Rory McIlroy was plenty happy in 2012, winning money titles on the European and PGA tours and finishing the year as the world's top-ranked player. Continued success surely is on his 2013 agenda. Here's what else we would like to see to make it a fun year to be a golf fan.
 

Late in 2012, Tiger Woods wrote on his website that his "rivalry" with Rory McIlroy was an illusion until they had more history on the course. Woods said they need to go head to head for important wins for the rivalry to match the hype. He has a point. So here's hoping Woods and McIlroy are paired on Sundays more than on Thursdays. Should they be going head to head for a major title, that would be can't-miss viewing.
 

Tom Watson (pictured) will serve as US Ryder Cup captain in 2014. What better way to rally the troops than to show he still can match them shot for shot? Watson made a stirring run at the British Open title in 2009 at age 59. Why not go one better and win it at 63? The 2013 Open is at Muirfield, where Watson won in 1980 for the third of his five Open titles.
 

Whether golfers will be able to "anchor" putters against their bellies or chests in years to come means not a whit to us. Either way, a 15-footer with a major championship on the line is no gimme. What we don't want is an endless string of stories about the merits of either side of the debate. We feel for such folks as Adam Scott (pictured), who might have to readjust to the traditional putting stroke, but enough of the bellyaching. Pass the rule or kill it. It's already more tiresome than "the fiscal cliff."
 

This year saw Fred Couples (pictured) and Colin Montgomerie selected to the World Golf Hall of Fame. Their combined total of major wins: one. Now, that's not to diminish them as golfers. Both were stars of their era. But Hall of Famers? Only if the standard is falling. Each was elected with 51 percent of the vote, hardly a mandate. The Hall of Fame should evaluate its selection process.

With golf returning to the Olympics in 2016, Rory McIlroy and, to a lesser degree, Graeme McDowell, have a dilemma. Do the Northern Irishmen represent Great Britain or Ireland? Either way, they are bound to anger a large part of their fan constituencies. It's a no-win situation, even if one were to bring home the gold. Really, neither should be put in the position to choose. The issue is far too sensitive after centuries of conflict over Northern Ireland. The IOC should step in and resolve the matter now. Let the IOC take the heat.

Yani Tseng (pictured) won 12 tournaments worldwide in 2011 and had another three in the first three months of 2012. Then, nothing. The five-time major winner and two-time Player of the Year even missed three cuts during a long summer slump. She appeared to be battling self-doubt, even as she laughed off the slump and pointed to her No. 1 world ranking. Though all tours benefit from a deep pool of talent, dominant stars also drive interest. Golf's more interesting with Tseng battling all comers, rather than herself.
 

Beset by knee and back problems, Vijay Singh has not won since 2008. But he had two top-10 finishes among his final four PGA Tour events of 2012, threatening to end the drought. Heck, he shared the midpoint lead at the PGA Championship, too. Singh turns 50 in February. Though he has no current plans to cut back on his PGA Tour activity, it would be something to see him get back into the win column on the PGA Tour and the next week score a victory on the Champions Tour.

The world's best golfers must be afraid of volcanoes. (Or they really, really like appearance fees.) They sure do their best to avoid Hawaii. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will kick off the year in Abu Dhabi. Phil Mickelson (pictured) will chill at home until the PGA Tour swings into Southern California. It's a shame that the biggest stars of the sport consistently snub the season-opening Tournament of Champions and the second-week Sony Open. Those tournaments have a prime-time window and little opposition in the sports calendar. They're a perfect showcase for the sport, except they have no marquee names.

As the PGA Tour longs for Tiger Woods vs. Rory McIlroy to blossom into a true rivalry, how about one for the LPGA Tour? The circuit has had many dominant forces — Nancy Lopez, Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa — but precious few head-to-head matchups that held up over time. The rise of teenagers Lexi Thompson (pictured) and Lydia Ko gives hope to a rivalry that could last more than three decades. They're still in the development stage, but they're already competing vs. the best. Here's hoping they compete as the best.

After one of the big-boy pros hears word that TV analyst Johnny Miller (pictured on left, with Nick Faldo) called him out for a boneheaded decision or jelly-leg putting, said pro tells the press, "He was right." PGA Tour players grumble about Miller's blunt style, but the fact is he makes the sport more accessible to the casual fan. By telling us what's really going on, he serves the sport far better than those who deify the pros and make them more difficult to relate to.