By Fred Altvater
When will fans be allowed to return to golf tournaments?
Now that the vaccine is approved and being administered around the world, will the number of new cases decrease sufficiently to allow fans to be admitted to tournaments and ratchet up the excitement at golf events?
The PGA Tour has already announced that a limited number of fans would be allowed to attend the events after the first of the year, but will continue to monitor public health and player safety concerns into the second quarter of 2021.
It appears that golf courses will remain void of large crowds and the Waste Management Phoenix Open will seem like a funeral parlor. Hopefully tour events can return to some semblance of normal by summer.
Will Dustin Johnson continue to dominate the PGA Tour? 
When Dustin Johnson is at his best, no one can stay with him. He widened the gap between himself and world No. 2, Jon Rahm with his run of wins and top finishes at the end of 2020.
Johnson officially won three titles and $5.8 million in the 2019-2020 season. Plus, he deposited $15 million for winning the FedEx Cup, with two of his wins came at the Northern Trust and the Tour Championship. He was runner-up to Jon Rahm at the BMW Championship and added a runner-up at the PGA Championship.
Since the calendar flipped to the 2021 season, he was T-6 at U.S. Open, runner-up in Houston and won the Masters. He is number one in the world ranking and the 2021 FedEx Cup standings.
Johnson’s play has been Masterful and it doesn’t appear that Rory, Rahm or Justin Thomas can overtake him.
What about Rory, Rahm and JT?
Rory McIlroy had been one of the most consistent players on tour before the pandemic shut down in 2020. In six starts he recorded one win and his worst finish during that stretch was fifth. After the tour returned, his only top 10 came at the Tour Championship.
He did finish inside the top 10 in both the U.S. Open and the Masters, but his heart did not seem to be in the game and shots he would normally pull off with ease, were not happening for him.
Will Rory overcome his funk in the new year?
Jon Rahm exhibited world-class form in 2020. The win at The Memorial and at the BMW Championship assured a very good year. He followed up with a tie for second at the Zozo and T-7 at the Masters.
Jon Rahm seems poised on the edge of greatness, will 2021 be his year?
Justin Thomas had three wins, 10 top-10 finishes in just 18 starts in 2020. He was second to Johnson in the FedEx Cup and earned over $7 million. By any standard a very good year. He ended the year strong posting top ten finishes in both the U.S. Open and the Masters.
Watch JT, he will win a major and a couple of titles in 2021.
Will Tiger grab a 16th Major Title?
With the abbreviated schedule and pandemic, Tiger Woods did not play often, or well in 2020. After showing so much promise in late 2019 with the win at the Zozo
Championship and being the successful Playing-Captain of the President’s Cup team, 2020 has to be chalked up as a lost year.
He played in just six events in calendar year 2020. His best finish was a tie for ninth at the Farmers Insurance Open in January, before the shutdown. After the tour resumed play in July his best finish was a T-37 at the PGA Championship. He did qualify for both the Northern Trust and the BMW Championship in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, but missed out on the Tour Championship.
Last fall he missed the cut at the U.S. Open, finished nearly last at the Zozo and was T-38 at the Masters. It was fun to watch him paired with his son Charley at the PNC Father/Child in December, but 2021 holds more questions than answers for the aging Woods.
At 45, with achy knees and a surgically repaired back, can he still win majors?
Who will be the most dominant player on LPGA?
The LPGA Tour was the most affected by the coronavirus last year, but the 2021 season schedule includes 35 events offering nearly $76.5 million in total prize money. Plus, the Olympics and the Solheim Cup will add excitement to the women’s game.
Jin Young Ko’s smooth calm demeanor is perfect for golf. She only played a few events in the U.S. last season and barely qualified for the CME Group Tour Championship, but won it going away. She solidified her No. 1 ranking and is the player to beat in the big events.
Sei Young Kim had won 11 LPGA titles before she captured her first major at the KPMG PGA last year. She added the Pelican Women’s Championship in November and finished tied for runner-up to Jin Young Ko at the CME Group Championship. She is always aggressive and fun to watch.
At No. 4 on the Rolex Rankings, Nelly Korda is the top-ranked American just behind Inbee Park. Nelly was strong at the beginning of 2020, but faced due to injury issues late in the year. If she can get healthy over the break, she could be America’s best hope to break through the Korean dominance on the ladies tour.
Danielle Kang had to endure an injury problem in 2020, but still won twice, plus captured the Vare Trophy. She is very good on difficult golf courses, watch for her to be among the leaders at the major championships.
Lexi Thompson failed to win an event for the first time in eight years on tour. She was getting better at the end of the season and finished just outside the Top 10 in the world at No. 11. She is still a dynamic player. Look for her to be better in 2021.
Which one of the ‘3 Amigos’ will emerge as the better player?
Victor Hovland, Collin Morikawa and Matthew Wolff brought a ton of game and added a measure of excitement to the PGA Tour since they turned professional in 
2019.
Just over 18 months ago, Hovland, Wolff and Moikawa were still playing collegiate golf. Now they all have at least one PGA Tour win and Morikawa owns a Wanamaker Trophy.
Wolff won the 2019 NCAA Division I Individual Championship and just a few weeks later, after turning professional, won the 2019 3M Open. He didn’t collect a win in 2020, but was runner up at both the Rocket Mortgage Classic and the U.S. Open. He is fun to watch and may have the most upside potential of the three.
Hovland was a little slower to get going. He had to earn his PGA Tour membership through the Korn Ferry Tour Final Series in 2019, but since has won twice and earned $4.4 million.
Morikawa seems to be slightly ahead of the other two. He like Wolff won shortly after turning professional in the fall of 2019. He added wins at the Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village, after the tour restart in July. He hit one of the gutsiest shots of the year, when he drove the par-4 16th green and holed the eagle putt, at Harding Park, to outduel Dustin Johnson, Paul Casey and Wolff to win the 2020 PGA Championship.
These three young players should continue to bring the WOW Factor in 2021.
Will Europeans be able to retain the Solheim Cup at Inverness?
The Solheim Cup is slated to be held at The Inverness Club in Toledo over Labor Day and ticket sales have been brisk. Who will ever forget Suzann Pettersen holing the final putt to win the Solheim Cup for the Europeans, at Gleneagles, to win by a single point in 2018?
Team USA, led by Captain Pat Hurst, is shaping up to be a powerhouse and will be itching to regain the cup. Danielle Kang, the Korda sisters, Nelly and Jessica, plus Lexi Thompson and Stacy Lewis will lead the strong American team.
Carlota Ciganda, from Spain, is the highest ranked European at No. 15 on the Rolex Rankings for Captain Catriona Matthews. Ciganda will be joined by Georgia Hall, Charley Hull and Women’s OPEN Champion Sophia Popov to lead the Europeans, who seem to come together as a team and not be intimidated by the higher-ranked Americans.
It doesn’t seem to matter who the favorite is ahead of the competition, pride and the excitement factor seem to bring the best play out of every competitor once the first tee shots are hit.
What affect will new ‘agreement’ between PGA Tour and European Tour have?
It should be very interesting to watch the relationship between the European Tour and PGA Tour over the next several years. COVID devastated the European Tour 
in 2020 and Premier Golf League (PGL), backed by Saudi Arabian funding, was actively trying to take over the tour. In a move to prevent the PGL from gaining control of the European Tour, the PGA Tour gave the Europeans a much needed cash infusion, which yielded PGA Tour Commissioner, Jay Monahan a seat on the Europeans Board of Directors, with a vow to work closer to promote joint events.
Could a ‘World Golf Tour’ be far behind?
Can Golf Return to Normal?
Will the vaccines help render COVID, a non-issue and can golf, as well as, the rest of the world return to normal?
The LPGA, Champions, Korn Ferry, European, and PGA Tour all cobbled together shortened schedules for their players in 2020. They all have posted full schedules for 2021. Although fans will be limited until later in the year, the big question remains,
Will the world get back to business as usual?
