Sony Open - Power Rankings
Golf fans have one more week to enjoy beautiful Hawaii, and we’ll do so at Waialae Country Club.
As you might expect, Waialae Country Club is a popular destination for tourists, and is a versatile course that both amateurs and pros can enjoy. The course is advertised as follows:
Established in 1927, the course’s initial design was by Seth Raynor with changes by Desmond Muirhead in 1992. Now a mature, lushly landscaped, and player-friendly championship course, Waialae features wide forgiving fairways lined with stands of coconut, monkey pod and kiawe trees and 83 strategically place bunkers that can be in play for any golfer.
The course plays to a par 70 for the SONY Open and measures 7,020 yards from the Championship tees, 6,456 yards from the Member tees and 5,962 from the Forward tees. It includes both left and right doglegs and, thanks to its well-planned layout, can challenge the low handicap player while not penalizing the high handicap player. The course is cooled by gentle trade winds and features well-tended and manicured Bermuda grass fairways and greens. The course is nestled in the quiet neighborhood of Waialae-Kahala and its signature hole, the par 3 eighth hole, is bordered along its full 186 yards by the Pacific Ocean. Here are a list of players to keep an eye on this week, as well as my DraftKings lineups.
Jimmy Walker - Has won this event the last two years. Coming off a T10 finish last week, and always plays well early in the season.
Adam Scott - Got an early start on the season playing in the CIMB Classic. His second place finish gave him the start he was looking for after a 2015 season that was in some ways disappointing. Looking to keep the hot start to the season, and is always a threat to contend.
Matt Kuchar - Top-10 finishes each of the last three years. It would be hard to argue that he won’t have a strong performance this week.
Kevin Kisner - One of the hottest players on Tour at the moment. Fizzled a little last weekend, but came out very strong in first two rounds.
Harris English - There aren’t a ton of events where he seems to always perform, but this one is - T3, 4th, T9 in last three years.
Kevin Na - Getting back into the action after an incredible stretch of golf back in October where he had top-3 finishes in three consecutive weeks.
Will Wilcox - T8 in 2014, and coming off a very strong season in 2015. A course he has succeeded on in the past sets up for a terrific chance to win his first PGA Tour event.
Russell Knox - Despite mediocre performance last week, confidence strong after winning the HSBC Champions back in November. Finished T13 at this event last season.
Brandt Snedeker - His putter makes him a constant threat. Coming off a terrific week at Kapalua.
Justin Thomas - Uncharacteristic performance last week, finishing T21 in limited field. I expect him to bounce back nicely this week, as he has been consistently contending for almost a year now.
Sleeper Picks
Charles Howell III - T8 in 2014 & T3 in 2013. Clearly a course that suits his game, and he is one who often soars below the radar.
Jim Herman - I love picking Jim as a sleeper, because I believe he’s going to break through and win in the near future. Another player who likes to fly under the radar.
Take a look at my DraftKings picks for the week.
Starting Lineup:
Jimmy Walker - $12,200
Patton Kizzire - $8,800
Padraig Harrington - $7,500
Jerry Kelly - $7,400
Jim Herman - $6,300
Adam Hadwin - $5,800
Alternate Lineup:
Adam Scott - $12,000
Kevin Kisner - $11.700
Cameron Smith - $7,000
Brian Harman - $6,900
Camilo Villegas - $6,500
Nick Taylor - $5,800
My teams are very much top heavy this week, and both have youngsters that I’m hoping will have big weeks. Patton Kizzire is coming off a fantastic season on the Web.com Tour, and Cameron Smith had some big performances in 2015. Both can compete and will be names to watch this coming season. I took the two Canadians - Hadwin & Taylor - who were both available for less than $6,000. Neither one have contended on a regular basis, but with one win under his belt for Taylor, and some high finishes for Hadwin, they could be picks that pay huge dividends.
About the Author
This article was written by Jonathan Carr (@jonathanwcarr) as part of our weekly #FantasyGolf series. Each week we preview the upcoming PGA Tour event and highlight some of the players we'll be keeping an eye on. As a scratch golfer himself, Jonathan has a keen eye for what it takes to be successful on and off the golf course. His passion for golf is surpassed only by his passion for his faith and his family. Read some of Jonathan's other articles here.
About DraftKings
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