oved defence this season hardly looked like it. V

Its not really the start of a new season -- that happened back in October. But it is the start of the new year and after what little layoff there is in golf, the best in the game are ready to tee it up on the PGA Tour, starting this week in Hawaii with the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Here are a few things to look for as the new season unfolds. Rorys major run When the golf world assembles at Augusta National for the years first major, all eyes will be on Rory McIlroy and his pursuit of the career grand slam. He knows how to play the course but can he do it for four rounds and while handling the demands of media and fans? Should he win there, the attention would only be ratcheted up even further at the U.S. Open when he would be going for four straight and the McIl-Slam. The return of Tiger Tiger Woods comes back to the PGA Tour after missing much of last season. When he did play in 2014, he was mediocre at best. But now Woods is healthy for the first time in a long time and has made changes in his swing that appear promising. However, time marches on and Woods is 39 and has a lot of miles on his body in terms of injuries and surgeries. As well, a new generation of players has developed and not intimidated by red shirts on Sunday and fist pumps after birdies. What will he bring to the first tee in 2015? Canadians on Tour While there have been six Canadians on the PGA Tour before, its safe to say there has never been as talented a crop as there is in 2015. Veterans Graham DeLaet, David Hearn and Mike Weir are joined by Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor and Roger Sloan to present a formidable lineup -- call them the Maple Syrup Gang. It would be easy to make a case that any one of them is capable of winning on any week, as evidenced by Taylors victory at the Sanderson Farms Championship in November (he is the lone Canuck playing in the TOC). The last time two Canadians won tournaments in the same year was 2007 when Weir and Stephen Ames did it. Could this be the year that three or more notch victories? Dustin Johnsons return One of the games most naturally talented players, Johnson has set February for a return to the game after a self-imposed leave of absence. While the Tour says it didnt suspend him and wont reveal the results of any drug testing, reports suggest otherwise. He hasnt played since last years RBC Canadian Open. During his exile, Johnson has continued to play golf and work on his game. That suggests when he does return it shouldnt take him long to shake off the rust. However he will also be a father the next time he steps on to the tee in a PGA Tour event with girlfriend Paulina Gretzky set to give birth. Will that have an affect - good or bad - on his play? Drug Testing The PGA Tour has never revealed any results of any drug testing other than Doug Barrons positive test for testosterone, for which the player was medically approved. But there is an outside chance that some could be revealed either through the lawsuit that Vijay Singh has brought on the PGA Tour or through Dustin Johnsons ordeal of last year. Although long shots, in both cases, legal procedures could force the tour to provide results of testing in courts, potentially making them public documents. The tour will do all it can to prevent that from happening. Phils future The week of the U.S. Open, Phil Mickelson turns 45. Thats not ancient by golf standards, but it is certainly getting up there. Last year was the lefthanders first winless season since 2003 and with the exception of a run at the PGA, he never really threatened the winners circle. He has reportedly dropped some weight in the off-season and been working out to try and hold off Father Time but was last year a blip or the start of a slide? If he has anything left in the tank, he will hold on to it for the U.S. Open, the only missing space on his career bingo card. Bye-bye Long Putters On January 1, 2016, the anchored putter ban comes into effect. That means players such as Adam Scott, Tim Clark, Carl Petterson and Hearn must find ways to putt other than what theyve used for much of their careers. Some have already made the switch or at least toyed with it and many will go to a counterbalanced putter (where the grip end is weighted to provide stability close to an anchoring). For many the move wont be that significant, for others, however, it could be career-changing. Callum Hudson-Odoi Chelsea Jersey . -- First baseman Carlos Pena and outfielder Brennan Boesch have signed minor league deals with the Los Angeles Angels. Marcos Alonso Chelsea Jersey .com) - Sixth-seeded Feliciano Lopez was a first-round winner on Monday at the Delray Beach Open tennis event. http://www.chelseafcproshop.com/Kids-Alvaro-Morata-Jersey/ . But last years runner-up Jarkko Nieminen crashed out despite winning the first set against Denis Istomin. Istomin fired 10 aces and won 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2 to even his career record against Nieminen at 3-3. David Luiz Chelsea Jersey . Next week, hell try to add to the list. A Stanley Cup champion as a rookie, Seguin followed that up by becoming the youngest player to lead the Boston Bruins in scoring. Cesar Azpilicueta Jersey . "Today was a very great day for me. It was always my dream to be good in GS," Wierather said. "I took quite a long time to get there. It feels awesome to have my first win (in GS)." Wierather leads overall with 595 points from Lara Gut (568), who finished second, and Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany (535).ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Anaheim Ducks have signed Patrick Maroon to a three-year contract extension after the left wings breakout season. The Ducks also signed first-round pick Nick Ritchie on Saturday. The 26-year-old Maroon scored 29 points in 62 games with the Ducks last season, his first full NHL season. His new deal is worth a reported $6 million and runs through 2018, rewarding the tough forward for years of perseverance in the minors. "It means the world to me," Maroon said in a phone interview. "Its been a tough road for me. Theres a lot of ups and downs in hockey, but the Anaheim Ducks gave me a lot of confidence." Maroon was a frequent healthy scratch early last season, but he cemented his spot in coach Bruce Boudreaus lineup in January, even earning playing time on the Pacific Division champions top line with captain Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. "I think after the Olympic break, I came back with an attitude to prove to myself that I can stay," Maroon said. "It just came, and Bruce gave me all the confidence in the world. Bruce has been good to me." Maroon added seven points annd 38 penalty minutes in the post-season.dddddddddddd His six-game post-season scoring streak was the NHLs longest by a rookie since Los Angeles Warren Rychel in 1993. The Ducks acquired Maroon from Philadelphia along with David Laliberte in 2010 in a trade for Danny Syvret and Rob Bordson. The Flyers abruptly dismissed Maroon from their AHL affiliate before the trade, never citing a specific reason for their disenchantment with their minor-league clubs leading scorer at the time. Maroon has said the Flyers dumped him because of a perceived bad attitude, but he repaired his career with the Ducks minor-league affiliates in Syracuse and Norfolk. Maroon is entering the final season of a two-year, $1.15 million contract. He had played just 15 NHL games over two seasons with Anaheim before making the team last year. Anaheim selected Ritchie with the 10th overall pick in June. He had 39 goals and 35 assists for the OHLs Peterborough Petes last year. On draft night, the bruising left wing said he intended to make the Ducks roster in training camp, which would put him in direct competition with Maroon for playing time. ' ' '