After a thrilling elevated event at the Sentry Tournament of Champions last week, the PGA Tour heads to Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii for the 2023 Sony Open, which tees off on Thursday. The Sony Open field features 19 of the players from last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions field and seven of the top 25 players in the world. Sungjae Im is listed as the 10-1 favorite in the latest 2023 Sony Open odds from Caesars Sportsbook. He is followed by Tom Kim (11-1), and major winners Jordan Spieth (14-1), and Hideki Matsuyama (15-1). Other top contenders in the Sony Open field include Brian Harman (16-1), Russell Henley (18-1), Tom Hoge (22-1) Corey Conners (22-1), and Adam Scott (31-1). The total tournament purse is $7.9 million, with $1.422 million going to the winner, making it imperative that you nail your one and done picks this week at Kapalua.

As a three-time major champion, Spieth will likely be a very popular PGA one and done pick this week at Waialae. Is the 2021 Masters champion a must-play? Or would it make more sense to go with another high upside option like Tom Hoge (22-1), Si Woo Kim (37-1), or MacKenzie Hughes (50-1)? Before locking in your 2023 Sony Open one and done picks, you need to see what SportsLine DFS pro and PGA expert Mike McClure has to say. 

The One and Done format is growing in popularity. It has several noticeable similarities to NFL Survivor pools, with the main difference being entries are not eliminated with a bad week. Players pick one golfer per week and earn points based on their selected golfer’s prize money for that tournament. Golfers can only be used once per season, and the point format makes nailing majors and big money tournaments critical.

McClure is a DFS legend with over $2 million in career winnings, and he’s been red-hot on his PGA picks dating back to the PGA Tour restart in June of 2020. McClure uses his proprietary simulation model to analyze the field and crush his golf picks. In fact, the model is up over $9,500 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure’s model included J.T. Poston in its best bets to win the 2022 John Deere Classic. That bet hit at +5500, and for the entire tournament, McClure’s best bets returned almost $1,100. At the 2022 Masters, McClure’s model was all over Scottie Scheffler’s first career major championship victory heading into the weekend. McClure was dialed in on his One and Done picks throughout the 2022 PGA Tour season, calling Hideki Matsuyama’s outright win at the Sony Open and hitting on several under the radar picks that finished in the top-5 or higher. 

Last week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, McClure listed 75-1 long shot Luke List as his top One and Done pick. The result: List shot 20 under to finish in 11th place, taking home $292,500.

Now, McClure has dialed in on the 2023 Sony Open golf tournament, and just locked in his one and done picks and PGA predictions. You can only see McClure’s Sony Open one and done picks at SportsLine.

2023 Sony Open One and Done picks

One of McClure’s top one and done picks this week at the Sony Open is 31-year-old Corey Conners. The No. 34 player in the world comes in at 22-1 to win the tournament, but McClure believes he has been undervalued and should be considered one of the top contenders to win this week in Honolulu. Conners has long been one of the PGA Tour’s best players off the tee and he can be elite with his irons when he’s dialed in. If he plays well on and around the greens this week, Conners could add another win to his career resume. He captured his first and only PGA Tour victory at the Valero Texas Open in 2019.

Conners notched back-to-back top-10 finishes at the Hero World Challenge and the QBE Shootout before the December break, and finished in 18th place against an elite field at the Sentry Tournament of Champions last week. If he can get his putter dialed in this week, McClure believe Conners has what it takes to win at Waialae. With the intriguing mix of talent in the Sony Open field, it’s very possible that Conners will fly under the radar in one and done pools this week offering huge value. You can see who else to back this week at SportsLine.

How to make 2023 Sony Open One and Done picks

McClure is also targeting another golfer for his 2023 Sony Open one and done picks that is listed at 34-1 in the latest PGA golf odds. This player has been red-hot dating back to 2022, but consistently flies under the radar and has the ability to win any tournament he enters. You can find out who it is, and check out all of McClure’s Sentry Tournament of Champions One and Done picks, at SportsLine.

Who wins the 2023 Sony Open? And which golfers should you target for your PGA one and done picks this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Mike McClure’s Sony Open 2023 one and done picks, all from the DFS pro with over $2 million in career winnings, and find out.

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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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Hideki Matsuyama will try to defend his crown this week when the 2023 Sony Open tees off Thursday at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Matsuyama aims to become the first golfer to go back-to-back at Waialae since Jimmy Walker (2014-15). Matsuyama stormed back from five strokes down with nine holes to play last year and beat Russell Henley with an eagle on the first playoff hole. Henley and Walker also are in a 144-player Sony Open 2023 field that is headlined by Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth and Tom Kim. The Sony Open has been played at the Honolulu course since 1965 and has followed the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Kapalua since 1999. Nineteen of the 39 golfers are making their way over from Maui. 

Caesars Sportsbook lists Sungjae Im as the 10-1 favorite in its latest 2023 Sony Open odds, followed closely by Kim at 11-1. Half a dozen other golfers are shorter than 25-1, with Matsuyama (15-1) and Spieth (16-1) among them. Brian Harman (16-1), Tom Hoge (20-1), Corey Conners (20-1) and Henley (22-1) are the others, and Walker is priced at a whopping 500-1 in the Sony Open 2023 field. Before you lock in any 2023 Sony Open picks, be sure you check out the PGA Tour predictions and best bets from SportsLine golf insider Patrick McDonald.

After spending time at FanSided and NBC Sports EDGE, McDonald joined CBS Sports as a golf writer in the spring of 2022. Now covering the sport from a broader perspective, McDonald still likes to dip his toes into the betting pools on a weekly basis on the PGA Tour. 

McDonald takes a measured approach to his outright selections and is having a profitable 2022-23 season in every category. He nailed the Houston Open, backing Tony Finau to win at 25-1, and is up almost 10 units on his plays overall. That’s a profit of almost $1,000 for $100 bettors. The expert also has been on the money on his matchup plays and cashed in huge on Brendan Steele (80-1) as the first-round leader at the Zozo Championship.

The expert finished the 2021-22 season up 42 units on his outright plays, having hit Cameron Smith (22-1) at the Tournament of Champions, Hudson Swafford (250-1) at The American Express, Joaquin Niemann (70-1) at the Genesis Invitational and Justin Thomas (66-1) live at the PGA Championship. Last week he listed Jon Rahm among his top picks, and the 28-year-old shot 10 under on Sunday to capture the win. Anyone who follows McDonald’s advice has been cashing in.

Now, McDonald has studied the 2023 Sony Open field and is locking in his best bets, top sleepers and favorites to avoid. You can head to SportsLine now to see all his PGA picks and predictions.  

Top 2023 Sony Open expert picks

McDonald knows Spieth is one of the top names in this field and among the favorites, but the expert is fading the three-time major champion. The former world No. 1 has 13 tour victories, one in each of the past two years, but hasn’t played Waialae since 2019. He missed the cut that year, shooting 73 in the first round. The course seems to be a bad fit, as he lacks accuracy off the tee. He hit 56% of fairways last season (150th on tour) and was 62nd in greens in regulation and 155th in strokes gained putting. McDonald calls Spieth “an easy pass” for this week.

On the other hand, Kim is the highest-ranked golfer in the field, and McDonald sees why he is among the expected contenders. The 20-year-old’s accuracy is tough to match, and that should be what wins at Waialae. The tight layout demands precision, and Kim is sixth on tour in driving accuracy (72.8%), greens in regulation (76.4%) and scoring average (69.3). He hit 89% of his fairways at the CJ Cup in late October. Kim has two tour victories and three other top-10 finishes in 15 career tour outings, and he has 11 wins worldwide, several in smaller Asian tours. You can see who else to back at Waialae Country Club here.          

How to make 2023 Sony Open picks

Before this week’s PGA Tour event, McDonald has locked in his best bets for the 2023 Sony Open. His outright plays include five major long shots who come in at more than 40-1. One of these players excels on tight courses where accuracy off the tee matters, and if this player can pull off his breakthrough victory he would bring a massive payday of well over 100-1. You can find out who it is, and see the rest of McDonald’s Sony Open picks, predictions, and best bets at SportsLine.

So which 2023 Sony Open picks should you target? Which player has the off-the-tee game to pull off a victory that would pay off at well over 100-1? Check out the odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Patrick McDonald’s top prop picks for Sony Open 2023, all from the expert who is up almost $1,000 on his PGA Tour picks this season, and find out.

2023 Sony Open odds, field, top contenders

See full Sony Open 2023 picks, best bets, and predictions here.

Sungjae Im +1000
Tom Kim +1100
Jordan Spieth +1400
Hideki Matsuyama +1500
Brian Harman +1600
Russell Henley +1800
Tom Hoge +2200
Corey Conners +2200
Adam Scott +3100
Taylor Montgomery +3100
Billy Horschel +3200
Cameron Davis +3300
Kyoung-Hoon Lee +3400
Keegan Bradley +3400
Keith Mitchell +3700
Si Woo Kim +3700
Maverick Mcnealy +3700
J.J. Spaun +4000
Alex Smalley +4500
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +4500
MacKenzie Hughes +5000
Emiliano Grillo +5000
Harris English +5000
J.T. Poston +5000
Denny McCarthy +5000
Matt Kuchar +5000
Webb Simpson +5000
Gary Woodland +5000
Kurt Kitayama +5500
Adam Svensson +5500
Will Gordon +5500
Andrew Putnam +5500
Chris Kirk +6000
Brendan Steele +6500
Hayden Buckley +6500
Brendon Todd +7500
Nick Hardy +8000
Aaron Rai +8500
Davis Thompson +9000
Chun-an Yu +9000
Russell Knox +9500
Greyson Sigg +9500
Patton Kizzire +9500
Ryan Palmer +10000
Robby Shelton +10000
Stephan Jaeger +10000
Justin Suh +11000
Ryan Armour +11000
Troy Merritt +11000
Brandon Wu +11000
Ben Griffin +11000
David Lipsky +12000
Chez Reavie +12000
David Lingmerth +13000
Kevin Streelman +13000
Sam Ryder +13000
Kazuki Higa +14000
Michael Thompson +14000
Lucas Glover +14000
James Hahn +14000
Mark Hubbard +14000
Stewart Cink +14000
Taiga Semikawa +14000
Seonghyeon Kim +14000
Joseph Bramlett +15000
Carl Yuan +15000
Nick Taylor +16000
Brian Stuard +16000
Harry Higgs +16000
Adam Long +16000
Keita Nakajima +16000
Tyson Alexander +16000
MJ Daffue +16000
John Huh +16000
Adam Schenk +17000
Scott Piercy +17000
Cole Hammer +17000
Zac Blair +19000
Ben Taylor +19000
Austin Eckroat +21000
Danny Lee +21000
Peter Malnati +21000
Byeong Hun An +21000
Yuto Katsuragawa +21000

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The Sony Open 2023 is set to tee off on Thursday at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii. The long-standing tournament is a follow up to the first elevated PGA Tour event of season in last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions. Seven of the top 25 golfers in the world are in the 2023 Sony Open field, headlined by Tom Kim, Jordan Spieth,  Hideki Matsuyama, and Sungjae Im. Im is listed as the 10-1 betting favorite in the latest 2023 Sony Open odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Other top contenders in the field include Kim (11-1), Spieth (14-1), Matsuyama (15-1), Brian Harman (16-1), and Russell Henley (18-1).

Which players should you target when building your Sony Open prop bet betting strategy? And which sleepers should you target for a potentially huge payday? Before locking in any Sony Open 2023 picks of your own, be sure to check out the PGA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine golf expert Mike McClure.

SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, the model is up over $9,500 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure’s model predicted Jon Rahm (+800) to finish on top of the leaderboard at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions. The model also included J.T. Poston in its best bets to win the 2022 John Deere Classic. That bet hit at +5500, and for the entire tournament, McClure’s best bets returned almost $1,100. At the 2022 Masters, McClure’s model was all over Scottie Scheffler’s first career major championship victory heading into the weekend.

In addition, McClure’s best bets included Collin Morikawa winning outright at the 2021 Open Championship, even though he was listed as a massive 40-1 long shot. The model was also all over Jon Rahm’s (10-1) first career major championship victory at the 2021 U.S. Open. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the weekend, but the model still projected him as the winner.

This same model has also nailed a whopping eight majors entering the weekend. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now, McClure has set his sights on the 2023 Sony Open field and just revealed his top PGA prop bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see all of McClure’s 2023 Sony Open prop picks, sleepers, head-to-head matchups, best bets, and his top one and done pick.

Top 2023 Sony Open prop picks

One of McClure’s favorite prop bets this week for the Sentry Tournament of Champions is world No. 30 Tom Hoge finishing in the top-20 of the final leaderboard at +125 odds. Hoge notched his first career PGA Tour victory at the 2022 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, edging Jordan Spieth by two strokes, and has been climbing in the Official World Golf Ranking ever since. 

For the 2022-23 PGA Tour season, Hoge has five top-25 finishes, three top-10’s, and is coming off a third place finish last week against an elite field at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. He enters the Sony Open ranked first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach (1.640) and eighth in total strokes gained (1.811), which suggest he should perform well at Waialae Country Club. You can see the rest of McClure’s Sony Open prop bet picks at SportsLine.

Find more 2023 Sony Open picks, sleepers

McClure has also locked in a slew of other prop bets for the Sony Open 2023, including a long shot listed at 34-1 to win it all. Anyone who backs one of his 2023 Sony Open sleepers could hit it big. You can only see his Sony Open best bets at SportsLine.

So what 2023 Sony Open prop picks should you target this week? And which massive long shot has a chance to stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine to see McClure’s 2023 Sony Open in Hawaii best bets, all from the expert who’s up over $9,600 since the PGA Tour restart, and find out.

2023 Sony Open odds, field, top contenders

See full Sony Open 2023 picks, best bets, and predictions here.

Sungjae Im +1000
Tom Kim +1100
Jordan Spieth +1400
Hideki Matsuyama +1500
Brian Harman +1600
Russell Henley +1800
Tom Hoge +2200
Corey Conners +2200
Adam Scott +3100
Taylor Montgomery +3100
Billy Horschel +3200
Cameron Davis +3300
Kyoung-Hoon Lee +3400
Keegan Bradley +3400
Keith Mitchell +3700
Si Woo Kim +3700
Maverick Mcnealy +3700
J.J. Spaun +4000
Alex Smalley +4500
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +4500
MacKenzie Hughes +5000
Emiliano Grillo +5000
Harris English +5000
J.T. Poston +5000
Denny McCarthy +5000
Matt Kuchar +5000
Webb Simpson +5000
Gary Woodland +5000
Kurt Kitayama +5500
Adam Svensson +5500
Will Gordon +5500
Andrew Putnam +5500
Chris Kirk +6000
Brendan Steele +6500
Hayden Buckley +6500
Brendon Todd +7500
Nick Hardy +8000
Aaron Rai +8500
Davis Thompson +9000
Chun-an Yu +9000
Russell Knox +9500
Greyson Sigg +9500
Patton Kizzire +9500
Ryan Palmer +10000
Robby Shelton +10000
Stephan Jaeger +10000
Justin Suh +11000
Ryan Armour +11000
Troy Merritt +11000
Brandon Wu +11000
Ben Griffin +11000
David Lipsky +12000
Chez Reavie +12000
David Lingmerth +13000
Kevin Streelman +13000
Sam Ryder +13000
Kazuki Higa +14000
Michael Thompson +14000
Lucas Glover +14000
James Hahn +14000
Mark Hubbard +14000
Stewart Cink +14000
Taiga Semikawa +14000
Seonghyeon Kim +14000
Joseph Bramlett +15000
Carl Yuan +15000
Nick Taylor +16000
Brian Stuard +16000
Harry Higgs +16000
Adam Long +16000
Keita Nakajima +16000
Tyson Alexander +16000
MJ Daffue +16000
John Huh +16000
Adam Schenk +17000
Scott Piercy +17000
Cole Hammer +17000
Zac Blair +19000
Ben Taylor +19000
Austin Eckroat +21000
Danny Lee +21000
Peter Malnati +21000
Byeong Hun An +21000
Yuto Katsuragawa +21000

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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.

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 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

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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The PGA DFS player pool will be stocked with talented golfers for the 2023 Sony Open, which gets underway on Thursday, Jan. 12. Major champions Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama and Keegan Bradley headline the Sony Open 2023 field, and they’ll certainly be among the top daily Fantasy golf picks this week. Matsuyama is the defending champion of this event, Spieth is coming off a T-13 finish at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and Bradley currently sits atop the FedExCup standings. However, daily Fantasy golf players will have to decide if they can be trusted when setting their PGA DFS strategy for the 2023 Sony Open. Before you lock in your PGA DFS picks for the 2023 Sony Open, you’ll want to see the latest daily Fantasy golf picks, advice and player pool from SportsLine’s Mike McClure.

McClure is a DFS pro with over $2 million in career winnings, and he’s been red-hot on his PGA Tour picks this season. McClure is also a predictive data engineer at SportsLine who uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every tournament 10,000 times, taking factors like statistical trends, past results and current form into account. This allows him to find the best PGA DFS values and create optimal lineups that he shares only over at SportsLine. They’re a must-see for any PGA DFS player.

Last week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, McClure included Jon Rahm among his top PGA DFS picks on FanDuel and DraftKings. The result: Rahm finished on top of the leaderboard, securing his eighth PGA Tour title after shooting 27-under par. Anybody that included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable weekend.

In addition, McClure’s model is up over $9,500 on its best bets since June 2020, nailing tournament after tournament. This same model has also nailed a whopping eight majors entering the weekend. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now, McClure has set his sights on the 2023 Sony Open and revealed his optimal PGA DFS advice, strategy and player pool. Head to SportsLine now to see his top daily Fantasy golf picks for the Sony Open 2023.  

Top 2023 Sony Open PGA DFS picks

One of McClure’s top PGA DFS picks for the 2023 Sony Open is J.T. Poston at $7,700 on DraftKings and $9,300 on FanDuel. Poston is coming off a respectable showing at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, securing a T-21 finish in Hawaii. 

Poston has now finished inside the top-25 in eight of his last 11 starts on the PGA Tour. He’s been able to consistently find himself in the mix thanks to his impeccable accuracy. Poston currently ranks 20th in greens in regulation percentage (73.89%) and 29th in driving accuracy percentage (66.20%), so confidently lock him in your PGA DFS lineups and look for a big return this week at the 2023 Sony Open.

McClure’s optimal PGA DFS strategy also includes rostering Sungjae Im at $10,300 on DraftKings and $11,800 on FanDuel. 

Im certainly has the game to finish near the top of the leaderboard this week. The 24-year-old has missed the cut just once in his last 11 starts on the PGA Tour, and he’s proven he can contend with the best players in the world. He secured a runner-up finish at the Tour Championship last season and he continues to be one of the most accurate players off the tee. In fact, Im ranks inside the top-25 in strokes gained: tee-to-green (1.079), strokes gained: off-the-tee (.824) and driving accuracy percentage (66.96%), all of which makes him an extremely valuable PGA DFS asset. See who else to back right here. 

How to set 2023 Sony Open DFS lineups

McClure is also targeting an undervalued player who’s primed to play extremely well, giving you a huge return on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel. Picks like these could be the difference between winning your PGA DFS contests or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.

So what are the top PGA DFS picks for the 2023 Sony Open? And which undervalued golfer is a must-roster? Visit SportsLine now to see the complete PGA DFS player pool for FanDuel and DraftKings, all from the expert who’s made over $2 million in daily Fantasy sports, and find out.

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The first round of the 2023 Tournament of Champions was everything you’d want from the opening event of a calendar year: Superstars at the top, birdies all over the yard and — of course! — Jordan Spieth doing his normal unicycle ride while juggling flaming torches.

A trio of leaders sit at the top of the field as Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm and J.J. Spaun all co-lead at 9 under on the par-73 Kapalua course. A crowded pack that includes Tom Kim, Tom Hoge, Sungjae Im and Scottie Scheffler is hot on their heels, however. That means there’s plenty of star power capable of making a run over the next three days. 

We’ll dive into their rounds below, as well as what to expect the rest of the week from this loaded field. With the first event of 2023 underway, let’s dive into the first round of the Tournament of Champions. 

The leaders

T1. Jon Rahm, J.J. Spaun, Collin Morikawa (-9): Rahm followed his 33-under performance a year ago with a 9-under 63 on Thursday, and he now has 40 birdies and two eagles in his last 90 holes at Kapalua. After playing the front nine in 31, he got into a bothersome spot on the back with a bogey at the par-4 14th. That bogey set him back a bit, but he closed with three birdies in his last four holes, including a near-eagle at the last hole that turned into an easy bird.

Rahm is going to be extraordinarily difficult to keep up with if he putts like he did on Thursday when he led the field at nearly four strokes gained on the round (Matt Fitzpatrick and Viktor Hovland were second best at 2.07). He likely won’t putt like that, but good luck to the field against somebody who is averaging 8.4 strokes under par in his last five rounds here.

Other contenders

4. Tom Kim (-8)

T5. Matt Fitzpatrick, Aaron Wise, Tom Hoge, Mackenzie Hughes, Sungjae Im, Scottie Scheffler (-7)

Scheffler was probably the most interesting out of this group. He putted horribly — he lost nearly two strokes on the greens and made one putt over 5 feet — but he still shot 66. That’s scary coming from the No. 2 player in the world. Scheffler has something at stake here beyond winning, too. He needs a top-three finish to regain the No. 1 ranking in the world from Rory McIlroy, who is not playing this week at Kapalua.

Kim exceeding expectations

It probably shouldn’t surprise me that Kim shot 65, but it still does. As bullish as I am on him as a person and a potential star, I’m equally dubious that his statistical profile meets the modern thriving top-10 player. And yet, at every level he’s played, he’s continued to win and win and win. In 81 OWGR starts, he has eight wins, and his PGA Tour winning percentage is slightly better. I want to be wrong about him in the long term because he’s so much fun to write about and cover (see below), but I have to say I didn’t necessarily see this round coming from him at Kapalua.

Shot of the day

Jordan Spieth had a very Jordan Spieth round. He missed a 2-foot putt but also took a full swing from 33 feet away on the 15th hole for par following some problems in the bunker on his third shot. If you’ve ever tried to take a full swing with any club from 30 feet, it’s basically impossible to hole the shot, but here we are.

Spieth also had an amazing exchange in which he asked two gentleman at the event if they could tone down the wagering chatter while he was putting. A very normal early season start for Spieth.

Shot of the day, Part II 

The hole-out eagle was great, but Kim asking the cameras if they caught it was even better.

Morikawa is fine

I recently wrote about some of the consternation surrounding Collin Morikawa at the end of 2022, a year in which he did not win. This stat from Data Golf should sum up how I feel about where he’s at right now:

• Strokes gained 2020-21 season: 1.41 (3 wins)
• Strokes gained 2021-22 season: 1.41 (0 wins)

Furthermore, Morikawa’s ceiling didn’t really change. He went from third to sixth in the world in 95th percentile rounds. In other words, his best stuff was still among the best stuff of other top-10 players in the world. What did change is that he didn’t win, which can be attributed to so many other things (luck, good bounces, field makeup etc.). Morikawa was undervalued overall coming into 2023, and though he won’t play as well as he did on Thursday for the rest of the year, I think it’s emblematic of what we could be in for with him this year. There’s still time to buy low.

2023 Tournament of Champions updated odds and picks

• Jon Rahm: +240
• Collin Morikawa: +650
• Scottie Scheffler: 8-1
• Tom Kim: 12-1
• Sungjae Im: 14-1
• Tony Finau: 16-1
• Matt Fitzpatrick: 16-1
• Jordan Spieth: 22-1
• Viktor Hovland: 22-1
• Aaron Wise: 22-1

To the surprise of nobody, I’m in on Spieth at 22-1. He plays great at this golf course, and he’s helped when he has a lot of external things going on (slope, wind, etc.) because it gets him out of his own head. He didn’t even putt well on Thursday and still found a way to shoot 67. In terms of the leaders, Morikawa at +650 is the play for me. Rahm’s putting round was magnificent, which won’t continue, and Morikawa is still being a tad undervalued because he’s coming on off a year in which he didn’t win at all.

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Tiger Woods was supposed to be the headliner, and he’ll still be on site, but players like Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler will be the focus at the 2022 Hero World Challenge. Woods was expected to return to the course for the first time since The Open in June, but a flare-up of plantar fasciitis forced him to pull out Monday. His event at Albany Golf Club in The Bahamas benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation, and six of the world’s top 10 golfers will compete starting Thursday. Rahm and Scheffler will be joined by fellow major champions like Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jordan Spieth and Collin Morikawa. Viktor Hovland also will be in the Hero World Challenge 2022 field to defend his title. He shot 6-under 66 in the final round last year at Albany to edge Scheffler by one stroke. Morikawa went into Sunday with a six-stroke lead but ended up in a tie for fifth. Woods still expects to compete in two exhibitions next month – The Match on Dec. 10 and the PNC Championship alongside son Charlie from Dec. 17-18.     

Rahm, who won this tournament in his debut in 2018 and was the 2019 runner-up, is the 5-1 favorite in the latest 2022 Hero World Challenge odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Scheffler (8-1), Finau (9-1) and Xander Schauffele (10-1) also are expected to be top contenders in the Hero World Challenge 2022 field. Hovland (12-1), Thomas (12-1) and Fitzpatrick (14-1) are among more than a dozen golfers priced shorter than 20-1. Before locking in any 2022 Hero World Challenge picks or golf bets, you need to see the PGA Tour predictions, best bets and sleeper picks from SportsLine golf insider Patrick McDonald.

After spending time at FanSided and NBC Sports EDGE, McDonald joined CBS Sports as a golf writer in the spring of 2022. Now covering the sport from a broader perspective, McDonald still likes to dip his toes into the betting pools on a weekly basis on the PGA Tour. 

He takes a measured approach to his outright selections and finished the 2021-22 season up 42 units on those plays, having hit Cameron Smith (22-1) at the Tournament of Champions, Hudson Swafford (250-1) at The American Express, Joaquin Niemann (70-1) at the Genesis Invitational and Justin Thomas (66-1) live at the PGA Championship.

McDonald is having a profitable 2022-23 season in every category, and he nailed this month’s Houston Open, backing Finau at 25-1. The expert has been on the money on his matchup plays and cashed in huge on Brendan Steele (80-1) as the first-round leader at the Zozo Championship. Anyone who followed McDonald’s advice has cashed in huge.

Now, McDonald has studied the 2022 Hero World Challenge field and is locking in his best bets, best value and favorites to avoid. You can head to SportsLine now to see all his PGA picks and predictions.  

Top 2022 Hero World Challenge expert picks

In one shocking pick, McDonald is fading Sam Burns (16-1) despite the 26-year-old’s performance in his debut and throughout last season. Burns won three tournaments in 2021-22, and he tied for third in his first appearance at Albany last year. But the last we saw him was at the Houston Open, where he withdrew after a first-round 77. He hit four of 13 fairways and six of 18 greens there, and his ball-striking has been off for a while now. “Burns hasn’t been the same since the summer,” McDonald says, and he has finished in the top-10 just once since June.   

On the flip side, this is a ball-striker’s course, and there are plenty of great ones in the field, but Rahm is probably the best. He won the DP World Tour Championship two weeks ago, his second European victory since the 2021-22 PGA Tour season ended. He has finished in the top in two other tournaments since then, and the world’s fifth-ranked golfers seems primed to make a run at a return to No. 1. The Spaniard led the tour in strokes gained off the tee last season and was third in greens in regulation. He hasn’t played at Albany since he was the runner-up in 2019. See who else to pick at the Hero World Challenge here.      

How to make 2022 Hero World Challenge golf picks

Before this week’s PGA Tour event at Albany, McDonald has locked in his best bets for the 2022 Hero World Challenge. He is targeting an overlooked star to win who brings excellent value given his course history. The expert says this golfer is the best in the field in terms of strokes gained and should continue to excel on this seaside course. You can only find out who it is, and see the rest of McDonald’s picks and PGA Tour analysis, at SportsLine.

So which 2022 Hero World Challenge picks should you target? Which golfer brings excellent value in this stacked Hero World Challenge 2022 field? Check out the odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Patrick McDonald’s top picks for Hero World Challenge 2022, all from the expert who nailed this month’s Houston Open, and find out.

Hero World Challenge odds, field, top contenders

See full Hero World Challenge picks, predictions, best bets here
Jon Rahm 5-1
Scottie Scheffler 8-1
Tony Finau 9-1
Xander Schauffele 11-1
Justin Thomas 11-1
Viktor Hovland 12-1
Matt Fitzpatrick 12-1
Tommy Fleetwood 16-1
Sungjae Im 16-1
Cameron Young 18-1
Jordan Spieth 18-1
Tom Kim 18-1
Collin Morikawa 18-1
Sam Burns 18-1
Shane Lowry 20-1
Max Homa 25-1
Billy Horschel 30-1
Corey Conners 35-1
Tiger Woods 40-1 (withdrew due to plantar fasciitis)
Kevin Kisner 60-1

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Many golfers call it a day when
the sun sets early, and the grass gets a touch of frost. However, little do
they know (perhaps) playing golf in winter can be the most enjoyable of all the
seasons.

The fresh, clear winter mornings,
quieter courses and fabulous deals can really make it feel like you’ve hit the
jackpot.

That aside, if you’re keen on
improving your golf game, giving up completely during winter is not the way to
go about it—you really don’t want to lose your momentum.

To ensure you hit the ground running when the new season starts, check out our 9 top tips for keeping your game up to scratch when playing golf in winter.

Keep playing

Yes, it might sound obvious, but
keeping up the momentum is vital at this time of year. Everything else aside,
you’ll improve your skill by testing yourself when playing conditions are at
their most trying.

You’ll learn to perfect a wide range of shots when you’re braving the elements, whether it’s the low punch into the January wind or the runner that scampers across a frozen fairway to find an icy winter green.  

After all, these shots will stand you in good stead when the milder weather returns. While you’re here, reading Bernard Gallacher’s top tips for playing golf in the rain might also be useful.

Wear the right winter golf clothes

Playing your best golf requires
feeling comfortable in what you’re wearing. Here are some of the most essential
garments to help you brave the adverse weather and keep your winter golf game the
best it can be.

• Wet weather gloves – keeping your hands warm and dry is essential when playing golf in winter. These gloves are a great purchase because the wetter they get, the firmer the grip, making holding your clubs a lot easier
• Efficient base layer – wearing layers upon layers is likely to limit your movement, particularly your swing. But at the same time, you don’t want your body to stiffen up in the cold. That’s why a thin base layer is the way forward
• Thermal socks – wearing more than one pair of socks, or a thick pair of winter socks, is likely to make all the difference to your body temperature

Related: What to wear to golf in cold weather

Have the correct equipment

Playing golf in winter comes with
unpredictability, so having the necessary equipment to tackle a range of
climates—from wind and rain to frost—is essential.

Here are a few things that will
make your golf more enjoyable this winter…

• Purchase some winter wheels – winter wheels pick up less mud, making them easier to move, and they’ll also cause less damage to the ground. However, ditch the golf buggy and carry your bag instead if you can. The course will thank you for it, and you’ll be a lot warmer
• Use a high-vis yellow ball – they’re a lot easier to spot on icy courses
• Add loft to your driver – your ball simply won’t roll as much when the ground is boggy and soft. Adding loft to your driver will add more carry and distance
• Umbrella – come rain, sleet or snow, a good-sized umbrella will ensure you stay dry and protect your bag when you’re taking a shot

Keep your golf balls warm

Sounds daft, right? However, it’s
believed that for every ten degrees the temperature drops, a golf ball will
carry two yards shorter. If this is indeed the case, you’ll want to keep your
golf balls toasty on the course. Keep them in your pocket as much as possible, and
even throw a hand warmer in there for extra measure.

Having said that, the construction of certain balls makes them ideal for cold weather. Check out this article to find out which golf balls hold up best in winter and why.

Make the most of the driving range

We’re all guilty of making
excuses for not going outside much in the cold winter months. It’s definitely
easier to head down to a covered (and sometimes heated) driving range for your
golf, too.

Visit the driving range as often
as possible during winter and work out a practice routine that works for you—don’t
just bludgeon balls wildly without an objective in mind. Pick a flag or other
spot to aim at and work your way through the clubs, hitting different types of
shots.

Related: 7 driving range tips to improve shot consistency

Take lessons

Whether at the driving range,
down at your club’s practice area, or on a deserted winter course (AKA the
dream), a series of lessons throughout the off-season could make all the
difference to your golfing fortunes come spring.

Winter is the perfect time to
make changes to your game—you don’t want to make major alterations when
competitions are just around the corner.

If you’re unsure where to turn, a simple Google search like “golf lessons near me” will do the trick.

Use a golf simulator

Golf simulators are a great way
to help your game if you prefer practising indoors when it’s cold out. Although
indoor simulators aren’t great for putting, they’re fantastic for driving and
iron shots.

Related: The top 7 golf simulators on the market

Buy a net

If you have enough
space, it might also be an option to buy your own golf net so you can practise
in the comfort of your own home.

Some of the best nets on the market include The Net Return Golf Practice Net, which automatically returns the ball to you, and the IZZO Golf Tri-Daddy Golf Hitting Net—check them out!

Read and watch

It’s amazing how
much you can learn about golf without actually swinging a club or hitting a
ball. Winter and the Christmas holidays, in particular, are a perfect time to
swot up, and many instructional books might strike a chord or spark a thought
that could change your game.

Why not add one
to your Christmas list?

If not,
re-watching golf tournaments and YouTube videos are also good ways of picking
up on bits and bobs during the off-season.

Related: 14 books every self-respecting golfer should read

Specialist golf insurance with Golf Care

Not letting the weather put pay to your golf? You might also want to consider protecting yourself with specialist golf insurance before heading out for a spot of winter golf.

With Golf Care, policies include Equipment cover up to £7,500, Public Liability up to £10m and much more. Cover is also underpinned by the ‘Ripe Guarantee’, which guarantees great cover and service to match at an affordable price.

Click on the
banner below to learn more about specialist golf insurance with Golf Care.

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