Sony Open in Hawaii Power Rankings

We have Matt Kuchar at the top of the power rankings for the full-field Sony Open in Hawaii.

The ongoing Hyundai Tournament of Champions is the PGA Tour’s first official event following the six-week end-of-year break. However, with just 32 players in the field, it can hardly be called opening day for much of the circuit’s rank-and-file. That honor will instead fall to next week’s Sony Open in Hawaii, where 140 players will vie for the second trophy of 2016.

The event, held annually at the beginning of the schedule since 1971, has been contested at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu since its inception. On tour, the course’s signature quirk is the switching of the two nines: instead of finishing on 18, players must face the dogleg ninth hole before heading to the clubhouse.

Since 2014, this event has been dominated by one man in particular: Jimmy Walker. The Oklahoma native has taken the event in each of the past two years, last year by a ridiculous margin of nine strokes. It will be fascinating to see if he can three-peat–if he does, he’d become the first person to pull off the feat since Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic from 2009 through 2011. To be sure, Walker is just one man in a field of 140, but after last year’s rout, he definitely figures to be among the frontrunners.

Speaking of frontrunners, let’s go ten deep. Here are the best bets for success at this year’s Sony Open.

Next: Meet the 2016 LPGA Rookie Class

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