Illinois placed fourth at the inaugural Big Ten Match Play championships at Heron Bay Golf Club in Coral Springs, Fla

The Missouri Golf Association has announced a partnership with Drury Hotels for its 2009 season. Drury Hotels will be the Official Hotel Sponsor of the MGA

Different day. Different sport. Similar story. Trailing late in the event, Illinois rallied to edge Northwestern. Friday, the top-seeded and fifth-ranked Illini men's golf team used a huge effort on the back nine to defeat the eighth-seeded Wildcats 4-2 in the quarterfinals of the inaugural Big Ten Match Play event. Illinois meets fifth-seeded Michigan, a 4-2 victory over fourth-seeded Iowa in its quarterfinal round match, in the semifinals Saturday morning at Heron Bay Golf Club in Coral Springs, Fla.

While many on the PGA Tour are discussing the struggling economy and concerned about the impact it will have on future sponsorship opportunities, PGA Tour players have an opportunity to make money in a different way in 2009.

The landscape of college golf has changed as much, if not more, than the PGA Tour since a young man from Stanford declared, "hello world". The evolution of digital media has created a home for coverage of the amateur, collegiate and junior golf scene that otherwise was relegated to the back page of a local paper if covered at all.

Without Tiger, PGA Tour begins 2009 season in need of a personality infusion

The PGA Tour kicks off its season today with the Mercedes-Benz Championship at the Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. The opening ceremony will be emceed by Golf Channel announcer Mark Rolfing and feature the national anthem performed by Josh Kelley, a flyover by three Blackhawk helicopters and a ceremonial tee shot from Pro Football HOFer John Elway.

Check out the predictions for the 2009 PGA Tour Season from the Golfers Network panel of experts