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Sony Open 2023 Fantasy golf picks, advice, rankings: Top golf expert says fade Hideki Matsuyama at Waialae CC

detlef32 — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 04:31:10 +0000

Just four days after the PGA Tour’s stars wrapped up a thrilling event in Maui, a slightly less-impressive full field will tee off at the 2023 Sony Open on Thursday. The 144-player Sony Open 2023 field includes seven of the world’s top 25, including Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama and Tom Kim. They will face a much different test on the shorter Waialae Country Club course in Honolulu, but scoring low hasn’t been a problem there. It should be another picture-perfect week in the Hawaiian islands, so a score of 20 under or more is in the cards. Matsuyama won last year, tying Russell Henley at 23 under with a furious comeback before making eagle on the first playoff hole.

Kim (10-1) and Sungjae Im (12-1) are the favorites in Caesars Sportsbook’s latest 2023 Sony Open odds. They are followed by Matsuyama (15-1), Spieth (16-1) and Brian Harman (16-1). Henley (22-1) also is among the eight players shorter than 30-1 in the Sony Open 2023 field. Kim is priced at $10,500 in the DraftKings Fantasy rankings, and Im, Matsuyama and Spieth are all at least $10,000.

Spieth is one of the biggest names in the field, but is he worth his $10,000 price tag to anchor your 2023 Sony Open Fantasy golf picks? Would a player like Corey Conners ($9,600) or Keegan Bradley ($9,300) give you similar results and more flexibility to set your team up to win? Before you make any Fantasy golf rankings or place any bets on the 2023 Sony Open, you need to see the Fantasy golf projections and lineup advice from SportsLine fantasy expert Jim Holliman.

Holliman has been a writer and editor for nearly 25 years and has been playing and following the game closely for more than three decades. The Florida-based writer knows what it takes to win on the PGA Tour and how the players’ games fit the courses.

The golf expert nailed the Tour Championship, saying Rory McIlroy was the only player capable of making up a six-stroke deficit to get past Scottie Scheffler. “He has a lot of ground to make up,” Holliman said, “but he is the most well-rounded player in this field, so if anyone can do it, he can.” The Northern Irishman was actually down by 10 through two holes Sunday but stormed back to claim the title.

Holliman also had Patrick Cantlay (14-1) among his best bets at the BMW Championship, was behind Will Zalatoris (28-1) at the St. Jude and nailed the Wyndham Championship, with Kim (35-1) among his selections. “It’s a matter of when (not if) he gets his first on the PGA Tour,” Holliman said of Kim. It turned out to be at Sedgefield, where Kim won by five strokes.

The expert also has had a knack for finding the longshots. At the St. Jude, as many top stars went home early, 200-1 longshot Chez Reavie made the weekend. At the 3M Open, the expert tabbed Emiliano Grillo (50-1) as a contender before the Argentinian finished T-2. And before the PGA, he touted Cameron Young (65-1) before his T-3 finish. Anyone who has followed Holliman’s predictions is way up on their golf picks.

Now, Holliman has ranked his top golfers for the 2023 Sony Open, and you’ll really want to see what he has to say. You can only see his Fantasy golf rankings and Sony Open picks at SportsLine.

2023 Sony Open Fantasy golf expert picks

One thing Holliman is certain about this week is that Kim will put up a good result. “There’s good reason for the high price,” the expert says, “but he’ll be worth it.” Two victories in his first 15 PGA Tour events is just a continuation of a dominant career that includes 11 in various tours around the world. “The kid knows how to win,” Holliman says, and he is one of the most accurate ball-strikers on tour. Kim ranks sixth on tour in both driving accuracy and greens in regulation. Waialae rewards precision and ball placement, so it should be a perfect match.

On the flip side, Holliman doesn’t see much chance that Matsuyama repeats his feat, so he is fading the defending champ. The Japanese star had by far his best putting week of the season – and his third-best in driving accuracy – but still needed a huge comeback to win. It was his first top-10 finish in nine tries at Waialae. He generally doesn’t hit it straight consistently enough to regularly contend on a course like this. The 2021 Masters champ is 142nd in strokes gained off the tee and 110th on approach this season, and his putting has never been a strength. You can see who else to back this week at SportsLine.

How to set your 2023 Sony Open Fantasy golf rankings

For the 2023 Sony Open, Holliman is touting a sleeper for fantasy rosters who is priced at less than $7,500 at DraftKings and has odds higher than 70-1 to win at Caesars. This golfer hasn’t missed a cut all season and is due for a breakthrough victory that could come this week. You can find out who it is and see the rest of Holliman’s Sony Open fantasy golf picks at SportsLine.

Who wins the 2023 Sony Open, and who are the top players to target for your Fantasy picks? Which overlooked players can help you win your league this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Jim Holliman’s Fantasy golf rankings for the 2023 Sony Open, all from the fantasy expert who has been on fire with his picks, and find out.

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2023 Sony Open predictions, expert picks, odds, field rankings, golf best bets at Waialae Country Club

detlef32 — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 23:11:25 +0000

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The PGA Tour makes its way to the capital of the Aloha State for the 2023 Sony Open this week. Taking place at Waialae Country Club, players will be faced with a much different task compared to last week’s Plantation Course at Kapalua. Measuring just over 7,000 yards and playing to a par 70, this Seth Raynor design puts an emphasis on keeping the ball in the fairway and playing positional golf.

Despite the contrasted natures of the two Hawaii golf courses, 19 of the 39 players from the Tournament of Champions will be making the short trip from Maui to Honolulu. Led by South Korean phenom Tom Kim, historically those who competed in the first part of the Aloha swing have found success in the second leg; 17 of the last 24 Sony Open winners were participants the week prior.

Jordan Spieth will be making the trip as well as he plays in the Sony Open for the fifth time in his career and the first time since 2019. In contention at the halfway point at Kapalua, he will hope to string together a full 72 holes at Waialae CC. Sungjae Im, defending champion Hideki Matsuyama and a slew of Georgia Bulldogs such as Brian Harman and Russell Henley round out other big names set for the second event of the new year.

Event Information

Event: 2023 Sony Open | Dates: Jan. 12-15
Location: Waialae Country Club — Honolulu, Hawaii
Par: 70 | Yardage: 7,044 | Purse: $7,900,000

2023 Sony Open field, odds

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook

Tom Kim (11-1)
Jordan Spieth (14-1): Spieth is the highest-ranked player in this field and will be making his first appearance at Waialae since 2019. Knocking off a standard Tour event from his playing obligations early in 2023, he has decided to stay in Hawaii a week longer than usual. Statistically, this is not a golf course that should fit his game as there is a prerequisite on finding fairways and playing positional golf — something Spieth doesn’t do all too well. Then again, he has found success at golf courses such as Colonial Country Club and Harbour Town Golf Links, both of which possess similar features, so who really knows.
Sungjae Im (14-1)
Hideki Matsuyama (16-1): The man from Japan has remained winless over the past year due to injuries and uncertainties around his game. Hopefully the return to Waialae can get him back to his usual ways as it has been a rough number of months for Matsuyama. Without a top-20 finish in a full-field event since his backdoor top five at the U.S. Open, the former Masters champion will need to rediscover his ball striking if he is to put up a strong defense effort.
Brian Harman (20-1)
Russell Henley (22-1): Henley’s main blunder in 2022 was his inability to find the fairway on the par-5 18th both in regulation and extra holes. Squandering a five-stroke lead over the final nine holes, the 33-year-old was unable to collect his second Sony Open title. Still, there was plenty of good which came of the week as he posted 23 under including a final round 5-under 65. Since breaking through at Mayakoba, perhaps the monkey is off his back and he can redeem himself this year.
Tom Hoge (22-1)
Corey Conners (22-1)
Billy Horschel (28-1)
Taylor Montgomery (30-1): He is the lone player who did not play at Kapalua to check in at or below 30-1 on the odds board. The last we saw of Montgomery, he was making an early claim on PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors. Posting six top-15 finishes in his seven starts during the swing season, the UNLV product consistently leaned on booming drives and ridiculously hot putting. He is currently 12th in the FedEx Cup standings and is presented with a nice opportunity to improve on that this week should he hit enough fairways.
Keegan Bradley (33-1)
K.H. Lee (33-1)
Keith Mitchell (33-1)
Cam Davis (33-1)
Maverick McNealy (33-1): McNealy may very well be the best player on the PGA Tour still without a victory. After missing the cut in his first event of the season, the 27-year-old collected four straight top-20 finishes including a pair of top-10 efforts. He can run as hot as anyone on the greens, but his inaccuracy off the tee and inability to consistently strike his irons have caused problems. Whether he figured out his ball striking during his month off will go a long way not only this week, but also in his fourth year on Tour.
Adam Scott (33-1)

2023 Sony Open expert picks

Who will win the Sony Open, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard and best bets, all from the model that’s nailed eight golf majors and is up over $9,500 since June 2020.

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Sony Open 2023 Fantasy golf picks, advice, rankings: Top golf expert says back Tom Kim, fade Hideki Matsuyama

detlef32 — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 21:04:17 +0000

The full PGA Tour gets rolling again this week when the 2023 Sony Open tees off Thursday at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Seven of the world’s top 25 golfers will be in action, with defending champion Hideki Matsuyama and three-time major winner Jordan Spieth among the top names. Rapidly rising young star Tom Kim is the highest-ranked player in the Sony Open field at No. 14, one spot ahead of Spieth. Matsuyama is 21st, while Billy Horschel (18th), Sungjae Im (19th), Brian Harman (23rd) and Keegan Bradley (25th) are also set to compete. Matsuyama made a dramatic comeback on Sunday last year, making up five shots to tie Russell Henley at 23 under. He then hit a 3-wood to 2 feet from 276 yards out on the first playoff hole for an emphatic eagle to close it out.

The 20-year-old Kim is already a two-time tour winner, and Caesars Sportsbook lists him as the 11-1 favorite in its latest 2023 Sony Open odds, just ahead of Im (12-1)sa. Those four also are the highest-priced golfers in the DraftKings Fantasy rankings, all priced at more than $10,000. Can Matsuyama ($10,100 at DraftKings) find some more magic at Waialae and be a reliable anchor for your 2023 Sony Open Fantasy golf picks? Or would a player like Tom Hoge, who comes off a T-3 last week and is priced at $9,900, give you a better chance to win? Before you make any Fantasy golf rankings or place any bets on the 2023 Sony Open, you need to see the Fantasy golf projections and lineup advice from SportsLine fantasy expert Jim Holliman.

Now, Holliman has ranked his top golfers for the 2023 Sony Open, and you’ll really want to see what he has to say. You can only see his Fantasy golf rankings and Sony Open picks at SportsLine.

2023 Sony Open Fantasy golf expert picks

One player Holliman is firmly behind for Fantasy players this week is Kim, even though he is the most expensive player on the board at $10,500. “There’s good reason for the high price, but he’ll be worth it,” the expert says. Kim makes his living hitting the ball straight, and that is exactly what’s needed at Waialae. He also has the mentality to close out victories, as he has 11 worldwide in his career. Many came in smaller events, but winning in any tournament setting takes nerve. He is sixth in driving distance, greens in regulation and scoring average this season.

On the other hand, Holliman is not sold on Matsuyama, even though he is a Masters champion and won here last year. But that was his first top-10 finish in nine tries at Wailalae, and he doesn’t typically have the accuracy or putting prowess needed to win on a course like this. The 30-year-old also has a history of injuries and withdrew from the Houston Open in November. He’s healthy now, but he’s 142nd in strokes gained off the tee and 110th on approach this season. He hasn’t finished higher than T-21, so he won’t justify the cost to take him this week. You can see who else to back this week at SportsLine.

How to set your 2023 Sony Open Fantasy golf rankings

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2023 Tournament of Champions predictions, expert picks, odds, golf best bets, field rankings at Kapalua

detlef32 — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 14:05:21 +0000

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The PGA Tour schedule is all set to resume as the calendar has now flipped from December to January and from 2022 to 2023. The conclusion of the RSM Classic triggered a month-long break for the golfers, and now it is the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions which will once again begin the new year. Welcoming 39 of the best players in the world, winners from the 2021-22 season and those who qualified for the Tour Championship will make the trip to Maui, Hawaii, to take on the Plantation Course at Kapalua.

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy will be among those forgoing the trip. With the ability to skip one of the newly elevated events in the PGA Tour season, the reigning FedEx Cup champion has decided to start his year a bit later than most while preserving his traditional schedule. Defending champion Cameron Smith will also not be in the field due to his association with LIV Golf, and Shane Lowry was unable to qualify despite a strong campaign in 2022.

In their place, 17 of the top 20 players in the world will compete. 2022 PGA Tour Player of the Year Scottie Scheffler has an opportunity to regain the world No. 1 title from McIlroy with a solo third-place finish or better. Scheffler arrived at this tournament a season ago winless on the PGA Tour but is now securely among the best players in the world 12 months later.

Last season’s runner-up Jon Rahm aims to perform in a similar manner to 2022 when he shot 33 under. Tony Finau hopes his hot summer and fall can drift into the winter, while Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele look to enter the winner’s circle yet again in Kapalua as the only former champions in the field.

Event Information

Event: 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions | Dates: Jan. 5-8
Location: Plantation Course at Kapalua — Maui, Hawaii
Par: 73 | Yardage: 7,596 | Purse: $15,000,000

2023 Tournament of Champions field, odds

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook

Jon Rahm (13/2): This time last year, Rahm was the No. 1 player in the world after a dominant 2021 campaign. He would have won this tournament if not for a record-setting performance from Smith but should take solace in knowing that he can blitz this golf course with the best of them. A winner in three of his last 14 tournaments to end 2022, the Spaniard found his touch on the greens once the PGA Tour got into the swing of the postseason. Continuing this quality of putting in Europe and winning at the DP World Tour Championship, should he continue on such a trajectory with the flat stick, another PGA Tour win is in his near future.
Scottie Scheffler (17/2)
Xander Schauffele (19/2): Thomas may have won in 2020, but it was Schauffele’s tournament to lose. Needing just two putts on the 72nd hole, Schauffele instead took three and ultimately fell in extra holes. Getting a taste of his own medicine, Schauffele lapped the field on Sunday the year prior with an 11-under 62 to beat Gary Woodland by one. The 29-year-old arrives this time around with seven top-five finishes in his last 13 starts, three of which were in the form of wins.
Patrick Cantlay (10-1)
Justin Thomas (11-1): The 15-time winner on the PGA Tour is a player I have a difficult time judging. Is 15 an impressive number of wins? Yes, but for someone of Thomas’ skill, I know he has even more in the tank. Winning the 2021 Players Championship and the 2022 PGA Championship, he has been without a multiple-win season since 2020. It just so happens he beat Schauffele and Patrick Reed in a playoff that year at this very tournament. His seven Tournament of Champions appearances read: T5, third, WIN, third, T22, WIN, T21.
Tony Finau (14-1)
Sungjae Im (16-1)
Viktor Hovland (18-1): He’s the most recent winner in the field — albeit not in an official PGA Tour event — as Hovland outlasted Scheffler at the Hero World Challenge in the beginning of December. Known as the king of the tropics and resort-style golf courses, the 25-year-old from Norway looks to improve on his Tournament of Champions record. With finishes of T30 and T31 in his two prior strolls, tangible improvements in the short-game department could lead to a much more respectable showing for the ball-striking machine.
Collin Morikawa (18-1)
Cameron Young (20-1)
Tom Kim (20-1)
Jordan Spieth (22-1): There is one player who consistently discusses his desire to play at Kapalua each and every year, and that is Spieth. With finishes of second, WIN, T3 and ninth from 2014-18, Spieth returned last season and experienced some growing pains in the form of a T21 result. While his ball-striking numbers have improved, he continues to be an enigma primarily because of his putter. If it’s hot, he could win. If it’s cold, he could finish outside the top 20. Neither would be all too surprising.
Matt Fitzpatrick (22-1)
Sam Burns (25-1)

2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions expert picks

Who will win the Sentry Tournament of Champions, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard and best bets, all from the model that’s nailed eight golf majors and is up over $9,500 since June 2020.

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2023 Tournament of Champions predictions, expert picks, odds, field rankings, golf best bets at Kapalua

detlef32 — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 19:02:47 +0000

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With the flip of the calendar comes the resumption of the 2022-23 PGA Tour season. Taking roughly a month-long break following the RSM Classic, it is the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions which will once again begin the new year. Welcoming 39 of the best players in the world, winners from the 2021-22 season and those who qualified for the Tour Championship will make the trip to Maui, Hawaii, to take on the Plantation Course at Kapalua.

Event Information

Event: 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions | Dates: Jan. 5-8
Location: Plantation Course at Kapalua — Maui, Hawaii
Par: 73 | Yardage: 7,596 | Purse: $15,000,000

2023 Tournament of Champions field, odds

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook

Jon Rahm (13/2): This time last year, Rahm was the No. 1 player in the world after a dominant 2021 campaign. He would have won this tournament if not for a record-setting performance from Smith but should take solace in knowing that he can blitz this golf course with the best of them. A winner in three of his last 14 tournaments to end 2022, the Spaniard found his touch on the greens once the PGA Tour got into the swing of the postseason. Continuing this quality of putting in Europe and winning at the DP World Tour Championship, should he continue on such a trajectory with the flat stick, another PGA Tour win is in his near future.
Scottie Scheffler (17/2)
Xander Schauffele (19/2): Thomas may have won in 2020, but it was Schauffele’s tournament to lose. Needing just two putts on the 72nd hole, Schauffele instead took three and ultimately fell in extra holes. Getting a taste of his own medicine, Schauffele lapped the field on Sunday the year prior with an 11-under 62 to beat Gary Woodland by one. The 29-year-old arrives this time around with seven top-five finishes in his last 13 starts, three of which were in the form of wins.
Patrick Cantlay (10-1)
Justin Thomas (11-1): The 15-time winner on the PGA Tour is a player I have a difficult time judging. Is 15 an impressive number of wins? Yes, but for someone of Thomas’ skill, I know he has even more in the tank. Winning the 2021 Players Championship and the 2022 PGA Championship, he has been without a multiple-win season since 2020. It just so happens he beat Schauffele and Patrick Reed in a playoff that year at this very tournament. His seven Tournament of Champions appearances read: T5, third, WIN, third, T22, WIN, T21.
Tony Finau (14-1)
Sungjae Im (16-1)
Viktor Hovland (18-1): He’s the most recent winner in the field — albeit not in an official PGA Tour event — as Hovland outlasted Scheffler at the Hero World Challenge in the beginning of December. Known as the king of the tropics and resort-style golf courses, the 25-year-old from Norway looks to improve on his Tournament of Champions record. With finishes of T30 and T31 in his two prior strolls, tangible improvements in the short-game department could lead to a much more respectable showing for the ball-striking machine.
Collin Morikawa (18-1)
Cameron Young (20-1)
Tom Kim (20-1)
Jordan Spieth (22-1): There is one player who consistently discusses his desire to play at Kapalua each and every year, and that is Spieth. With finishes of second, WIN, T3 and ninth from 2014-18, Spieth returned last season and experienced some growing pains in the form of a T21 result. While his ball-striking numbers have improved, he continues to be an enigma primarily because of his putter. If it’s hot, he could win. If it’s cold, he could finish outside the top 20. Neither would be all too surprising.
Matt Fitzpatrick (22-1)
Sam Burns (25-1)

2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions expert picks

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The Power 18 golf rankings: Rory McIlroy opens in top spot as 2023 PGA Tour season kicks into high gear

detlef32 — Mon, 02 Jan 2023 18:46:48 +0000

McIlroy hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in a tournament since the last edition of The Power 18, which came out prior to the St. Jude Championship. Since then, all the world No. 1 has done is win the FedEx Cup, DP World Tour Championship and CJ Cup in South Carolina — his lone start of the 2023 PGA Tour season. Not yet a cut above the rest of the world of golf, McIlroy is beginning to approach such territory. In 2022, the 33-year-old averaged a career best +2.61 strokes gained per round. For reference, that’s even better than 2012 when he won five times and 2014 when he won his last two major championships. Major championships … that’s all McIlroy will be judged on moving forward (fair or not) as he has remained on No. 4 for nearly a decade. Let’s see if that changes in 2023. Previous rank: 1 2

Statistically, Rahm’s sixth year on the PGA Tour was actually a down campaign as he averaged +2.20 strokes gained per round and underperformed compared to his three prior seasons. A boggling statistic to wrap your head around, the Spaniard was still able to win three times worldwide, including the DP World Tour finale to cap off his year. Four additional top-five finishes accompanied his triumphs with runner-up efforts coming at the Tournament of Champions and the BMW PGA Championship. HIs short game was dormant for much of 2022, but the good news is he made significant strides, particularly with the putter, during the FedEx Cup Playoffs. This led to a fast finish to his year, and potentially, a fast start to 2023. Previous rank: 10 3

The world No. 4 was held without a solo victory for much of 2022. Losing in playoffs at the WM Phoenix Open and RBC Heritage, Cantlay added another runner-up finish to Finau at the Rocket Mortgage Classic before breaking through in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Becoming the first man to successfully defend a postseason event, Cantlay got the better of Schauffele and Scheffler at the BMW Championship. Playing only once in the swing season, the 30-year-old arrived on the 72nd tee of the Shriners Children’s Open tied for the lead with Tom Kim before an unfortunate triple bogey led to another runner-up effort. I have him pegged for a four-, maybe five-, win season in 2023, and I think it starts at the Tournament of Champions. Previous rank: 3 4

In a young man’s game, Finau continues to reinvent the wheel. Employing a new putting technique and adding an off-speed pitch off-the-tee to consistently find fairways, the 33-year-old finds himself firmly among the game’s elites. Just a little more than a year removed from being in a five-year winless drought, Finau has now captured four wins in his last two years. This includes his current stretch of play that features three victories in seven starts with his latest victory coming at the Houston Open to end his 2022. Lapping the field and ultimately cruising to victory, Finau displayed a different gear that may drive him to further distances in 2023. Previous rank: 6 5

Over his last 50 rounds, Schauffele ranks third in the world in total strokes gained. Capturing seven top-five finishes during this 13-event stretch, the 29-year-old has parlayed his impressive consistency with new hardware and plenty of big checks. Schauffele finished solo fourth at the Tour Championship before playing alongside his friend, Cantlay, at the Presidents Cup. Similar to Cantlay, Schauffele played only once during the PGA Tour’s swing season with it resulting in a T9 effort at the Zozo Championship. He has since collected a solo fourth-place finish at the Hero World Challenge and arrives at Kapalua for the Tournament of Champions high on the lists of many. Previous rank: 4 6

Since missing the cut at the St. Jude Championship, Scheffler has teed it up six times to varying results. Squandering his 54-hole lead at the Tour Championship, the Texan went onto lose his world No. 1 status two months later to the same man who got the better of him at East Lake. A switch back to his old putter over the weekend at the World Wide Technology Championship saw him finish T3 before a T9 result at the Houston Open to cap off his 2022 PGA Tour year. With a chance to momentarily regain the title of world No. 1, Scheffler came up just short to Hovland for the second straight time at Hero World Challenge. He entered 2022 winless and with plenty to prove. Now, 12 months later, his floor and ceiling may never be higher, and anything short of a multiple-win season may be considered a disappointment. Previous rank: 5 7

Sneakily one of the best limited-field, no-cut event players on the PGA Tour, Thomas has a prime opportunity to kick off his 2023 in style at this week’s Tournament of Champions. Twice a winner at Kapalua, the 29-year-old enters the calendar year hoping for his first multiple-win season since 2020. His iron play was slightly below historical norms in 2022, and with a resurgence from the putter early last year, the PGA Championship winner appeared as dangerous as ever. Experiencing some regression on the greens over the last six months, Thomas is without a top-10 finish in a full-field event since the Canadian Open in June. Previous rank: 8 8

The kid wins. With seven worldwide victories since February 2020, Hovland comes into 2023 looking to add a higher quality to his triumphs. Successfully defending his Hero World Challenge title in early December, the 25-year-old returns to action at another coastal, resort-style course in The Plantation Course at Kapalua. He hasn’t done much here in the past with finishes of T30 and T31, but improvements to his short game since the Scottish Open have been apparent. If those persist, the Norwegian’s stock will only continue to rise. Previous rank: 16 9

The Englishman has been one of the more active players since the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Losing in a playoff to Robert MacIntyre at the Italian Open, Fitzpatrick entered the DP World Tour Championship with a chance to win the season-long race in Europe. Leading the tournament at the halfway point, he ultimately fell off the pace to finish T5 on the week and second to McIlroy on the season. Despite this disappointment, 2022 can be chalked up as a success as Fitzpatrick broke through for his first professional victory on American soil at the U.S. Open. Putting his new-found distance on full display, this added skillset should pay dividends once again in 2023. Previous rank: 7 10

Will there be a sophomore slump for Young? That is the question one has to ask as the reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year was simply terrific in his first campaign on tour. Collecting seven podium finishes including a T3 at the PGA Championship and runner-up at The Open, he appeared to run out of steam throughout the FedEx Cup Playoffs. His father (and swing coach) has left his post at Sleepy Hollow to travel with him full time, and perhaps that will be the difference between winning and coming up just short in 2023. Previous rank: 11 11

His fellow countryman, Kim, took the world by storm at the end of 2022; however, for my money, Im remains the best South Korean player in the world. The 24-year-old possessed a share of the lead at the Tour Championship late on Sunday, and if not for a costly double bogey on his 14th hole, could have conceivably won the FedEx Cup. He has since added a solo seventh at the Shriners Children’s Open in a title defense and a T8 at the Hero World Challenge. Im enters 2022 with only two wins to his name, but is an ideal candidate to follow in the footsteps of Scheffler and Cameron Smith in breaking out in a major fashion. Previous rank: 14 12

In the 2021 season, Homa won his hometown event. In the 2022 season, he won twice, finished top five at the Tour Championship and competed for Team USA at the Presidents Cup. Already in the 2023 season, he has successfully defended his Fortinet Championship title and looks to be a candidate to make yet another leap forward. His ball-striking is top notch and he continues to make strides with his short game thanks to putting coach Phil Kenyon and the implementation of Aim Point. Previous rank: 17 13

Winless worldwide in 2022, Morikawa has gone searching for answers. The two-time major champion is leaving no stone unturned and even hired a putting coach of his own towards the end of the year. Despite the lack of new hardware, Morikawa’s 2022 season (+1.41 strokes gained per round) was the exact same as his 2021 when he won three times including The Open. If he stays on this course and continues to lean on his world-class iron play, the rest will come. Previous rank: 18 14

And just like that, Kim has risen to 15th in the OWGR. Since breaking through at the Wyndham Championship, the 20-year-old has added another victory at the Shriner Children’s Open and stole the show at the Presidents Cup. Unlike most modern players, Kim isn’t impressively long and this may hinder his chances at certain golf courses as he progresses throughout his career. Still, the start has been nothing short of stellar and I am more than happy to be along for the ride. Previous rank: NR 15

Zalatoris is officially back (no pun intended). Capturing his first PGA Tour victory at the St. Jude Championship, he was forced to withdraw during the BMW Championship due to a slipped disc in his back. Forgoing the Presidents Cup and delaying his timetable for return — he was originally set to play at the Hero World Challenge — the 26-year-old is likely to show some competitive rust at Kapalua. Once he overcomes this, he will return to the top of leaderboards with consistency as he finished his 2022 posting +1.06 strokes gained approach per round, tops on the PGA Tour. Previous rank: 7 16

Burns is following a similar path to Thomas in that he fell flat in the latter stages of 2022. Winning three times in the 2021-22 campaign, his season as a whole was a success, but the current state of his game may be up in the air. In his last 20 rounds, Burns ranks 111th in strokes gained tee to green and 127th in strokes gained approach. He remains one of the best putters in the world, and while this club may be able to carry him some weeks, it is clear why he has been going through some struggles as of late. Previous rank: 13 17

The burly Irishman went through his 2022 PGA Tour season without a win before rectifying the situation in Europe. Winning a shortened BMW PGA Championship, Lowry successfully fended off McIlroy and Rahm to win the DP World Tour’s flagship event. This past year was statistically the best season of his career as he posted +1.48 strokes gained per round and notched 12 top-20 finishes in 25 starts. If he continues to play like this, Lowry should have plenty of opportunities in 2023 to win on American soil for the first time since 2015. Previous rank: 15 18

Spieth is one of the most intriguing players in 2023. A winner the past two seasons, the three-time major champion has climbed out a hole and returned to relevance on the PGA Tour. The next step for Spieth is to claim an elevated event or perhaps even another major championship. Over the last 12 months, the Texans ranks inside the top 35 in the world in each tee to green metric. The outlier? His putting, which ranks 118th. If that club becomes a friend in 2023, Spieth will inch towards his pre-2018 self. Previous rank: 9

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LIV golfers see rankings tumble as year draws to a close

detlef32 — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 11:47:13 +0000

The release of the final official world ranking for men’s golf for 2022 revealed some hard evidence about the impact joining the LIV Golf Series has had on some of the world’s top players in terms of their place in the global game.

Only seven golfers currently playing on the Saudi-backed tour are now inside the top 50 in the world. Cameron Smith, who only joined LIV Golf in August, and some of the other latecomers, are yet to feel impact of their PGA Tour ban and the lack of world rankings points for LIV Golf events, but those who were on board from the very beginning, including the likes of Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood, have seen their world ranking take a huge hit.

Fromer world no.1 Dustin Johnson has dropped to 41 in the world rankings since joining LIV Golf

Johnson has dropped 26 spots in the OWGR, from 15 to 41, in the space of just seven months, but on the flip side, as LIV Golf’s most successful player in 2022, he has earned $35.6 million in prize money since June and banked probably several times more than that in signing-on fees.

Cam Smith has dropped just one place in the rankings – from 3 to 2 – since joining LIV Golf after his Open Championship success, and it will take some time to dislodge him from the world’s top 10, but other leading names have taken far bigger hits, with Paul Casey dropping 27 places to 58, Westwood plummeting 86 places to 164, while Mickelson is now a lowly 213rd in the rankings, having dropped 141 places after being one of the first to sign to LIV Golf.

Among the other the other major winners competing on the Saudi-backed tour, Brooks Koepka has dropped out of the world’s top 50 and is now 52^nd after slipping 29 places; Louis Oosthuizen has seen his ranking decline by the same number and is now 50th; while Sergio Garcia is now ranked 113, having been 57th.

With the organisers of the four majors so far resisting any moves to bar LIV Golf from competing in next year’s events, those LIV Golfers already qualified for the Masters, US PGA, US Open and The Open in 2023 by dint of their past performances or world ranking will still be able to tee it up in golf’s marquee tournaments. However, it remains to be seen whether LIV Golf will be able to convince the organisers of the OWGR that their events should qualify for ranking points going forward, so the full impact of the lack of points won’t start to fully unravel until midway through next season.

LIV Golf has already lobbied the OWGR for its members to be given ranking points for its events, but with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour among those with positions on the OWGR Board, it remains unlikely that they will be offered an olive branch any time soon – although the request is currently ‘under consideration’.

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2022 Hero World Challenge predictions, picks, odds, field rankings, best bets for Tiger Woods-hosted event

detlef32 — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 23:35:56 +0000

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Tiger Woods’ return to competition was supposed to begin this week at the 2022 Hero World Challenge. Instead, golf fans around the world will have to wait just a little bit longer as the 15-time major champion withdrew on Monday citing plantar fasciitis in his right foot. In his place, Austrian Sepp Straka will make his Hero World Challenge debut and join some of the best players in the world down in The Bahamas.

Woods will still be on television screens as he plays tournament host for the benefit of his charitable foundation. The 46-year-old will welcome 20 of the top 35 players in the Official World Golf Rankings. and three of whom claimed major championship titles this past year. World No. 2 Scottie Scheffler will represent the highest-ranked player in this field as Rory McIlroy, Cameron Smith, Patrick Cantlay and Will Zalatoris are among the notables not teeing it up.

Scheffler is joined by Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick and Collin Morikawa as six of the top-10 players in the world are slated to play. Tony Finau, Tommy Fleetwood, Tom Kim and Max Homa arrive to The Bahamas as recent winners and round out a stacked 20-man field.

Event Information

Event: 2022 Hero World Challenge | Dates: Dec. 1-4
Location: Albany — New Providence, Bahamas
Par: 72 | Yardage: 7,414 | Purse: $3,500,000

2022 Hero World Challenge field, odds

Odds are courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook

Jon Rahm (5-1): The Spaniard is the rightful favorite in what will be his third appearance in the Hero World Challenge. Capturing a victory and second-place finish in his prior two outings, Rahm should pick up where he left off around Albany. He arrives having just won the DP World Tour Championship yet still feels a hair underrated. While his victories in 2022 lacked fields of high quality, he has still entered the winner’s circle three times in his last 13 tournaments.
Scottie Scheffler (15/2)
Tony Finau (9-1)
Xander Schauffele (9-1)
Justin Thomas (12-1): The newly married Thomas won’t be honeymooning in The Bahamas, but he will hope for an equally exciting time. He has become somewhat of a big-game hunter in recent years; his latest victories include the 2022 PGA Championship and the 2021 Players Championship. While strong in quality, the 29-year-old is too strong of a talent to lack the quantity. Thomas is quietly a fantastic no-cut, limited field competitor, and should give the Hero World Challenge a serious go.
Viktor Hovland (12-1)
Matt Fitzpatrick (14-1): The Englishman arrives off a disappointing finish to his DP World Tour season. Finishing second to McIlroy in the DP World Tour Rankings, Fitzpatrick was in control of his own destiny through 36 holes at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Ultimately fading over the weekend, he will look to get back on track in The Bahamas.
Sungjae Im (14-1)
Tommy Fleetwood (16-1)
Collin Morikawa (16-1): Thomas isn’t the only one who tied the knot during the mini offseason as Morikawa was also seen at the altar. It is easy to forget that it was at this very tournament a year ago where the two-time major champion went into the final round with a six-stroke lead. Had he converted this margin into a victory, Morikawa would have ascended to world No. 1, but instead he was wondering what if. He is without a worldwide win since the 2021 DP World Tour Championship, and while this drought is not substantial, it may be starting to weigh on him.
Jordan Spieth (18-1)
Sam Burns (18-1)
Tom Kim (18-1): Nothing a little Tom Kim can’t fix. The Presidents Cup darling enjoyed one of the stronger swing season campaigns on the PGA Tour. Getting the better of Patrick Cantlay at the Shriners Children’s Open, the 20-year-old factored again a couple weeks later at The CJ Cup in South Carolina. The Hero World Challenge has been kind to debutants, which bodes well for Kim’s prospects.
Cameron Young (22-1)
Shane Lowry (22-1)
Max Homa (25-1)
Billy Horschel (30-1)
Corey Conners (35-1)
Kevin Kisner (60-1)
Sepp Straka (65-1)

2022 Hero World Challenge expert picks

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Tiger Woods becomes latest PGA Tour star to criticize Official World Golf Rankings: ‘It’s a flawed system’

detlef32 — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 22:23:38 +0000

Jon Rahm has an ally, and a very important one at that. Rahm spoke out against the Official World Golf Rankings two weeks ago, and on Tuesday at the Hero World Challenge, Tiger Woods agreed with his sentiments.

Rahm’s argument, in its most basic form, was that the OWGR should not be rewarding the RSM Classic winner with 37 points and the DP World Tour Championship winner with just 22 points when the latter had to defeat seven top 25 players in the world and the former had to defeat none. The OWGR, on the other hand, has structured its points system to reward beating bigger fields rather than smaller ones (the DP World Tour Championship had just 50 players while the RSM had 156).

“OWGR, it’s a flawed system,” said Woods. “That’s something we all here recognize. The field at Dubai got less points than Sea Island, and more of the top players were there in Dubai, so obviously there’s a flawed system.

“How do you fix it? You know, those are meetings we’re going to have to have. We’re going to have to have it with World Golf committee and as well as … the main tours that are involved in it. Somehow come up with a better system than is in place now.”

The problem here is that the OWGR is likely always going to be a flawed system. It represents a zero-sum game (there can only be one No. 1 and one No. 2 and so on), which means that somebody is almost always going to be upset about how points are constituted.

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy disagreed with Rahm (and now Woods) about the current system.

“So when you look at two different fields, you’ve got a 50-man field here versus a 144-man field there [actually 156],” he said. “So just in terms of how the strengths of field is calculated, they have 90 more players to contribute to their strength of field. So the reason that this has got 21 points [actually 22] and the RSM has got 39 [actually 37] is the person that wins the RSM has to beat 139 other guys [actually 155]. You only have to beat 49 other guys here. It’s a much fairer system. I think it rewards people that — it’s pure numbers. Strength of field has not hurt people feelings.

“Has it upset people? Yes, because people have been used to getting a certain amount of [OWGR] points in one event and now it’s dropped. But I would say those events were getting more than they should be. I think it’s the fairest system that you can come up with right now. And a lot of work went into that, five years of algorithms and analysis and work went on into the system, so it’s not as if it changed overnight. A lot has went into it. It’s the best one that we can come up with right now, and I think it will take a while. It will take another 18 months for it to play out because everyone gets two years into the rolling system.

“It’s a little bit — as it’s being rolled out, there’s a little bit of discrepancy, but once we get two years into it and have the minimum divisor and all the events. I think you’ll see a fairer reflection of where everyone is ranked in the world that is eligible.”

Woods didn’t call the OWGR laughable like Rahm did, but surely the members of the OWGR — which include the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Augusta National Golf Club, PGA of America, R&A, USGA and International Federation of PGA Tours — will take into account Woods’ words about a revamped system that was recently implemented in August.

“I remember in my career, when I had a big lead in my career, I didn’t have to play a single tournament the next year and I still would be ranked No. 1,” said Woods. “We changed that system then. So it has been changed in the past, and I’m sure this will be changed hopefully soon.”

All of this is extraordinarily nuanced, of course, and as Data Golf pointed out, the OWGR actually rewards the lower half of smaller fields more than it does the lower half of bigger fields.

There are also very few instances of small fields with great players on the top tours. It’s a problem that I’m not positive is big enough to deserve a solution. Regardless, this will be discussed into the future, especially given the demand from LIV — which also has small fields with some good players — for OWGR points in the near future.

Woods spent a record 683 weeks atop the Official World Golf Rankings. Greg Norman is second with 331.

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2022 RSM Classic predictions, expert picks, odds, field rankings, golf best bets at Sea Island

detlef32 — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 17:59:27 +0000

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Just one week separates golfers from the end of the playing calendar as competitors head to Sea Island, Georgia, for the 2022 RSM Classic. Before PGA Tour members can solidify their holiday plans and embark on their well-deserved vacations, one last chance at collecting hardware awaits.

World No. 12 Tony Finau was originally set to headline the field fresh off a dominating performance at the Houston Open. Having to withdraw Tuesday afternoon due to an injury, the field has officially become wide open. In his place, a number of players will look to sprint into the offseason courtesy of a strong showing at the RSM Classic including eight major championship winners such as Jason Day and Justin Rose.

While the pair fell short of Finau’s effort in Houston, the two former world Nos. 1 have performed admirably this swing season. Each possessing an impressive résumé, other players hoping to make a stride in this direction are Denny McCarthy, Taylor Montgomery and Matthew NeSmith, all of whom are still in search of their first victories on the PGA Tour.

Keith Mitchell, Brian Harman, Harris English and a slew of Sea Island residents will join them at the RSM Classic. With only 72 holes until the end of the competitive year, players look to put it all on the line this week on the Atlantic coast.

Event Information

Event: 2022 RSM Classic | Dates: Nov. 17-20
Location: Sea Island Golf Club (Plantation, Seaside) — St. Simon Island, Georgia
Par: 70 | Yardage: 7,005 | Purse: $8,100,000

2022 RSM Classic field, odds

Brian Harman (16-1): Harman is one of many members of the Sea Island mafia, and is arguably playing the best of the bunch. Fresh off a runner-up performance at Mayakoba, Harman returns home for his 11th appearance in the RSM Classic. In addition to his close call in Mexico, Harman has added results of T23 at The CJ Cup in South Carolina and T15 at the Shriners Children’s Open. The 35-year-old has not claimed a victory since 2017, but this should be as good a chance as ever given his current form and familiarity with the property.
Seamus Power (20-1): The Irishman was Talor Gooch’s closest pursuer for the majority of last year’s tournament before finishing T4. Power arrives this time around in fantastic form with his last two tournaments reading: WIN, T3. His iron play has been surprisingly subpar in his five starts this season, but if his scoring clubs can cooperate, he should be in with a chance come Sunday.
Jason Day (22-1): Day continues to impress to start the 2022-23 season as he added another quality result last week at the Houston Open in the form of a T16 finish. The ball striking continues to be his strong suit, and his short game is beginning to show semblances of seven years ago when Day was far and away the best player in the world.
Tom Hoge (25-1): The missed cut at Mayakoba may have come as a surprise, but Hoge should enjoy a nice bounce-back spot at Sea Island. Playing in this tournament the last eight years, Hoge’s closest call came just a season ago when he finished T4. This year, he comes in as one of the best players in the field with top-15 finishes at the The CJ Cup in South Carolina, Zozo Championship, Shirners Children’s Open and Fortinet Championship.
Taylor Montgomery (30-1)
Denny McCarthy (30-1)
Joel Dahmen (30-1)
Keith Mitchell (35-1): The RSM Classic has been unkind to Sea Island residents in the past, but Mitchell looks keen to change that. The bomber comes off his best finish of the season at the Houston Open where he found the top 10 on the leaderboard. One of the best drivers of the golf ball in the world, it will be the other aspects of his game that will be tested around the Plantation and Seaside courses. He has connected on top-15 efforts in two of his last three RSM Classics as he continues to get more comfortable hosting a home game.
Mackenzie Hughes (35-1)
Sahith Theegala (35-1)
Matthew NeSmith (35-1)

2022 RSM Classic expert picks

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