Sony Open: Top 10 power rankings at Waialae Country Club

10 of 11

HONOLULU, HI – JANUARY 16: Webb Simpson talks to his caddie Paul Tesori during the third round of the Sony Open In Hawaii at Waialae Country Club on January 16, 2016 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

Webb Simpson finished T-13 at the Sony Open every year from 2015 to 2017. We all know him as a consistent player, but damn. All in all, these are pretty good results. Mix in two more top-10s at this event (T-9 in 2009, T-4 in 2018) and you’ve got a case that Simpson’s due for a win at Waialae. He shot 63-65 on the weekend in 2018 to fall just two shy of a big-time comeback.

This course sets up well for a shorter, more methodical player like Simpson.

The Wake Forest grad ranked 44th in driving accuracy (66.82%) last season but was only 145th in distance (288.6). His short game is world-class, ranking11th (.608) in strokes gained putting and 28th (.294) in SG around the greens. He’s also a menace inside 150 yards, particularly from 125-150 (23rd, 21’5″), which will be a common approach yardage this week.

Simpson last teed it up for the American side at the Presidents Cup. He finished 1-3, but I cut him some slack for having to babysit a struggling Patrick Reed in three sessions. Simpson won his singles match 2&1 against Byeong-hun An.

Simpson had a great fall slate. The 34-year-old finished T-7 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, a solo second at the RSM Classic and T-10 at the Hero World Challenge.

Look for some of these top-10s (eight in 2019) to convert into wins sooner or later.

Home/Golf Power Rankings