Fantasy preview: Sony Open in Hawaii
By Rob Bolton, PGATOUR.COM Fantasy Columnist
Welcome to the newest iteration of my fantasy preview!
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This is intended to get right to the relevant nuggets for your format. A quick guide:
• All golfers featured in Monday's Power Rankings are separated by Yahoo! group, with the top 10 noted accordingly.
• Golfers in the Sleepers feature are also separated by Yahoo! group.
• "On a Roll" will highlight golfers in form regardless if they match up with the course profile of this week's tournament.
• "Horses for Courses" are either purely statistical fits or golfers that have notable track records and didn't crack another category.
• "Leaking Oil" is reserved for golfers that are struggling. This will become more instrumental as we get into the season.
• "Danger" is a carryover from 2011. These are my fades.
• "Medic!" is also a carryover from 2011. Look for golfers coming off known injuries or personal matters here.
• "Notable WDs" is self-explanatory.
I will add my picks for the Matchups game on Facebook once it begins during the West Coast Swing. The first event is still TBD.
Power Rankings Distribution for Yahoo! (rank)
Group A ... Steve Stricker (1), K.J. Choi (2), Zach Johnson (3), Charles Howell III (4), Webb Simpson (6), Kevin Na (7), Rory Sabbatini
Group B ... David Toms (5), Chad Campbell (9), Robert Allenby (10), Mark Wilson
Group C ... John Senden (8), Brian Gay, Jerry Kelly, Davis Love III
Sleepers Distribution for Yahoo! (rank)
Group A ... George McNeill
Group B ... Briny Baird
Group C ... Stephen Ames, Billy Hurley III, Shigeki Maruyama
On a Roll (Yahoo! Group)
Jonathan Byrd (C) ... Coming off a spirited run for a repeat at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, eventually settling for a share of third place. Kapalua and Waialae are on opposite ends of the spectrum of golf courses but he hasn't missed a cut in seven starts in Honolulu.
Chris Kirk (B) ... Tied for seventh in his debut at Kapalua last week. Carded four rounds of par of better en route to a T30 in his first go at Waialae a year ago. Ranked T21 in fairways hit and T6 in greens for the week.
Johnson Wagner (C) ... He's missed the cut in his last three visits to Waialae but he's coming off a T9 at Kapalua where he buried 12 putts measuring over 10 feet in length. It could be a sign for an extension of his career-best 29th on TOUR in Strokes Gained-Putting last year.
Harrison Frazar (B) ... For a guy that considered retiring from the game, it's almost as if he's playing on house money now. After opening with a 74, he shared fifth place in his first visit to Kapalua last week.
David Hearn (C) ... Looking to parlay a strong finish in 2011 into a similar start this year. After sharing sixth place in Boise on the Nationwide Tour, he opened the PGA TOUR's Fall Series with a pair of top 10s and ended it with a T20. Ranked 72nd in accuracy off the tee, 21st in greens and 53rd in scrambling in 2011.
Horses for Courses (Yahoo! Group)
Vijay Singh (C) ... He's made the cut in all 14 starts at Waialae and won the tournament in 2005. Posted four top fours in 2011.
John Rollins (B) ... Recorded career-bests in greens in regulation (16th) and ball-striking (fourth) in 2011. After a sketchy run in his first four visits to Waialae, he's finished T20 (2007) and T8 (2010) in his last two appearances.
Troy Matteson (B) ... Doesn't fit the profile on paper but has enjoyed some success at Waialae with three top 25s in six starts. Never ignore a veteran with validated success anywhere.
Gary Christian (B) ... The epitome of this category. In 2011 on the Nationwide Tour, he ranked fifth in fairways hit and second in scrambling. Course management will be the key for the 40-year-old rookie from England.
Ted Potter Jr. (B) ... Like Christian, this lefty hits fairways and saves pars. Potter, Jr. ranked sixth in driving accuracy on the Nationwide Tour last year; he checked in at 15th in scrambling. The TPJ-Christian combo also went 1-2 in the all-around ranking, respectively.
Leaking Oil (Yahoo! Group)
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Jhonattan Vegas (A) ... Finished last of the 27 at Kapalua on Monday. That was his first start since he missed the cut at the Singapore Open in November. Aside from a three-event rekindling just before that, he's done very little since last winter to earn our investment.
Tommy Gainey (B) ... After a share of third place at the JT Shriners -- his fourth top three of the year -- he missed the last three cuts in the Fall Series. Rested since a T23 at the no-cut CIMB Asia Pacific Classic. He's 2-for-3 at the Sony but hasn't cracked a top 50. Still much better reserved as a long-term own.
Danger (Yahoo! Group)
Ryo Ishikawa (C) ... While his touch around greens is worthy of our attention this week, he has just two top 10s in 26 PGA TOUR starts. Also a first-timer at Waialae.
Brian Davis (B) ... Fifth consecutive trip to Waialae where his best finish is a mere T45 in 2009. He dealt with a neck injury during the Fall Series but played through it. You'll have plenty of opportunities to invest as the Englishman has made at least 30 starts in each of the last four years.
Joe Ogilvie (C) ... Zero top 40s in his last 10 starts of 2011. Zero top 40s in nine starts at Waialae, six of which have resulted in missed cuts.
Medic! (Yahoo! Group)
Lucas Glover (B) ... Hopeful for a return on the flat terrain at Waialae. Had to withdraw prior to last week's elevation challenge at Kapalua due to a sprained ligament in his right knee sustained while paddle boarding. Just 1-for-3 at the Sony with a T64 in 2004.
Steve Marino (B) ... A welcome entry given what Golf Channel's Tim Rosaforte reported in October. Marino was dealing with a "meniscus issue in [his] right knee." Assuming he's a go, Marino will be making his first start since the BMW Championship nearly four months ago. He shared second place at last year's Sony.
Graham DeLaet (C) ... Now a full year removed from back surgery, he's ready to return. Hasn't played since a spot start on the Nationwide Tour in his residence of Boise in September. Finished T25 at Waialae in his only appearance in 2010.
Cameron Beckman (C) ... Forced out of The McGladrey Classic in October with a back injury. Failed to record a top 25 in his last 19 starts of 2011.
Chad Collins (C) ... Out since June due to fractured ribs. Given nine starts on a Major Medical Extension.
Kevin Kisner (C) ... Suffered a stress fracture in his foot before Christmas while jogging, so he wrote on Twitter on Dec. 20. "Boot on for 7-10 days. No more jogging ever." The q-school grad shot 77-78 in his debut at Waialae as a PGA TOUR rookie last year, worst among the 143 that completed 36 holes.
Charlie Beljan (n/a) ... The rookie had surgery on his left thumb in December. Wrote the following on Twitter on Dec. 20: "had an infection in my hand that was eating away at my thumb tendon. Fought valley fever all year and it spread to my hand." On Jan. 4, he alerted his followers that he was "out practicing for the first time in two weeks."
Notable WDs (Yahoo! Group)
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Rob Bolton is the freelance fantasy columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR.
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