What do we all want to see when we tune in to Sunday’s golf broadcast?

Great golf, of course.

Stirring competition, naturally.

Awe-inspiring shots that we could never pull off in a thousand tries, sadly.

That forms the basis of a heart-racing afternoon. But this experience doesn’t really induce the highest frissons of delight unless the world’s best players are involved in the drama. In this respect, the Buick Open, played at Warwick Hills outside of the Motor City, has served golf fans like no other tournament over the last several years, making those Sundays gazing at the boob tube a life enriching entertainment.

The protagonists were inevitably the same from year to year: Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk.

In 2006, it was Furyk rising in the final round to give Tiger a sweat before the world No. 1 closed the door coming down the stretch.

The year before it was Tiger who did the chasing, shooting a 6-under 66 that enlivened the galleries on Sunday. But it wasn’t enough to surpass the unflappable Singh.

In 2004, Tiger and Singh were joined by John Daly to put on a thrilling final round in which the big Fijian eventually came out on top.

Jim Furyk won the Buick Open in 2003. (AP)

Furyk’s year was in 2003. Not only did he win the U.S. Open earlier in the season, but at the Buick Open, he staved off a hard-charging Woods, who made another of his patented runs.

But for all of its great moments in the past, this tournament faces an entirely different prospect coming into this year’s staging.

First, there is the new spot on the schedule which situates it between the U.S. Open and the British Open. Previously, it occupied a cozy notch midway between the British and the PGA. On the surface, the change isn’t quite as deplorable as what some other events were dealt. It was only after Tiger’s AT&T National was grafted onto the calendar a week after the Buick Open that tournament officials were jarred by a sober realization.

The Buick Open would be placed in direct competition over high caliber players with Tiger’s ballyhooed event at revered Congressional. It was sure to be a battle the formerly fortunate Buick event couldn’t win. Fourth of July weekend? Tiger’s shindig? Congressional? Forget about it.

At least there was comfort in the $40 million insurance policy Buick had in the form of an endorsement deal with golf’s top draw. Right? Not quite.

Until the birth of his daughter last week, Woods had expressed his intention of playing. But the untimely nativity of Sam Alexis Woods changed everything for Buick’s boy. He pleaded family-first virtues in his statement through his agent: ‘Sorry, no golf for me this week gents’ to freely paraphrase.

Even worst, the Buick will also be without its three-time champion in Singh. Four consecutive weeks of intense labor even tests the limits of a sturdy warhorse like Vijay. It will be the first time since 2001 that he won’t be present at Warwick Hills.

In the 2007 field, Furyk stands as the sole member of that terrific trio that jazzed up so many Buick Opens of yesteryear. In the wake of two heart-breaking second-place finishes at Colonial and Oakmont, Furyk hopes he can earn his first title of 2007. He must like his chances this week at Warwick Hills where he has recorded a win and six additional top-10s in his career.

Beyond No. 3 ranked Furyk, the entry list is thin on star power. South Africa’s Trevor Immelman, who was the PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year in 2007, is the field’s second highest ranked player at No. 17 in the world.

A handful of 2007 winners go for No. 2 this week: Charles Howell III (Nissan Open), Mark Wilson (Honda Classic) and Scott Verplank (Byron Nelson).

Fred Funk, the ageless wonder, will also attempt to pick up his second PGA Tour title of the season. The 51-year-old raised more than a few eyebrows with his victory at Mexico’s Mayakoba Golf Classic back in February. Perhaps, it was slightly less of a surprise to see him in contention at last week’s Travelers Championship where he took fifth-place honors.

Robert Allenby (No. 29), Brett Wetterich (No. 30), Rod Pampling (No. 32) and John Rollins (No. 47), all former PGA Tour champions, round out the roster from the top 50.

For all contestants, Warwick Hills offers an abundance of scoring opportunities. Last season, it was the second most generous (behind Tucson National) among single-course events on the PGA Tour. The 2006 field tallied a stroke average 1.65 strokes under par.

Whoever comes to compete will need to switch on attack mode from the start to keep up with the furious pace of scoring. The winning scores over the last few years have been 23 and 24 under. It’s red-or-rot golf at its finest.