Who to watch for at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions

The 2012 PGA Tour season is set to kick off in three short days, as the 2011 Tour victors converge on Kapalua, Hawaii for the 2012 edition of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

28 players, all of whom won a PGA Tour event the previous season are invited to tee it up in the season's first event.

With so many story lines carrying over from 2011, belly putters, the FedEx Cup points system, young guns winning, rookies showing no fear. We are going to take a look at a few players to watch come Friday in the Rainbow State.

Webb Simpson

Simpson finds his way to Hawaii via his wins at the Wyndham Championship and the Deutsche Bank Championship during the FedEx Cup playoffs.

The 26-year old had an out standing rookie year in 2011, that could have seen him in the winners circle two more times. Losing in playoffs to Bubba Watson in New Orleans at the Zurich Classic. And to Ben Crane at the McGladrey Classic.

His eighth place ranking in greens in regulation along with his birdie average of 4.23, good enough for third place on the PGA Tour will give Simpson a great look at starting out his 2012 season the way he ended 2011.

Bubba Watson

How can anyone forget Watson taking his driver off the fairway into the 18th green last year and getting it on in two. Kapalua is at times forgiving of stray tee shots.

With Watson's length off the tee, averaging 314.9 yards, he can really attack the course leaving himself short irons in to these greens.

The Pensacola, Florida native comes to Hawaii for a second straight year, after winning the Zurich Classic and the Farmers Insurance Open in 2011.

Nick Watney

It always seems every time a list of 'who to watch' for an event is made out, Watney seems to find his way onto someone's list.

The Nor-Cal native turned heads with his creative shot selections down under at the Presidents Cup in 2011, on a course that required a different shot seemingly daily throughout the competition.

Watney was victorious in 2011 at the WGC-Cadillac Championship where he beat Dustin Johnson, as well at the AT&T National, besting K.J. Choi.

David Toms

Perhaps not the longest hitter of the 28 players competing this week. However, his greens in regulation and proximity to the hole, sixth and fifth respectively will be put on display on Kapalua's colossal greens.

Toms won the 2011 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, beating Charlie Wi by one stroke to earn his way to Kapalua.

With his short game ability, Toms could use that to his advantage to compensate for his lack of distance off the tee.

So there you have it. Four players that you may want to keep your eyes on when the 2012 PGA Tour seasons gets under way, this Friday on Kapalua in Hawaii.

The 2011 season gave us a lot to talk about in the off-season. The 2012 season should give us even more to look forward to with great anticipation.

The wait is almost over.