On January 14, the world’s top golfers will converge at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu for the 2016 staging of the Sony Open in Hawaii. A total of $5.8 million is at stake for the 140-man field, with the winner grabbing a cool $1.044 million.
[sc:PGA15-250 ]Read on below as we list down three high-value sleepers who we think can take home the championship this weekend. While you’re at it, you can check out our in-depth breakdown of the 2016 Sony Open in Hawaii here.
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2016 Sony Open in Hawaii Sleeper Picks and Predictions
Where: Waialae Country Club, Honolulu
When: January 14-17
Line: view all Sony Open in Hawaii lines
Kevin Kisner
[sc:Golf240banner ]One golfer who’s expected to contend this week is Kevin Kisner. The American has been playing some sublime golf this season, already posting three top-10 finishes this campaign.
Kisner finished solo second at the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament before going one better with a victory in the RSM Classic last November. He continued his excellent form in the recently-concluded Hyundai Tournament of Champions, firing a 16-under-par total of 276 to finish in ninth place.
Key to Kisner’s resurgence this season has been his deadly accuracy off the tee. He is 32nd in the PGA Tour in driving accuracy percentage, with a solid 70.77 percent clip. That will come in handy when tackling the narrow fairways of the Waialae course. If he can regularly find the fairways this week, chances are Kisner will further lower his 69.761 scoring average this season.
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Charles Howell III
Looking for a great sleeper this week? How about Charles Howell III? Yes, it has been nine years since Howell last won in the PGA Tour, but he has an excellent chance of ending that barren run this week at the Sony Open. He’s an incredible 14-for-14 here at the Sony Open, with half of those 14 made cuts resulting in a top-five finish.
If that wasn’t enough, Howell is also starting to rediscover the form that made him one of the best golfers in the world. He has recorded three-straight top 25 outings, including a pair of top 10 finishes in his last three starts. With the form that he is in right now and his experience with this Waialae course, expect Howell to post some red numbers this week.
Russell Knox
One golfer who can definitely make a run at the title this week is Russell Knox. He has been on fire to start the season, grabbing the victory in the WGC-HSBC Championship and notching a runner-up finish in the OHL Classic last November.
He will look to carry that excellent form in the Sony Open this week, the site of his 13th-place showing a year ago. For Knox to capture the second tournament win of his career, he needs to continue his excellent play with his short game. He is sixth in the PGA Tour in greens-in-regulation percentage with an 81.82 percent clip this season. That will be a major weapon when dealing with the nooks and crannies of this 7,044-yard, par-70 Waialae golf course.
