee

Notes: The second inaugural event in as many weeks on the Asian Tour……….relegated to a tough week on the schedule as regional stars like S.S.P. Chowrasia, Liang Wen-Chong and Chapchai Nirat are playing  at the WGC……….Not to pick on a fledgling event, but it surely isn’t these smaller tournaments that are inspiring the Asian Tour to abstain from supporting OneAsia.

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Elsewhere…

The JLPGA contests the first of two consecutive inaugural events this week at the PRGR Ladies Cup, at the Tosa Yasu City Country Club in Kounan.