The GolfChannel.com team and regular contributors listed their top 10 stories of the year. We took those lists, applied a BCS-style points system to each ranking and came up with an overall Top 10 Stories of 2009.
Below is the cumulative Top 10 as well as the individual top 10’s from the voting staff, which includes: Senior writers Rex Hoggard and Randall Mell; Editorial director Jay Coffin; Editorial manager Mercer Baggs; Contributors Rich Lerner and Charlie Rymer; Senior producer Brian Koressel; Travel editor Erik Peterson; and Instruction associate editor Richard Currey.
| Top 10 Stories of 2009 |
| 1 | The Tiger Woods saga: Woods’ fall from grace
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| 2 | Tom Watson nearly wins the Open Championship at age 59
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| 3 | Tiger Woods returns from knee surgery to win six times on Tour
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| 4 | Amy Mickelson is diagnosed with breast cancer, while Phil Mickelson finishes strong in 2009 |
| 5 | Carolyn Bivens is ousted as LPGA commissioner and Michael Whan is introduced as the new leader |
| 6 | The year of the ‘Almost Slam’ as some of golf’s biggest names come up short in the majors
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| 7 | Y.E. Yang becomes the first player to overtake Tiger Woods after trailing through 54 holes in a major championship to win the PGA Championship
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| 8 | Economic woes strike golf, from the Race to Dubai to sponsors around the world
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| 9 | Michelle Wie finally wins on the LPGA
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| 10 | Kenny Perry blows a two-shot lead with two to play in losing the Masters
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| Rex Hoggard’s Top 10 | | 1 | The Tiger Saga | | 2 | The ‘Almost Slam’ | | 3 | Tiger’s Return | | 4 | LPGA Commissioner Controversy
| | 5 | Amy and Phil Mickelson | | 6 | Michelle Wie Wins | | 7 | Tom Watson Nearly Wins the Open | | 8 | Doug Barron and PEDs | | 9 | The Economy | | 10 | Rickie Fowler’s Fall Finish |
| Jay Coffin’s Top 10 | | 1 | The Tiger Saga | | 2 | Tom Watson Nearly Wins the Open | | 3 | Tiger’s Return
| | 4 | The ‘Almost Slam’
| | 5 | LPGA Commissioner Controversy
| | 6 | Amy and Phil Mickelson
| | 7 | Doug Barron and PEDs
| | 8 | Y.E. Yang Wins PGA
| | 9 | Michelle Wie Wins | | 10 | Groove Changes
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| Rich Lerner’s Top 10 | | 1 | The Tiger Saga | | 2 | Tom Watson Nearly Wins the Open | | 3 | Y.E. Yang Wins the PGA | | 4 | Amy and Phil Mickelson | | 5 | Tiger’s Return
| | 6 | The Economy | | 7 | Kenny Perry Loses the Masters | | 8 | Golf in the Olympics | | 9 | LPGA Commissioner Controversy | | 10 | Michelle Wie Wins |
| Brian Koressel’s Top 10 | | 1 | The Tiger Saga | | 2 | Tom Watson Nearly Wins the Open | | 3 | The ‘Almost Slam’ | | 4 | Tiger’s Return | | 5 | Amy and Phil Mickelson | | 6 | Michelle Wie Wins | | 7 | The Economy | | 8 | LPGA Commissioner Controversy
| | 9 | U.S. Wins Presidents/Solheim Cups | | 10 | Ken Green’s Tragedy |
| Richard Currey’s Top 10 | | 1 | The Tiger Saga | | 2 | Tiger’s Return | | 3 | Amy and Phil Mickelson
| | 4 | Y.E. Yang Wins the PGA
| | 5 | The ‘Almost Slam’ | | 6 | The Economy | | 7 | LPGA Commissioner Controversy
| | 8 | Tom Watson Nearly Wins Open
| | 9 | John Daly’s Up-and-Down Season
| | 10 | Golf in the Olympics
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| | Randall Mell’s Top 10 | | 1 | The Tiger Saga | | 2 | Tom Watson Nearly Wins Open | | 3 | Y.E. Yang Wins PGA | | 4 | Tiger’s Return | | 5 | Lucas Glover Wins U.S. Open
| | 6 | Amy and Phil Mickelson | | 7 | Michelle Wie Wins
| | 8 | LPGA Commissioner Controversy
| | 9 | The Economy | | 10 | Golf in the Olympics |
| Mercer Baggs’ Top 10 | | 1 | The Tiger Saga | | 2 | Tom Watson Nearly Wins the Open | | 3 | Tiger’s Return | | 4 | The ‘Almost Slam’ | | 5 | LPGA Commissioner Controversy
| | 6 | Amy and Phil Mickelson | | 7 | The Economy | | 8 | Doug Barron and PEDs
| | 9 | Michelle Wie Wins | | 10 | John Daly’s Up-and-Down Season |
| Charlie Rymer’s Top 10 | | 1 | The Tiger Saga | | 2 | Tom Watson Nearly Wins the Open | | 3 | The Economy | | 4 | Tiger’s Return | | 5 | LPGA Commissioner Controversy | | 6 | Michelle Wie Wins | | 7 | Kenny Perry Loses the Masters | | 8 | Ken Green’s Tragedy | | 9 | Lucas Glover Wins the U.S. Open | | 10 | Amy and Phil Mickelson |
| Erik Peterson’s Top 10 | | 1 | The Tiger Saga
| | 2 | Tom Watson Nearly Wins the Open | | 3 | Y.E. Yang Wins the PGA | | 4 | Golf in the Olympics
| | 5 | Michelle Wie Wins
| | 6 | Kenny Perry Loses the Masters | | 7 | LPGA Commissioner Controversy
| | 8 | The Economy | | 9 | Woods-Harrington Slow Play Issue
| | 10 | Tiger’s Return |
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