Jan. 12, 2012
The Sony Open in Hawaii marks the first full-field event of the 2012 season. Here's how the PGATOUR.COM experts sized up the top contenders:
| Expert picks: Hyundai Tournament of Champions |
Lauren
Deason |
 |
 |
STEVE STRICKER. Stricker's coming off a victory last week and has played well here in the past (top 10s in four of his last five starts). Can't go against the hot hand at a course where he's had success. |
| |
Ryan
Smithson |
 |
 |
ZACH JOHNSON. He was really getting his game together when the season ended last year. Lack of distance off the tee is a concern, but not at 7,000-yard Waialae, where he won in 2009. Vastly underrated putter.
|
| If Smithson had the top pick ... Stricker |
Anne
Szeker |
 |
 |
WEBB SIMPSON. Seems to have lost no momentum in the off season as he kicked things off with a T3 at the Hyundai. Safe to say he'll keep that momentum going into the first full-field event. He finished T9 here in his first Sony Open appearance in 2009.
|
| If Szeker had the top pick ... Simpson |
Mike
McAllister |
 |
 |
K.J. CHOI. Choi will have momentum, coming off an 8-under 65 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions that tied for low round of the day. And having won the Sony in 2008, he's obviously very confident at this course.
|
| If McAllister had the top pick ... Choi |
Helen
Ross |
 |
 |
RORY SABBATINI. Take away that two-stroke penalty for his late arrival on the first tee during the second round and Sabbatini could have tied for fifth in Maui. As it is, he's taking the confidence of a T9 to a tournament where he's been runner-up twice since '06. |
| If Ross had the top pick ... Simpson |
John
Schwarb |
 |
 |
KEVIN NA. He wasn't able to build on his magical Round 2 64 at Hyundai that included an eagle-eagle finish, closing with 71-72 for a T12, but look for him to put four solid rounds together at Waialae. He was T20 in '11 and has two top-5s to his credit in '08-'09.
|
| If Schwarb had the top pick ... Choi |
Amanda
Balionis |
 |
 |
CHARLES HOWELL III. Howell has made 10 trips to the Sony Open and has never missed the cut and half of those appearances have resulted in top five finishes. Like Stricker at the TOC, Howell has been knocking on the door long enough, it's time to break through.
|
| If Balionis had the top pick ... Howell |
Brian
Wacker |
 |
 |
DAVID TOMS. Forget his near-last place finish on Maui. Different ballpark that didn't suit the short-hitting but accurate Toms. Waialae, on the other hand, plays into his strengths of finding fairways and hitting tiny greens. There's a reason he's won there before.
|
| If Wacker had the top pick ... Simpson |
John
Swantek |
 |
 |
CHRIS KIRK. Keegan Bradley got most of the rookie run last year, but the former Georgia Bulldog nearly won twice, as well. His 16 under par total over final 3 days at Kapalua last week (T7 finish) was bested only by the champion, Steve Stricker.
|
| If Swantek had the top pick ... Choi |
Chris
Dunham |
 |
 |
BRIAN GAY. Look back at the list of winners and you'll see that it may be better to not hit it a long way at Waialae. He's made 10 consecutive cuts here with top-25s in the last three years. Last year, ranked 4th in driving accuracy and 17th in Strokes Gained - Putting. |
| If Dunham had the top pick ... Simpson |
|
| Standings after 1 event |
LAST WEEK: Our experts picked the top four finishers last week at Kapalua's Plantation Course but Chris Dunham is the early leader after picking champion Steve Stricker.
|
| Position |
Name |
Wins |
Top-5s |
Top-10s |
Top-25s |
FedExCup points |
| 1 |
Chris Dunham
Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
500.00 |
| 2 |
John Swantek
Host, On The Tee |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
300.00 |
| T3 |
Brian Wacker
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
162.50 |
| T3 |
Amanda Balionis
Host, PGA TOUR Today |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
162.50 |
| 5 |
John Schwarb
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
59.50 |
| 6 |
Helen Ross
Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
55.00 |
| 7 |
Mike McAllister
Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
52.50 |
| 8 |
Anne Szeker
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
51.00 |
| 9 |
Ryan Smithson
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
47.00 |
| 10 |
Lauren Deason
Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
45.00 |
|
PGATOUR.com is part of Turner Sports Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network 