"The Tournament of Champions felt less like opening day than it did the first day pitchers and catchers report to camp."
/Rex Hoggard suggests that the Hawaii start to the PGA Tour season just isn't working, whether because of timing or energy or most likely, location.
A better option may be co-opting an existing venue. The raucousness of TPC Scottsdale, combined with an already proposed move to effectively double the Tournament of Champions field size by giving Tour winners a two-year exemption, would add excitement; while Doral, which was converted to a WGC in 1999, offers an intriguing combination of storied golf course and geographic simplicity. Essentially, fewer excuses to skip the opener.
A move back to the mainland would also require some schedule tinkering, a reality that may be unavoidable given the circuit’s current economic headwinds.