The 2013 PGA Tour season kicks off in sunny Hawaii as many of the world's best take part in the winners-only Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Bubba Watson, Webb Simpson, Rickie Fowler, Ian Poulter and Dustin Johnson are all scheduled to tee it up at the Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii, as the 2013 season gets underway on Golf Channel on Thursday.

This year's Tournament of Champions is the end of an era -- the final time it will be played as the first event of the season. Instead, it will become the seventh event of the 2013-14 season and will include winners from the calendar year. A change may do the Tournament of Champions some good and add even more intrigue to the event.

Set in Kapalua, the Tournament of Champions is setup for the big bombers. Players such as Bubba Watson are free and encouraged to uncork long, jaw-dropping drives, thanks to the course's forgiving fairways that tend to roll-out quite a bit. Drives over 400 yards are not uncommon as players grip and rip.

The Tournament of Champions begins on Jan. 3, ending on Monday, Jan. 7. The Monday finish allows the Tournament of Champions to conclude in primetime, on its own following the first round of the NFL playoffs and just before the 2013 BCS Championship Game begins.

Keep up with the latest news from Kapalua by following Golf Channel on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter. Tweet using hashtag #PGATOURonGC. Watch the start of the 2013 PGA Tour season at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions TONIGHT at 6PM ET exclusively on Golf Channel.