(Sports Network) - PGA TOUR - NORTHERN TRUST OPEN, Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California - The first question to be asked is what is going on with this week's defending champion?

Phil Mickelson finally broke through at Riviera last year (10 appearances on the track and zero wins), but has endured a horrendous start to his 2009 campaign.

The three-time major winner missed the cut at the FBR Open, tied for 42nd at the Buick Invitational and was never a factor at Pebble Beach. These are all tracks where Mickelson enjoyed success, so what happens this week with Lefty is anyone's guess.

This week will mark the PGA Tour debut of 17-year-old Ryo Ishikawa. The Japanese star is the second-highest-ranked player from his country and received a Commissioner's Foreign Exemption.

Ishikawa won his Japan Golf Tour debut as an amateur in May of 2007 at the ripe old age of 15 years, eight months. He turned pro in 2008 and won in November at the Mmynavi ABC Championship. When Ishikawa tees it up in the first round, he will be 17 years, five months and two days old and could be the fifth player to make a PGA Tour cut at 17 or younger.

Vincent Johnson is also in this field this week. He received a spot thanks to the first-ever Charlie Sifford Exemption given to a player who represents the advancement of diversity in golf. Johnson is a graduate of Oregon State and turned professional last year. He is looking for some financial backing. Aren't we all?

The Northern Trust Open will be broadcast on The Golf Channel for the first two rounds before CBS takes over on the weekend.

Could next week finally be the week? Starting on Wednesday of next week is the WGC - Accenture Match Play Championship and that was won last year by one Tiger Woods. The world's best has not announced his return date, but this could be it.

Also next week is the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya Cancun won last year by Brian Gay.

EUROPEAN TOUR

JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC, The Vines Resort & Country Club, Perth, Australia - It's old meets young in this version of the Johnnie Walker Classic.

Greg Norman and Colin Montgomerie, two of the biggest stars of the 90s, will get a chance to see two of the players responsible for carrying professional golf into the next generation.

Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas, both multiple winners on the PGA Tour last year and both in the top 15 in the world rankings, will join Norman, who held the lead on the 10th tee Sunday at the 2008 British Open, and Montgomerie, recently named European Ryder Cup Captain, in the field this week.

This star-studded quartet will have to contend with the defending champion, Mark Brown of New Zealand. Unfortunately for Brown, he did not win the title at The Vines Resort, but at the DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi, India.

This is the fourth time the championship visits Perth and fifth time in Australia. The intent of this tournament is to move around the Asia Pacific region and it's tri-sanctioned by the European Tour, Asian Tour and PGA Tour of Australia.

The Golf Channel will have tape-delayed coverage all week.

Next week, the elite of the European Tour will play in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. The rest head to the Indonesia Open, won last year by Felipe Aguilar.



CHAMPIONS TOUR

THE ACE GROUP CLASSIC, TPC at Treviso Bay, Naples, Florida - Some changes came to the 2009 The ACE Group Classic. It has a new host, Peter Jacobsen, and a new venue.

Jacobsen won't be able to play due to injury, but he is supposed to be with The Golf Channel during broadcasts and also has a hand in recruiting some top talent to play.

The course, the TPC at Treviso Bay, was co-designed by Hal Sutton, a member of the Champions Tour who is in the field. It only opened to members on December 1, 2008.

Scott Hoch won his second consecutive event on tour when he titled last year at the ACE Group Classic. Last week, he was not able to defend at the Allianz Championship due to injury. Hoch is in the field as of Monday, but may not make it to the first tee on Friday.

The aforementioned Golf Channel has all three rounds.

The Champions Tour has off next week, but will return in two weeks at the Toshiba Classic in Newport Beach, California. Bernhard Langer won the trophy last year.



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