Best Sony Open Picks for One and Done Pools (2026)

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from PoolGenius, whose subscribers have reported more than $10 million in pool winnings across all sports using their tools.

One and Done Picks for the Sony Open are now live, and this is one of those weeks that feels simple until you actually have to commit.

The Sony Open purse is $9.1M, with about $1.57M to the winner, which puts it below average compared to what you’ll see later in the season. That matters in Golf One and Done pools, because you’re not just picking a golfer who can contend. You’re picking a golfer you will not miss when the bigger purse events show up.

Sony Open One and Done Picks: Avoid the Trap

Before we get into names, you need to understand the trap this event creates.

The Sony Open is a lower-purse week in the grand scheme of a One and Done season, which means it’s often not the best time to burn a golfer you expect to want later. 

A lot of players make the same mistake here. They see a golfer with great win odds, plug him in, and then realize two months later they spent a premium asset on a week that didn’t really demand it.

The hard part is that it’s not always obvious in the moment. The win odds matter, course history matters, and plenty of great golfers can win at Waialae. But One and Done is a timing game, and this is one of the first spots where timing matters.

How to Know Which Golfers to Use or Save?

In a normal week, most people talk themselves into one of the outright favorites and move on. In One and Done, that’s how you end up stuck later in the season with a thin inventory when the money spikes.

What you really need is context: 

• How big is your pool? 
• Is your pool top-heavy, or does it pay down the standings? 
• How many events does your pool include? 
• Are there segment prizes to compete for? 

Those details completely change what “best pick” means on a weekly basis.

That’s why the use vs. save decision is so tricky early on. You have limited information on how the season will unfold, but you’re already spending one-time assets.

Get Pick Grades Customized to Your One and Done Pool

PoolGenius built a Golf One and Done Picks Optimizer to make the recurring “use vs. save” question easier to answer. 

The tool pulls the key inputs into one place, then turns them into weekly pick grades and a season-long plan tailored to your specific pool context.

It’s not just a list of good golfers. It’s built to help you maximize expected value, taking into account factors like:

• Your pool size and scoring setup
• Purse size and the future value savings for certain golfers
• Win odds, recent form indicators, strokes gained trends, and course fit
• Projected pick popularity, so you can understand chalk and leverage

Try it out today ahead of the Sony Open for free. 

PoolGenius Golf One and Done Picks Tool >>

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What the Tool Shows for Sony Open One and Done Picks

First off, you can see it for yourself with the free trial. No credit card required.

The key thing is that the tool is not one-size-fits-all. Your output changes based on your pool settings. If your pool is small, conservative plays tend to grade better. If your pool is huge, leverage and popularity matter more. If your pool includes fewer events, the “save” logic changes. Even the number of entries you’re managing can shift how you approach the early weeks.

That’s the point. The Sony Open pick that’s optimal for one person can be a mistake for someone else, even if they’re looking at the same odds board.

Sony Open Golf One and Done Pick Advice

With that said, for standard One and Done pools that cover roughly 31 events and have more than 100 to 200 players, the general strategy usually looks like this.

A smart starting point is saving the very top of the board. Russell Henley, J.J. Spaun, and Ben Griffin all look great (in terms of win odds), but they’re also the type of golfers you’re very likely to want later when purses jump and one pick carries more leverage. 

In a standard season, more than half of the tournaments pay more than the Sony Open. So even if one of those top names is a strong win candidate here, you still have to ask whether this is the right week to spend them. In many pool setups, it can be wise to look elsewhere.

Four Alternative Picks to the Top Tier

Keegan Bradley is the closest thing to chalk, but not at a prohibitive level, and he’s finished 6th and 2nd here the last two years. If you want a steady Week 1 start without getting overly cute, he fits. 

Si Woo Kim is a past champion at Waialae with real win equity and usually less “save him for later” pressure than the biggest names, which makes the upside easier to justify. 

Collin Morikawa has lower projected popularity and more of a swing since he hasn’t played this event recently, but he’s viable if you think he’s due for a bounce-back and you can live with some future value risk. 

Maverick McNealy is a strong “fits this week” option too, good enough to contend, and usually not someone you feel forced to reserve for the biggest purse events later, which makes him easier to use at Sony.

Get Your Golf One and Done Cheat Sheet Now

PoolGenius is built to make One and Done simpler, faster, and more structured.

Enter your pool details, and the optimizer will guide your weekly picks while the season planner helps you see the downstream impact of using a golfer now versus saving him for later. 

You can follow the top grades straight up, or use the planner and pick popularity views to decide when to ride chalk and when to pivot for leverage.

The biggest edge is clarity. You can see the value of each week, the value of each golfer, and how your pick fits into the season instead of treating every tournament like it exists in a vacuum.

Grab your free trial today. No credit card required. 

PoolGenius Golf One and Done Picks Tool >>

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Pictured: Keegan Bradley
Photo Credit: Imagn