How will Padraig Harrington start 2010? Will Rory McIlroy win in Dubai? Mark Roe talks golf.
Two big tournaments hit your screens this week
I write this column from Dubai where many of the world's top players are in town for the Desert Classic.
This is always a great tournament and this year's event features a host of top names including Lee Westwood, Robert Karlsson, Paul Casey, Martin Kaymer and Henrik Stenson.
The 60-year-old Tom Watson is also here, making his debut in this event, and it has been good to hear him talking about how he still has the hunger to go out and beat the younger guys.
He has said he might struggle with the time change and his lack of experience on this particular course may count against him, but with that unforgettable display at Turnberry still fresh in the minds of golf fans, I wouldn't put anything past him.
It's a man 40 years his junior who arrives here as defending champion. I felt Rory McIlroy really came of age here last year as he confirmed what we already suspected; that he is emerging as one of the best players in the world.
For the first three days he was almost untouchable, but he almost saw it slip away with a poor start on the final day. However, he pulled it together and his bunker shot on the 18th was one of the best shots of 2009.
On reflection, if he had strolled through that last day and won by five or six shots he wouldn't have learned as much as he did by throwing those shots away. He realised that when he is faced with the ultimate test he can come through it.
He went from strength to strength throughout last year and I am looking forward to seeing him up against the man who edged him out to win the 2009 Race to Dubai, Lee Westwood.
McIlroy is the favourite with many bookmakers after taking last week off in Qatar to prepare, but Westwood has had some bad luck in the last two weeks of the Gulf Swing and will be determined to put things right here.
With memories of a victory in Dubai fresh in his mind (he won the 2009 season finale superbly here), I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the winners' circle again.
Early
Make sure you're up early for Sky Sports' coverage from Dubai from Thursday morning and then stay up into the night as we head to Riviera for the Northern Trust Open.
Phil Mickelson will once again be in action and after a rusty start last week I think we will see a better performance from him here.
In his last three visits to this course he has won twice and tied for second once so if he can hit a few fairways I expect to see him among the leaders.
But he will face tough competition from several PGA Tour stars making their first starts of 2010.
That includes Padraig Harrington, who by his own admission had an indifferent season in 2009.
I'm sure he will arrive refreshed and raring to go and he will be keen to make an early statement at the start of a Ryder Cup year.
This is also the first chance we'll get to see Jim Furyk this calendar year and he will arrive full of confidence after a fine end to 2009.
A win at the Chevron World Challenge in December showed what he is capable of and several people think this could be a big year for the 39-year-old.
This will also be our first chance to see Anthony Kim in 2010. I remember Rob Lee tipping me off about this guy three or four years ago, suggesting he was going to be a star of the future. He wasn't wrong.
Kim has all the elements you need in the modern game and he is basically an all-out-attack merchant. It's great to watch him go out and take on a golf course, picking up huge numbers of birdies and eagles.
There is a bit of arrogance in him and he's very aggressive when he's in the zone, but hopefully that will soften a little bit as he matures. There's no doubt that he has huge talent and he has all of the attributes to go to the very top in this sport.
So sit back and enjoy golf round the clock on
Sky Sports this weekend. I can't wait!
