Here are the answers to '07's most pressing questions

	Will Tiger Woods -- shown here with the trophy after winning the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in November -- win a true Grand Slam? Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
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A new era in golf begins ... and it feels strangely like the end of the old era: No Tiger, no Phil, no buzz. Is this the 2007 Mercedes Championships, or the '06 Tour Championship?

To be fair, there is some intrigue this week, but it has almost nothing to do with who will win this tournament. The real star here is the GolfChannel, which begins its 15-year contract as the exclusive cable home of the PGA Tour, a monumental commitment (and gamble) for the Tour. How the GolfChannel will perform is just one of the many pressing questions heading into the new season. Here are seven more:

1. Will Tiger Woods win the Grand Slam?

Depends on which Slam you're talking about. I think another Tiger Slam -- winning four consecutive majors across two seasons -- is in the offing. We all know Woods owns Augusta. If he takes care of business at the Masters, he can finish off his second Tiger Slam at the U.S. Open. Oakmont is the kind of historic venue that brings out the best in Woods. It's Arnie's backyard, it's where Nicklaus won his first Open and Hogan won his final one. It's also the most brutally penal championship course in America, where only the manliest survive. You can all but chalk up another W for Woods.

So can he run the table and win a true calendar Slam, becoming the first man to win all four professional majors in the same season? (Surely SI.com readers are discerning enough to know that Bobby Jones's Slam in 1930 included the U.S. and British Amateurs.)

As Paul Lawrie and Jan Van de Velve proved last time around, anything can happen at Carnoustie. It's the Scottish Oakmont: 18 punches in the nose. If the setup at this year's British Open is saner than what we saw in 1999, then Woods should prosper, but the real wild card is the bun in Elin's oven. Word on the street is that Mrs. Woods is due in the days before the British Open. The birth of his first child so soon after the death of his father will have a profound impact on Woods ... and if anything can disrupt his famous focus, it is the plaintive wailing of a newborn.

Even if Woods does prevail at Carnoustie, the site of the PGA Championship, Southern Hills, is the kind of claustrophic, doglegged par-70 that has rendered Tiger mortal in the majors. Only one of his 12 Grand Slam victories have come on a par-70, and Southern Hills is where his last great run ended, as he finished 12th at the 2001 Open in his bid to win five straight majors.

Bottom line: Woods never ceases to amaze, but I don't see a true Slam happening this year, given the venues and all the emotion that will come with dirty diapers. But tidying up a second Tiger Slam would still be a spectacular achievement.

2. Will Phil Mickelson remain curled in the fetal position forever?

As much fun as it has been to see Mickelson suffer, I think he'll rebound with a good year. Remember all those brutal majorless years when he soldiered on despite the endless disappointments? The guy is nothing if not resilient.

Though he hasn't teed it up in an eternity, there have been some Mickelson sightings this offseason, and supposedly he has been working out with gusto and is beginning to look something like an elite athlete. Recharged physically and emotionally, his resolve renewed by the disappointment at Winged Foot, Mickelson will be looking to make a major statement this year. He was in position to win at Southern Hills in 2001; stopping Woods's bid for a calendar Slam would be an eloquent rebuttal to Phil's myriad critics.

3. How big a dud will the FedEx Cup be?

OK, that's a leading question. I should try to be more open-minded. Certainly the finish to this year will be more satisfying than the endless slog we have always had to endure in previous autumns. But it's hard to get excited about a "playoff" that begins with 144 players, roughly the number of guys who tee it up every other week of the year, especially when the Tour's statistical models have made it clear that only the top dozen or so players after the points reset have a chance to win the overall Cup. It's also a very good possibility that the winner of the season-ending Tour Championship will not be the champion of the FedEx Cup -- that'll feel a little weird.

But the real doomsday scenario for the Tour is Tiger Woods skipping a few of the events. Burnt out from chasing the Slam and eager to bond with Eldrick Jr., Woods is going to have little interest in playing four straight weeks at the end of a long season. If he's apathetic toward the FedEx Cup, then it's doubtful the fans will get excited. Stay tuned.