Second Tournament of 2017
What: Sony Open
When: January 5th - 8th
Where: Waialae Country Club
2015 Winner: Jordan Spieth
I will be mirroring the format for last year. It follows Yahoo's Fantasy Golf where you pick 2 A Golfers, 4 B Golfers and 2 C Golfers. As such I will pick one from A, 2 from B and 1 from C (as if they were your starters) along with one Dark Horse pick. It is my aim to do two things - first, select golfers who will do well. These golfers will not always win but it is my aim to keep the selections to golfers who make the cut and will be competitive down the stretch on Sunday. Second - select golfers who aren't always the obvious choice. If you are playing the Yahoo format or even the PGA fantasy league than you are severely limited on starts. It does no good to name Dustin Johnson or Jordan Spieth every week. I will make sure my picks as low as possible and spread the field out to introduce new names.
Course: Waialae Country Club: Created in 1927 by Seth Raynor, this 7,044 par 70 course has mirrored a few holes off international holes. Hole 13, 8, 16 and 10 are based off courses in France, Scotland and Long Island NY. Similar to last week, wind will be an issue as it comes across but the fairways and greens will be generous and the greens will run a bit fast.
A. Marc Leishman. He won't win. He'll make the cut and he'll compete. He has two top ten finishes here and he is always within the top 40. His comfort with this course is undeniable and part of me is curious to see how he starts this year as I think he's going to have a competitive year.
B:
Jimmy Walker. He won it in back to back years before finishing 13th last year. He's comfortable here and his game is ever on the rise as of the last 6 months. Lock for a top ten finish.
Jordan Spieth. While Jimmy has the inner edge to win due to history, Jordan has been playing well lately. His shots were spot on at SBS with the exception of one ill-mannered hole.
C. Zac Blair. Two starts here, top two ten finishes. He has a very accurate drive and is remarkable in the fringes around the green. With the speed of these greens, he tends to excel.
Dark Horse.
Hudson Swafford. I think he's in for a big year. I watched as he steadily improved all of last year and he has the great irons and has two top ten finishes here.