Can Tiger end four-year wait?

Before a ball is struck in anger Peter Williamson considers eight topics which look set to dominate the 2013 golf season

1 European captain

The biggest news in Abu Dhabi later this month won’t necessarily be the first showdown between Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods. This is where the European Tour traditionally selects its Ryder Cup captain, and the choice became a little more complicated when the Americans went back in time by picking Tom Watson. Watson is beloved in Scotland, site of the 2014 matches. Does that mean Europe needs to answer it with a larger-than-life figure for its captain? That has led to suggestions Colin Montgomerie would return as captain, though Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley were said to be next in line. Clarke would seem a better fit when the matches return to America at Hazeltine in 2016, though McGinley might be dwarfed by Watson’s presence.