Vijay (who else?) tops our first list of 2005

Last season's $10 million man seems determined to shatter his own record for money winnings while putting a vice grip on his No. 1 ranking. Were it not for a triple bogey at the Mercedes, he'd be 2 for 2 this season.

The roar from the Sony Open gallery is still reverberating after the Big Easy's closing-round 62. But he's not satisfied with coming close in the first two tournaments. "I've got to win a couple," he says.

Australia's top golfer defended his Mercedes title, then wife Ashley gave birth to their first child the next day. Nice way to start the year, although he'll be on hiatus for a few more weeks.

Despite struggling on the greens, Tiger was the only player at the Mercedes to card four rounds under 70. The revamped swing must be working.

Two top 5 finishes to start the season bodes well for the Tour's top putter in 2004. He won twice last year; he could double that in 2005.

He stumbled down the stretch at the Sony to finish third. His inability to close has cost him a handful of wins the past couple of years. Maybe he needs to smile less and take a more cold-blooded approach to the game.

He took second at the Mercedes and starting off nicely at the Sony before settling for 20th. If he stays healthy (he suffered a sciatic-nerve injury a year ago), he'll challenge in many tournaments this year.

CH3 finished third at the Sony, a good sign for the 25-year-old, who spent the offseason working on his short game. But his putting, which has never been his strong suit, will decide how well he plays in '05.

Showed resiliency by overcoming three straight bogeys to take a share of the lead on the back nine at the Sony on Sunday. In one start this year, he's already made a fifth of what he made in 31 starts last season ($836,380).

A year ago, he was sidelined by hand surgery. Now healthy, he's posted two top 15 finishes. He dedicated his offseason to adding power off the tee; he ranked just 117th in driving distance last year.