After what felt like the longest two months of winter, plus an extra week with the cancellation of The Sentry, the PGA Tour is finally getting its 2026 season started with the Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae.
This year's event feels bittersweet, as rumors continue to swirl about the potential demise of the Hawaii swing in Brian Rolapp's version of the PGA Tour, which is a bit ironic that the man coming from a league focused on occupying more game weeks and gamedays throughout the year seems bent on contracting the schedule of the professional sport he now runs.
Regardless if this year will be the last time we see Waialae on the PGA Tour, the tournament sets up to be a great one to get the season started. Because of the cancellation at Kapalua, some more big names have made their way into the Sony Open field this week. It's also the first event for the new Q-School graduates and those who qualified from the DP World Tour, showcasing a new crop of PGA Tour-level talent.
Waialae as a course is not necessarily a bomber's paradise, typically favoring more accuracy-focused playing styles. This will be needed especially this week, with the winds being predicted around Honolulu. Strong iron play and the ability to score around the greens, be it through strong scrambling or rolling in putts, are tantamount to a successful week on O'ahu. After a strong season last year with the rankings, let's wipe the slate clean and start 2026 off with a bang.
Honorable Mentions: Dan Brown, Keegan Bradley, Nico Echavarria, Johnny Keefer, Taylor Pendrith
9. Vijay Singh
To start the year, I'm completely punting the first spot in the rankings to talk about the absurdity of the career money exemption. For those who haven't heard, 62-year old Vijay Singh is cashing in on his exemption to gain full status on the PGA Tour for this season, a tour he has not been a full-time member of since 2016.
The career money exemption rule stipulates that any golfer in the top 50 of the career earnings list on the PGA Tour that have lost status can regain full status for any season of their choice (Singh currently ranks sixth all-time). In a world where the Tour seems to be looking to limit card-earning opportunities with moves like chopping full-status down to 100 from 125, letting this exemption stand continues to showcase the PGA Tour as an unserious organization.
If the PGA Tour wants to be taken seriously as a professional sport, these kinds of exemptions need to go away. It makes complete sense that someone like Singh, who has taken the Tour to court in the past, is utilizing this rule.
I'm sure the Big Fijian doesn't mean to be the figurehead of a movement against this insane exemption, but part of him must get a kick out of making a mockery of PGA Tour bylaws. I hope Vijay plays well. I think that would be really cool to see, but no one should be able to just decide on a whim that they'll be a full-time member of the Tour because they feel like it.
8. Brian Campbell
Back to our regularly scheduled programming, let's talk about someone who might actually win this week. The shortest man on Tour, Brian Campbell is looking to build upon a 2025 that saw him win twice on Tour. That's more than Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Robert MacIntyre, and Xander Schauffele had combined.
Campbell did start the Sony Open last season, but withdrew after a first-round 67 due to illness. If he had played the whole tournament, I think he would have ended up having a strong finish at Waialae, backing up strong iron play with solid putting. His driving accuracy and short game play well here, and if he has a good week with the irons, we could be looking at the champion.
7. Ryan Gerard
Maybe the coolest story that came out of the offseason was Ryan Gerard earning his invite to The Masters by flying to Mauritius to play in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, knowing he needed a top-four finish, and getting into a playoff with eventual winner Jayden Schaper to finish solo second.
If that was me, I know for sure the high from pulling off that gamble definitely would not have worn off by now, and I think Gerard will still be feeling high going into Sony. If he could consistently putt well, the 26-year-old would be much more of a force on Tour.
This pick is a hope that he finds it with the putter this week; it will either work out really well or he'll miss the cut. Either way, keep an eye on Ryan Gerard in 2026.
6. Hideki Matsuyama
I don't think Hideki Matsuyama is the world-beater he once was, and I'm really keeping my expectations for him low this year across both the PGA Tour and TGL. However, he likes playing in Hawaii, and he is coming off of a win at the Hero World Challenge where he looked the best he's looked in a while.
If he carries over the short game he showcased at Albany during the Hero, then Matsuyama could potentially run away with the tournament. I just wish he were a tiny bit more reliable, because then he would be much higher on the list.
5. Harry Hall
You know what helps win tournaments? Making birdies. You know who had the third-highest average of birdies per round on Tour last year? Harry Hall.
Now, Hall's success is built almost entirely upon his putter, and if it starts to go cold on him, then we won't be seeing his name on too many leaderboards. That being said, Hall put in a strong performance at Waialae last year, finishing T10 with a negative performance from his irons.
The Englishman's irons had started to become a stronger part of his game in the second half of last season, and if he's able to continue that trend, then Harry Hall should be able to make some noise come Sunday.
4. Collin Morikawa
I'm still very low on Collin Morikawa, and I think that he should not have been picked for Bethpage. It's been over two years since he won on Tour, and last year's caddie shenanigans were an unnecessary circus that definitely clouded his head. If there's one place on this planet where Morikawa can get right, it's Hawaii.
The 28-year-old has never finished outside of the top 25 in any event he's played in in the Aloha State, clearly taking advantage of the receptiveness of the greens with his strong iron play. Collin Morikawa can still be great, and if he's able to get right this week, then 2026 might be a strong turnaround for the lost star.
3. Ben Griffin
The Ben Griffin who came to Waialae in the past and the Ben Griffin that will be there this week are two different players. Griffin is one of the top talents in golf right now, coming off of a well-deserved break from his three-win 2025.
He hasn't had a below-average tournament with his irons since May, and his all-around game has maintained at a high level. 2025 may have been the breakout for Ben Griffin, but 2026 may be the true establishment of the 29-year-old as a true star in the game.
2. J.J. Spaun
After his U.S. Open win, I expected J.J. Spaun to slow down and coast his way through the rest of 2025, but he just kept playing well. In his nine starts after Oakmont in 2025, he finished in the top 25 in eight of them, his one blemish being a missed cut at the Scottish Open.
It seems like Spaun's game achieved a much higher floor last year, and it all got started with a T3 at this very event. The 35-year old is an excellent iron player, and as we saw last June, he can beat anyone when the putter is rolling. I don't think his 2026 will quite match his 2025, but I think J.J. Spaun is plenty capable of winning a couple of events, including this week.
1. Russell Henley
A past champion of this event, Russell Henley has a game that feels tailor-made for Waialae. He isn't the longest off the tee, but he can keep it in the fairway, he has some of the best approach numbers on Tour, and his short game can clean up any mess he might make.
Also having a hot stretch to end his 2025, Henley seems to be fully on the other side of the bouts with inconsistency that plagued the early stages of his PGA Tour career. Seemingly reaching the peak of his powers at age 36, Henley fits a more classic archetype of professional golfer, where they didn't fully reach their peaks until their mid-to-late 30's, not like all of the red-hot 20-somethings that have dominated the Tour in recent years.
Don't be surprised by Russell Henley consistently being one of the top players on Tour this season.