This article is part of our DraftKings PGA DFS Picks series.
SONY OPEN
Purse: $5.8M
Winner's Share: $1.044M
FedEx Cup Points: 500 to the Winner
Location: Honolulu
Course: Waialae Country Club
Yardage: 7,044
Par: 70
Defending Champion: Jimmy Walker
Tournament Preview
Skipping islands from Maui to Oahu, the PGA Tour will play host to the Sony Open for the 51st time at Waialae Country Club. Such a lasting tradition has only been eclipsed in time by four other venues, making it a special week in paradise for veterans and rookies alike. Twenty-two of last week's Tournament of Champions entrants are opting to play the Hawaii Double; one is Jimmy Walker, who is primed for a three-peat at Waialae, but will need to fend off six others in the world top 30 to do so. Waialae Country Club very much contrasts last week's Kapalua Plantation course in that it's quite flat and requires much precision off the tee to be successful. The par-70 course is very short at just 7,044 yards and has just two par-5s, heavily favoring the plodding ballstriker. While many rookies have typically made their first start at the Sony Open, only nine first-timers will make their maiden start at Waialae this week.
Key Stats to winning at Waialae
• Driving Accuracy
• Strokes Gained: Tee-To-Green
• Putting inside 10 feet
Past Champions
2015 - Jimmy Walker
2014 - Jimmy Walker
2013 - Russell Henley
2012 - Johnson Wagner
2011 - Mark Wilson
2010 - Ryan Palmer
2009 - Zach Johnson
2008 - K.J. Choi
2007 - Paul Goydos
2006 - David Toms
Champion's Profile:
As eluded to earlier, driving accuracy is crucial for success, evidenced by the exhaustive list of straight-hitting champions. If you want to dig into course comparisons, look no further than the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town or El Camaleon in Mexico as similar tracks that produce similar champions. Another feature of Waialae is incredibly flat greens, making short putting conversion vital; holing long putts is also a more common occurrence. Simply put, the winner likely will be a proven champion with elite ballstriking skills who rolls in a few more putts than normal due to the ease of the putting surfaces.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Jimmy Walker - $12,200 (Winning Odds: 7%)
Kevin Kisner - $11,700 (5%)
Matt Kuchar - $11,500 (5%)
Justin Thomas - $10,800 (4%)
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Harris English - $10,200 (3%)
Daniel Berger - $9,600 (3%)
Emiliano Grillo - $9,300 (2%)
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Luke Donald - $8,700 (2%)
Keegan Bradley - $8,600 (2%)
Jason Dufner - $7,900 (2%)
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Padraig Harrington - $7,500 (1%)
Steve Stricker - $7,200 (1%)
Fabian Gomez - $,7200 (1%)
John Senden - $6,800 (1%)
Chad Campbell - $6,500 (1%)
George McNeill - $6,200 (1%)
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Cash Game Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Jimmy Walker - $12,200
Matt Kuchar - $11,500
Jason Dufner - $7,900
Chad Campbell - $6,500
George McNeill - $6,200
Brian Gay - $5,700
As if winning the last two Sony Opens isn't enough, Jimmy Walker has three other wins to his name since October 2013 and is a no-brainer to put in your lineup. Matt Kuchar has three top-5s and a top-10 his last four starts at Waialae and fits the winner's profile to a tee. Jason Dufner hasn't exactly posted great finishes at the Sony but at the bargain price of $7,900 he's a steal if he can somehow get his putter going on the flat greens. Chad Campbell falls in line with a few other Texas-born players who have had success here, and has success of his own with three top-15s including a runner-up in 2006. Lastly, George McNeill has four top-20s in seven Sony Open starts, while the straight-hitting Brian Gay returns to the PGA Tour after an injury-riddled 2015 and represents a nice risk-reward play at $5,700 to round out the safe lineup.
Higher-Risk Tournament Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Kevin Kisner - $11,700
Harris English - $10,200
Steve Stricker - $7,200
Fabian Gomez - $7,200
Brian Harman - $6,900
John Senden - $6,800
Strongly contemplated Jimmy Walker in both lineups but differentiating will be much easier without him in the tourney lineup. So in slips Kevin Kisner, headlining my top spot coming off a career year in 2015 where he recently won the RSM Classic to cap the calendar year. Harris English owns three top-10s his last three starts including a T3 last year and fourth place effort in 2014. Steve Stricker hasn't played the Sony since 2012, but his history is as bulletproof as his putting with five career top-10s. Fabian Gomez enters off a nice week at Kapalua last week and the confidence of knowing how to win after a breakthrough 2015 effort at the St. Jude Classic. Rounding out the lineup are Brian Harman and John Senden, the former a plodding-type with great putting and the latter a ballstriking machine. Both are capable champions and underrated enough to be differentiators this week.
