PGA DFS Playbook: Sony Open

I’m really disappointed in myself for not pushing him last week at the Sentry.  I’ve been one of his biggest backers but I guess I wanted to see the form.  He finished 34 under for the weekend and held off a late charge from Jon Rahm to take down the first tournament of the 2022 calendar year.  This is a heavy price to pay for Cam but with this field, I’m willing to spend.  We know he’s in form but he also won the Sony back in 2020.  Early this 2021-2022 season he ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total, 4th in Strokes Gained: Putting, 6th in Greens in Regulation, and 8th Strokes Gained: Approach. 

The 2020-2021 season was not great for Webb, and 2021-2022 was looking the same until his Top 10 at the RSM around Thanksgiving.  We know he thrives on and around the greens with premiere ball striking skills.  He has never missed the cut in 10 trips to the Sony with Top 5 finishes in his last three trips and Top 15 finishes in the three prior to that.  This will be his first event since the RSM, so I expect some rust but not enough to be scared to roster him.

We can officially look past his sub-par 2020-2021 season and move on.  The form has returned and it’s time to go all in on Sungjae.  He has started the 2021-2022 season on fire with a win at the Shriners and Top 10 finishes at the CJ Cup and last week’s Sentry.  It’s looking like a bounce back season for Im.  He has made the cut at this event in all three of his trips with two finishes of 21st or better.  He ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, 12th in Greens in Regulation, and 18th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee.

We’ve once again have a course on an island which brings the wind into play.  While it won’t be as severe this weekend, he’s got a great history at this tournament.  He has played in this event 12 times with five finishes of Top 12 or better including two of his last three trips.  2020-2021 was very inconsistent for him but this year has been a marked improvement with three Top 10 finishes including last weekend at the Sentry.  Marc makes for a solid mid-tier play to keep your lineup balanced.

If you’ve read any of my articles, you know how much I love this Canadian’s game.  He is an extremely talented ball striker but putting has been his Achilles heel.  Putting while important every week will not be as challenging at the Sony which is why he’s had success on this course.  In two trips, he’s got a third place and a 12th place finish.  He’s missed just one cut since the beginning of March (US Open).  He finished last season Top 10 in Strokes Gained Off the Tee and Approach and also Top 20 in Greens in Regulation. 

The fantastic start to the 2021-2022 season continued last weekend for Gooch with a 15th place at the Sentry.  Already this season he’s won at the RSM, finished Top 5 at the CJ CUP and Fortinet, and another two Top 12s at the Shriners and Mayakoba.  Gooch ranks Top 10 in Strokes Gained: Approach and Tee-to-Green.  He will continue to be a favorite play of mine as long as his price tag doesn’t get too elevated.  Gooch doesn’t have the best history here with two missed cuts in four trips, he did score a Top 20 in 2018. 

After a slow start at Kapalua, he closed with a 66 on Sunday to move into the Top 25 for the weekend which keeps his streak alive.  I’m happy with that performance especially at the price we paid for him.  Despite his recent form, I’m going to roster him once again this weekend at the Sony.  Billy has made the cut at this event in all three of his trips with a Top 10 finish last year.  We all know when he’s on his A game, he can drive and putt with the best on the PGA Tour, let's hope his play continues this weekend.  

He’s been one of the most reliable players in daily fantasy golf since the start of the 2021-2022 season.  In his five starts, he’s got three Top 25 finishes and an additional Top 10 at the Houston Open.  He is currently 4th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 11th in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, and 25th in Greens in Regulation.  It’s been a mix bag for Henley at the Sony from winning the event back in 2013 to missing the cut in three of his last six trips.  He did finish 11th last year and I’m going to roster him without hesitation this weekend.

I have a feeling you’ll be seeing a lot of him in my playbooks this season.  He’s had a terrific start to the 2021-2022 season.  He started with a runner up at the Fortinet and after a missed cut at the Shriners, he made four straight cuts with three Top 25 finishes.  He ranks Top 30 in Strokes Gained Tee to Green and Top 50 in both Strokes Gained Approach and Greens in Regulation.  This will be his first trip to the Sony and while I usually don’t love players without history here, I’ll make an exception. 

This is a horse for a course play.  In his last 12 trips to the Sony Open, he has seven Top 10 finishes.  You do sometimes just have to put caution to the wind and play your gut.  He is not in the best form but you know he’s comfortable on this course.  I know as a golfer myself, I always feel better on a course that I know inside and out.  He’s become one of those players who I’ll only roster on certain courses and this is one of those.

If you play DFS football, you know there’s boom or bust players for GPPs and Cam Davis is that for the golf world.  When I say boom or bust in golf, that means he can go on crazy runs and more of the go for the green type player and score a lot of fantasy points.  He’s one of the most talented drivers on the PGA Tour.  We saw it on display at the Sentry with his Top 10 finish.  Cam made the cut in his last two trips to the Sony Open with a Top 10 finish in 2020.   

Ryan Palmer is from Texas and if you’ve ever played in Texas, it’s a special skill to play in those winds which can be very similar to the island and coastline.  He has been very boom or bust at this tournament over the course of his career.  Palmer won the event back in 2010 and had two other Top 10 finishes.  He had made his last three cuts before taking his holiday break.  He ranks Top 40 in both Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and Greens in Regulation in the early season.  I’d trust him in cash this weekend.   

This 26 year old Englishman is a regular on the European Tour.  He actually has two professional wins already on that tour.  We will likely see him play more on the PGA tour this season.  He has made a splash already in the early season with three straight Top 20 finishes to close out the 2021 calendar year.  I’m kinda hoping he keeps the good vibes going into 2022 ranking 5th on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green.  I’d save him for GPPs only.

Always one of my favorite value plays on the board but typically on a course that requires a good putter.  This is not one of those courses but he finished the 2021 calendar year in great form finishing with three straight Top 15s.  McCarthy has never been to the Sony before but his accuracy should play nicely on this course.  He’s been known to be a streaky player and when he’s hot, jump on that train before he cools off.  

Here is a guy you’ll likely see me talk about a bunch this season.  Ramey just destroyed the Korn Ferry Tour in 2021.  He won an event, finished Top 20 16 times over 21 starts and did not miss a cut all year.  Ramey participated in six events in the fall portion of the 2021-2022 season making the cut in three of them and finished Top 20 in two.  He is an excellent ball striker ranking Top 12 in Strokes Gained: Approach and Top 50 in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green.  He’s definitely a GPP play but one that could pay off big this weekend.

You know how we talked about boom or bust plays with Cam Davis?  Well, here is another one in Hank Labioda.  He finished Top 10 in three straight tournaments back in the summer but then proceeded to miss seven of his next eight cuts and a withdrawal.  In that one cut he did make over that span, he finished Top 15.  It’s all or nothing with this guy.  He has played in this event three times and missed the cut twice.  Hank ranks Top 15 in Strokes Gained: Putting and Top 35 in Strokes Gained: Approach.  I’ll only be using him in GPPs this weekend.

Let’s call it the Bulldog Bump, this University of Georgia grad has got to be smiling from ear to ear after his alma mater won the National Championship on Monday night.  He’s also probably smiling because he knows his history at the Sony Open is pretty fantastic with seven of eight cuts made and three Top 10 finishes.  Very inconsistent to start the 2021-2022 season with four made cuts in seven starts this season thus far.  The guy does have a nice iron game ranking Top 30 in Strokes Gained Approach for the season.  I’d be willing to throw him into a cash lineup.

He closed the 2020-2021 season better than most anyone on the PGA Tour.  He made the cut in 13 of his last 14 events including his first three starts of this season.  Over that time, he scored five Top 25 finishes as well.  Hubbard isn’t a bomber and isn’t even the best on the greens but he’s a terrific ball striker and in this field, that’s what you need to succeed.  As we move down the pricing sheet, it becomes harder and harder to find safe options.