Fantasy Golf: The Sony Open Preview

When last we wrote, the FGR was on the verge of becoming a real live corporate lawyer with a board of directors, a stock symbol and all of the glorious oversight that comes with it. I survived the transaction (with apologies to everyone who thought they were taking the safe side of that bet) and now we're in the transition phase which I am approaching with my well-documented patience, open mind and willingness to adapt.

So far it's been a calm before the storm for which I think there are two plausible explanations: (1) no one at the corporate level is in any kind of hurry to find out how we actually make the problems disappear as long as they just keep disappearing, and/or (2) the tone of my communications up to this point has indicated that I have the capacity to be kind of mean. Whatever it is, I'm happy to continue playing my part for the company.  

This space will be regularly updated as the process unfolds (yes, we know). 

GOLF ANALYSIS

The 2026 season is off to a rocky start after the cancellation of the Sentry tournament which was caused by water shortages that impacted the Kapalua Plantation course. The PGA Tour waited until October to announce the cancellation citing last minute logistical issues despite the fact that the course hadn't had any water since . . . (checks notes) . . . July. Really a shocking lack of awareness and foresight for an organization that once let a middle eastern prince form a new golf league and steal ten of its best players just by paying them more money and letting them wear shorts.

So instead we kick things off a week later with a C+ field at Waialae Country Club. For those who haven't watch Chief of War and therefore don't speak Hawaiian yet (what are you even doing with your life?), "Waialae" in English means "meh" and, when spoken, is often accompanied by a shrug and slight flip of the left hand. However, we here at the FGR believe that all tournaments deserve their due even if they're played in a foreign country so the Sony Open will get its proper if not somewhat limited preview.  

Russell Henley is the obvious pick. He notched his first tour win at this event back in 2013 and he's got the best record outside of Nick Taylor over the last five years. We like Nick Taylor too but starting the season with a Canadian would send the message that we're fine with our mediocre 2025 season which we are most certainly not. If you are inclined to look elsewhere, we'd recommend J.J. Spaun who's game is well-suited for Mehalae as evidenced by his T3 last year and he's gone 6th, T11 and T4 since the Tour Championship in addition to being one of the only U.S. players to bother showing-up for the Ryder Cup. 

After that it's a crapshoot. Last year Patrick Fishburn, Jackson Suber and some guy named Paul Peterson all finished in the top ten only to fall off the radar before reemerging several months later as a crooked accounting firm outside of Kansas City. We do like Corey Conners, Brian Harman and Eric Cole as mid-value plays. Throw them in with Taylor and either Henley or Spaun. Then you just have to find this year's future Marty Byrd and you're all set.  

Place	Player	Odds
Winner	J.J. Spaun	+1800
Top 5	Corey Conners	+550
Top 10	Harry Hall	+310
Top 10	Mac Meissner	+450
Top 20	Eric Cole	+275

One and Done Pick: Russell Henley

Henley pictured here making
yet another clutch putt on the
Bethpage practice green.

Other Guy I'd Pick: J.J. Spaun

 

Sleeper Pick: Ryan Gerard

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Russell Henley	$10,300
J.J. Spaun	$9,500
Harry Hall	$9,100
Nick Taylor	$9,000
Corey Conners	$8,600
Brian Harman	$8,000
Eric Cole	$7,700
Mac Meissner	$7,500
Ryan Gerard	$7,300
Doug Ghim	$6,900

We'll try not to overdo the memorial tributes this year but Bob Weir deserves one. I would never attempt the cultural appropriation of claiming to be a Dead Head but I will say that jumping the rail at RFK Stadium and making it to the front of the crowd for Franklin's Tower while under the influence of various naturally sourced hallucinogens was one of both the most memorable and misremembered concert experiences of my life.  

THE BOB WEIR MEMORIAL

HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART

Keegan Bradley is the notable omission of the week as he's shown well here the last two years but he's only played the Hero World Challenge since the Ryder Cup debacle and frankly, we still can't even look at him much less pick him to win. 

	DK Price	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
Russell Henley	$10,300	T10	T4	T32	2nd	T11
Ben Griffin	$10,100	T45	T30	T12	DNP	DNP
Collin Morikawa	$9,800	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	T7
Hideki Matsuyama	$9,700	T16	T30	T48	1st	T19
Robert Macintyre	$9,600	T53	T52	DNP	DNP	DNP
J.J. Spaun	$9,500	T3	MC	T12	MC	MC
Si Woo Kim	$9,400	MC	T42	1st	T55	T25
Keegan Bradley	$9,300	T6	T2	MC	T12	MC
Maverick McNealy	$9,200	T45	T57	T7	T27	DNP
Harry Hall	$9,100	T10	T42	T28	DNP	DNP
Nick Taylor	$9,000	1st	T7	T7	MC	T11
Kurt Kitayama	$8,900	T37	T24	T73	MC	DNP
Chris Kirk	$8,800	MC	T18	3rd	T27	T2
Keith Mitchell	$8,700	T30	T30	MC	T7	T14
Corey Conners	$8,600	MC	T57	T12	11th	DNP
Chris Gotterup	$8,500	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Adam Scott	$8,400	DNP	DNP	T21	DNP	T41
Jordan Spieth	$8,300	DNP	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP
Aaron Rai	$8,200	DNP	T57	T61	MC	DNP
Rico Hoey	$8,100	T59	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Brian Harman	$8,000	T21	T18	T32	T48	T56
Denny McCarthy	$7,900	T16	T24	T32	T48	DNP
Nico Echavarria	$7,900	2nd	T66	T12	DNP	DNP
Jake Knapp	$7,800	DNP	T70	DNP	DNP	DNP
John Keefer	$7,800	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Eric Cole	$7,700	5th	T13	T61	DNP	DNP
Kristoffer Reitan	$7,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Michael Brennan	$7,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Taylor Pendrith	$7,600	T45	T10	DNP	MC	DNP
Daniel Berger	$7,500	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	T7
Mac Meissner	$7,500	T21	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Matt McCarty	$7,500	T65	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Neil Shipley	$7,500	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Billy Horschel	$7,400	MC	T18	MC	T36	T7
Emiliano Grillo	$7,400	MC	T7	MC	MC	T47
Gary Woodland	$7,400	T16	MC	MC	DNP	DNP
Pierceson Coody	$7,400	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Michael Kim	$7,300	MC	T42	MC	DNP	T65
Ryan Gerard	$7,300	T37	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Sam Stevens	$7,300	T59	T24	MC	DNP	DNP
Jordan Smith	$7,200	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Alex Smalley	$7,200	T16	MC	MC	MC	DNP
Hao Tong Li	$7,200	DNP	DNP	DNP	T12	DNP
John Parry	$7,200	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Webb Simpson	$7,200	T16	T66	MC	T61	T4
Lee Hodges	$7,100	T10	DNP	DNP	MC	DNP
Sahith Theegala	$7,100	T37	MC	DNP	T48	DNP
Seamus Power	$7,100	MC	T74	DNP	T3	MC
Tony Finau	$7,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Chandler Blanchet	$7,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Jacob Bridgeman	$7,000	MC	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Luke Clanton	$7,000	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Matti Schmid	$7,000	MC	MC	MC	DNP	DNP
Tom Kim	$7,000	T65	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP
Austin Eckroat	$6,900	MC	T42	T12	DNP	DNP
Doug Ghim	$6,900	T72	MC	DNP	DNP	MC
Ricky Castillo	$6,900	MC	DNP	DNP	T20	DNP
Max McGreevy	$6,900	MC	DNP	MC	MC	DNP
Patrick Rodgers	$6,900	MC	T24	DNP	DNP	DNP
Beau Hossler	$6,800	DNP	DNP	DNP	MC	DNP
Mark Hubbard	$6,800	T21	T57	MC	MC	T32
Adam Svensson	$6,700	T30	T30	T41	T7	DNP
Nick Dunlap	$6,500	T10	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Patton Kizzire	$6,500	MC	T13	76th	T42	T7
Ryo Hisatune	$6,500	T65	T30	DNP	DNP	DNP
Zach Johnson	$6,500	T21	DNP	75th	MC	T62
Adam Schenk	$6,400	T6	DNP	T67	MC	MC
Davis Riley	$6,400	DNP	MC	DNP	T20	DNP
Cam Davis	$6,300	MC	T30	T32	T27	31st

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