HONOLULU, Hawaii - The sun is shining and spirits are soaring at the Sony Open, the first full-field event of the year on the PGA Tour that seems to bring equal measures of optimism no matter how long a player has been around. Jalen Brunson Jersey .And its quite the age range at Waialae, from 16-year-old Kyle Suppa to 58-year-old Fred Funk, one of four Champions Tour players at the Sony Open.Everybody is in a pretty good mood this week, said David Clark, the caddie for Paul Casey, as he watched a threesome wrap up a practice round. At least until Thursday.For Charles Howell III, he has reason for high hopes along the surf and royal palms.He has never missed this event since 2002, and he has done just about everything but win. Howell has eight top 10s, including a pair of runner-up finishes. He has never shot worse than 73, and 41 of his 48 rounds at the Sony Open have been at par or better.Howell started laughing as he listened to his record. About the only thing missing from his record is a trophy, the winners lei draped around his neck and the champagne toast to the Waialae members.Its weird, he said. I think coming off of an off-season, Hawaii is an easy place to come to. Weve always enjoyed coming here, even in the days of college when we would come to play college events this time of the year. Guys are excited to play. As far as my results, its hard to say. I wish I knew what it was or Id try it at some other event. For some reason, I like this course. Its an old-style course, not a modern design by any means, and I like that aspect of it.Indeed, the Sony Open can feel trapped in the 1980s, and it goes back even further. This is the 50th anniversary of the PGA Tour coming to Waialae, a course that yields low scores without seeming very easy.But there is a modern aspect of this event that Howell or anyone else cannot ignore.The PGA Tour is getting younger.Howell is coming off a Christmas break with his two children, 4-year-old Ansley and 3-year-old Chase, so maybe he just feels old. He is starting his 15th year on the PGA Tour and has reason to look behind at the newcomers than at the players he spent a decade chasing.Patrick Reed won the Hyundai Tournament of Champions last week for his fourth PGA Tour victory at age 24, joining only Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy as players who have won that often before turning 25.Jordan Spieth is 21 and already has three wins worldwide, though none that got him to Kapalua. So he elected to wait until Phoenix to make his 2015 debut. Russell Henley won the Sony Open two years ago in his debut as a PGA Tour member.I dont know if theres a way to measure it, said Justin Leonard, who is starting his 22nd year on the PGA Tour, but guys who come out in their early and mid-20s, theyre ready to play and win. They dont care who theyre playing against, whether its Matt Kuchar or me or anyone else. It doesnt matter, because theyve seen guys like Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler come out and play so well early that its inspired them.Howell wonders how much if it is the Tiger Woods effect.Much like Spieth a generation ago, Howell earned his PGA Tour when he started the season with no status. That was in 2001, the year Woods completed a sweep of the majors and was on a 15-year roll the likes of which had never been seen on the PGA Tour.Howell jokingly said last year that Woods ruined a lot of guys lives and caused sleepless nights, but that he also motivated a generation behind him.Tiger was the reason that working out become popular, Howell said. These (younger) guys, its like they used him as a benchmark. When I came out, Tiger had this massive intimidation factor. Now its like Tiger is the one who pushed them along and trained them. The dynamic is weird, but probably a guy my age would be more intimidated by Tiger than a guy who is just now coming out.Players coming out now are better, he said. They seem more comfortable. I dont know if thats because of how much golf is publicized, how much its on TV to where they know what to expect.Coming off a short winters nap and playing golf on a tropical island, expectations are higher now than they will be all year. Custom Dallas Mavericks Jerseys .The Hamilton Tiger-Cat defensive back always has the required receipt. But he also walks around with a tangle of metal screws, rods and plates after breaking his neck in 2006 playing high school football in Louisiana. Dirk Nowitzki Jersey . Although the deal cannot be made official until the free agent moratorium period is lifted on July 10, Patterson has agreed to a three-year, $18 million extension to remain in Toronto, sources confirm to TSN. http://www.mavericksteamofficial.info/ .com) - The Denver Nuggets snapped a losing streak last time out and will try to carry that momentum Saturday night when they welcome the Indiana Pacers to the Pepsi Center.Evansville, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - The 23rd-ranked Northern Iowa Panthers and Evansville Purple Aces will ring in the New Year on Thursday evening, as the two teams open up Missouri Valley Conference play at the Ford Center. Ben Jacobsens Panthers have forged their way into the polls thanks to wins in 11 of their first 12 games this season. Northern Iowas lone loss came in double-overtime at VCU on Dec. 13 (93-87), but the Panthers have won two straight games since, topping Iowa (56-44) and most recently South Dakota State (74-63). Marty Simmons Purple Aces are also off to a strong start, entering this contest at an impressive 10-2. It marks the best start for the school since the 1988-89 campaign. Evansville has won three straight games entering this conference matchup, including Sundays 85-80 shootout with Coppin State. Evansville holds a slim 23-21 advantage in the all-time series with Northern Iowa. However, the Panthers swept a pair of games last year from the Purple Aces. The Panthers are sitting in the Top-25 thanks to strong defensive efforts game-in and game-out. Northern Iowa ranks first in the MVC in both scoring defense (58.1 ppg) and field-goal percentage defense (.395). The pressure at the defensive end makes a modest scoring total of 68.7 ppg hold up more often than not. Northern Iowa is shooting an efficient .486 from the field overall, including .382 from behind the arc. Senior forward Seth Tuttle has been an effective leader at both ends of the court. Tuttle is shooting over 62 percent from the floor and paces the team in both scoring (14.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.2 rpg). Junior guard Wes Washpun has exclusively come off the bench, but is also shooting over 60 percent from the floor (.603) and putting up 11.8 ppg. Northern Iowa used a dazzling offensive performance to earn the 11-point win over South Dakota State last time out, as the Panthers used a 57. DeAndre Jordan Jersey. 8 percent shooting effort to hold their foe at bay. UNI was 50-percent accurate in the first half and got better as the game wore on, converting 66.7 percent from the floor over the final 20 minutes. Four Panthers notched double figures in the win, led by Nate Buss 14 points. Washpun added 12 points, followed by Tuttles 11 and Paul Jespersons 10. Tuttle just missed a double-double with nine assists in the game. The Purple Aces are sure to push UNIs defense to the max in this one, as Evansville is the top scoring team in the Missouri Valley Conference at an impressive 79.2 ppg (23rd nationally). A good portion of that production comes from one player in junior guard D.J. Balentine, who ranks first in the MVC and fifth nationally at a hefty 22.5 ppg. Junior center Egidijus Mockevicius is the perfect complement with his interior prowess, as the 6-10 center is converting 67.7 percent from the floor and averaging a double-double with 14.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Evansville jumped all over Coppin State early, taking a 15-point lead into halftime (45-30), fueled by a 55.9-percent shooting clip in the first half. Every point was crucial, as the Purple Aces were able to fend off a strong second half by Coppin State to earn a five-point win. Overall, Evansville shot 53.7 percent from the field. Balentine was once again unstoppable, as he poured in 32 points, going 10-of-18 from the floor and 9-of-11 from the free- throw line. Mockevicius added a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore swingman Blake Simmons checked in with 13 points in the win. 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