Looking Ahead to 2016: Spieth Eyes a Repeat Run

'Twas a few nights before Christmas, and all through the land, not a golfer was stirring ...

OK, OK, before this timeless classic gets botched even further, you get the picture: There's no golf. The PGA Tour hasn't played since the Hero World Challenge two weeks ago and won't tee it up for two more, when the Hyundai Tournament of Champions kicks off 2016.

It gives us a chance to not only take stock of who's been naughty and nice, er, good and bad, but what potentially lies ahead for what could be the deepest talent base in PGA Tour history.

THE BEST OF THE BEST

Jordan Spieth

Five wins in 2015, including the Masters, U.S. Open and Tour Championship. Spieth clearly was the top golfer last season and deserved to end the year as world No. 1, Expecting a repeat performance in 2016 is asking a bit much. But another major en route to another FedEx Cup championship? Entirely possible.

Rory McIlroy

Following a win at the DP World Championship and another Race to Dubai title, McIlroy started prepping for 2016 -- he got laser eye surgery. He clearly wants to take back his top ranking from Spieth and, whether that will happen, it won't be for a lack of trying. We won't see McIlroy in the States till February, but he's committed to Riviera for the first time, indicating he may play here a bit more.

Jason Day

Day went on a two-month stretch for the ages over the summer, following up an excruciating T4 at the Open Championship with four wins in his next six starts. He briefly became No. 1 in the world and nearly overtook Spieth for Player of the Year honors. As for 2016, the feeling here is that Day will be a shade behind Spieth and McIlroy. But that doesn't mean he can't win another major.

Rickie Fowler

Two PGA Tour wins, including The Players Championship and a playoff event, plus a victory at the elite Scottish Open. And Fowler didn't even enter the conversation for best player in the world and currently isn't even in the top five in the rankings. Is it his time to finally win a major, and maybe challenge Day for No. 3 in the world? Yes. Overtaking Spieth and McIlroy? Probably not.

Bubba Watson

In 2014-15, Watson won twice, finished second three times and third twice. And while he's ranked fourth in the world, he probably has only one way to go. Unless he wins a third Masters, which is surely is possible.

Henrik Stenson

Stenson played only 16 times on the PGA Tour last season. He was runner-up four times, including three playoff events. But he could've/should've won at least one of those tournaments. Stenson finished second to Spieth in the FedEx cup chase, though it's hard not to see at least a slight dropoff this season.

Dustin Johnson

During this holiday season, what to get the most physically gifted golfer on the planet? How about composure? On one hand, Johnson came back soon after a six-month absence to turn in a dominating performance at Doral. On the other, he three-gagged the final hole of the U.S. Open. Is there a major in Johnson's stocking for 2016? No.

WHAT ABOUT ME?

Patrick Reed

At No. 10 in the world, Reed is elite. He's just not quite as elite as the golfers listed above. Not that that can't change in a hurry. Reed won the Hyundai last year, his fourth win in three years, so he'll be back to defend at Kapalua in two weeks. Expect very good things from this bulldog of a golfer in 2016.

LEGENDS OF THE FALL

Kevin Kisner

Mr. Runner-Up did it again at the WGC-HCBC Champions last month. But two weeks later, Kisner captured the RSM Classic for his first Tour win, after four-second-place showings in the previous seven months. It's vaulted him to the top of the 2015-16 point standings and to No. 18 in the world – that's better than Matt Kuchar, Jimmy Walker, Martin Kaymer and Phil Mickelson, to name just a few. Another win in 2016 would not be a surprise. Not winning again would be the surprise.

Russell Knox

The 30-year-old Scot broke through for his maiden win at the WGC event in China in November, then almost won again a week later in Mexico. Knox clearly was on the upswing before that, as he just missed qualifying for this year's Tour Championship. He's No. 30 in the world right now, and he might even be a bit better than that.

Jamie Donaldson

Donaldson had a disappointing year, with only two top-10s in 16 starts. But he finished with a flourish, winning the Thailand Open last week to crack the top 50 in the world. That will likely get the Englishman into the Masters. And by winning in Thailand, he's qualified for the Open Championship and WGC-Bridgestone.

BETTER DAYS BEHIND

Jimmy Walker

Walker has traditionally done most of his damage early in the season, even before he started winning tournaments by the boatload. But he didn't have a good fall this time around, so it'll be very important to watch Walker at the Hyundai, where he was runner-up last year, and then a week later at the Sony Open, of which he is the two-time defending champion. If he doesn't do well, and it will be hard to replicate his past success, it could be a disappointing year for the Texan.

Jim Furyk

Yes, Furyk finally closed the deal after all those Sunday meltdowns, winning the RBC Heritage in July. But in his age-45 season, he couldn't do any better than T30 in the five biggest tournaments -- the four majors and The Players. And he didn't qualify for the Presidents Cup. Remarkably, Furyk is still No. 9 in the world -- that's ahead of Reed, for example -- but it wouldn't be surprise to see him tumble out of the top 20 by this time next year.

Matt Kuchar

Kuchar was winless in 2014-15, after registering at least one victory in five of the previous six years. He had a second- and third-place showing, both in January, before meandering through the rest of the year. Kuchar qualified for the Tour Championship and the Presidents Cup, but those sorts of things will no longer be sure things for the veteran.

Phil Mickelson

Mickelson probably will be a threat at the Masters for a few more years -- he was runner-up to Spieth in 2015 -- but otherwise his fall continues. And leaving Butch Harmon for a new coach won't stem the slide. Mickelson is down to No. 32 in the world. Rooting for him has always been great fun. But let's see how much fun it will be if doesn't justify your faith in him.

Billy Horschel

Yes, we're always beating on Horschel. But that's only because it's warranted. Only two top-10s in 28 starts last season, his world ranking is down to No. 39, with no sign of reversing course. Horschel turned a few weeks of awesomeness during the 2014 FedEx Cup playoffs into a lifetime of now being overrated.

Charley Hoffman, Robert Streb

These two will slide only because their seasons were so good, each winning a tournament, that they will be hard-pressed to repeat. Neither will be at the Hyundai, as their wins came in 2014 and they therefore played Kapalua in 2015.

Hunter Mahan

Mahan's last two years have largely been busts -- save for his out-of-nowhere win at the 2014 Barclays. This past season, the veteran mustered one top-3 and nothing better -- and that came in the season-opening Frys, now some 14 months ago.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

Harold Varner III

There are only 17 rookies on tour in 2015-16. Emiliano Grillo and Smylie Kaufman have already won, and Patton Kizzire has made some noise. Varner made noise, too; you just may not have heard it. He shared the third-round lead at the Australian PGA Championship this month, and actually shared the fourth-round lead, too, before falling to unheralded Aussie Nathan Holman in a three-way playoff. Varner currently stands fifth in the Web.com Tour reshuffle, so he'll get plenty of starts.

HOLIDAY ON ICE

As for Tiger Woods, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"