2009 PGA Tour Season Begins Today With Mercedes Benz Championship

The 2009 PGA season will begin Thursday with some of the game’s top stars hoping to fill the temporary vacuum created by the absence of Tiger Woods.

The Mercedes-Benz Championship, contested on the Plantation Course at the Kapalua Resort, will be highlighted by a first-day pairing of Camilo Villegas and Anthony Kim.

Kim, 23, won twice last year and was a star on the victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team. Villegas, who turned 27 Wednesday, captured the season-ending Tour Championship and finished second behind Vijay Singh in the FedEx Cup.

They will be part of a 33-player field that includes Kenny Perry, Ernie Els, Justin Leonard, Boo Weekley, Chez Reavie, Adam Scott and 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman.

Singh will also be on hand, although it was reported by the Honolulu Star Bulletin on the eve of the tournament that Singh plans to have knee surgery following this event and will be out of action for at least a month.

Singh hopes the surgery will allow him to continue his amazing run as the most successful player over the age of 40 in the history of golf. Since turning 40 in 2003, Singh has won on the PGA Tour 22 times. His 34 overall victories are the most ever on the tour by a non-American player.

Woods underwent reconstructive knee surgery last June after winning the U.S. Open. He hopes to return no later than the Masters.