Updated January 11, 2012

The 2012 PGA Tour season is off and running with the completion on Monday of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii and the start of this week's second consecutive even in the Aloha State, the Sony Open in Hawaii. While Steve Stricker left Maui as the champion and got an early jump on the Money List and FedEx Cup points standings, two players with Met Area ties also made a splash.

Making his Tournament of Champions debut was 2011 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Keegan Bradley, who was one of only three major champions in the field. Bradley, who graduated from St. John's in 2008 where he was teammates with MGA regulars such as 2009 & 2010 Ike champion Mike Ballo Jr. and 2010 Met Amateur champion Evan Beirne, rose to stardom last year with 2 PGA Tour wins, including a major at the PGA Championship, 12 top 25 finishes, and over $3.5 million in winnings, making him 10th on the 2011 Money List. He’s quickly become one of the most recognizable faces on the PGA Tour and looks to build upon his tremendous 2011 campaign.

Bradley finished his week on Maui with a sparkling 8-under 65 in the final round to finish alone in 16th place, taking home $105,000 and 55 FedEx Cup points.

Also playing in last week’s invitation-only field was fellow standout Johnson Wagner, the five-time MGA major winner and the first (and only) player to win all three MGA majors in one calendar year. Wagner turned pro in 2002 and has claimed two career victories, most recently in 2011 at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico. Wagner got stronger as the Maui event progressed, shooting 68-67 in the final two rounds to jump into a tie for 9th place and earn $165,000 and 75 FedEx Cup points. Wagner, whose 2011 victory does not qualify him for the 2012 Masters because it was played opposite a World Golf Championships event, is trying to play his way into the year's first major.

While Bradley and Wagner made their opening starts last week, the eyes of Met Area golf fans will also be turned to two other players who have PGA Tour status for 2012 and will make their debuts later in the season.

Connecticut native J.J. Henry earned $873,377 last year, putting him at 105th on the official money list and maintaining his status on Tour for another season. Henry has one career win and his top finish in 2011 came at the Northern Trust Open, where he finished T9.

Long Island native and 1994 Met Junior champion Marc Turnesa is playing on a major medical exemption and has one event remaining. Turnesa, 32, won the 2008 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital Open in his rookie year on Tour, but suffered a disc injury that has continued to linger throughout his career. He is yet to announce the event he will be competing in.

You can follow all Met Area touring professionals by visiting mgagolf.org and checking out our “Tour Watch” section on the homepage. For more information on all of our Met Area players as they compete in PGA, LPGA, Nationwide and Champions Tour events, check back frequently on mgagolf.org.