To begin the 2026 season, the PGA TOUR is hosting the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club (par 70, 7,044 yards, Bermuda greens). No other venue has hosted the Sony Open since the event’s inception in 1964, and Nick Taylor (-16) is the defending champion after beating Nico Echavarria in a playoff last season. There will be 120 players competing this week, with a top 65 and ties cut following the first two rounds.
The PGA DFS Breakdown offers data-driven analysis for each week’s slate, using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics to highlight notable golfers.
I’ll be highlighting the best cash game/single-entry plays on the DraftKings main slate, but these players are often great options in any contest.
My analysis will frequently reference Strokes Gained, a set of proprietary metrics generated by the PGA TOUR using millions of data points to calculate how many shots, on average, it takes a player to get the ball in the hole from every distance and situation.
Strokes Gained is now available in the FantasyLabs PGA Models.
There are a variety of Strokes Gained-related metrics, but the six main categories you need to know include:
- Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG: Off-the-Tee)
- Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: Approach)
- Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG: Around-the-Green)
- Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: Putting)
- Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking (SG: Ball-Striking), which is SG: Off-the-Tee + SG: Approach
- Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG: Tee-to-Green), which is SG: Ball-Striking + SG: Around-the-Green
Don’t forget to check out two key metrics in our models — Perfect% and SimLeverage. You can find an explainer on those metrics here.
The Cliffs Notes version is that you can use SimLeverage to quickly find leverage plays in tournaments, while Perfect% is great for finding the best price-considered plays for cash games.
And don’t forget to utilize our various PGA DFS tools like our Lineup Optimizer, Lineup Builder, PGA Correlation Dashboard, and our Trends tool.
The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.
PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts
DraftKings $10,000 Range
Russell Henley ($10,300)
Henley is a Bermuda greens specialist who has been very successful at Waialae CC throughout his career. In his first attempt at this course in 2013, Henley won by three strokes. The veteran also finished runner-up at Waialae CC in 2022, losing to Hideki Matsuyama in a playoff. Overall, Henley has made 10 of 13 cuts at this venue with seven finishes of T17 or better, and he ranks second in Strokes Gained per round at Waialae CC among the players in this field who have competed here more than once. All five of Henley’s wins on the PGA TOUR have come at courses with Bermuda greens, and he is a safe bet for a top-10 finish this weekend. This past season, Henley made 17 of 19 cuts and produced 10 top-10 finishes.
DraftKings $9,000 Range
Hideki Matsuyama ($9,700)
Matsuyama defeated Henley to win the 2022 Sony Open, and Matsuyama has made nine straight cuts at Waialae CC, including four top-20 finishes. The former Masters champion is coming off a win at the Hero World Challenge last month, marking his 11th straight top-30 finish worldwide. Matsuyama is a model of consistency, and this is a very reasonable price for him at Waialae CC. For this event last season, Matsuyama was the highest-priced player in the field at $11,000.
Keegan Bradley ($9,300)
Bradley has made 10 of 13 cuts at Waialae CC, and he has nearly won this event the last two seasons, finishing runner-up and T6th. Highlighted by a win at the Travelers Championship, Bradley made 19 of 21 cuts last season, and he carded 11 top-25 finishes. Bradley ranks ninth on the PGA TOUR in SG: Tee-to-Green, and he is a great high-end value at this $9,300 salary.
Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
DraftKings $8,000 Range
Corey Conners ($8,600)
Getting Conners for less than $9,000 feels like robbery this week. The Canadian has been outstanding at Waialae CC, making 6 of 7 cuts with four top-12 finishes, most notably with a T3 in 2019. Conners ranks third in Strokes Gained per round at the par 70 among the players in this field who have competed at Waialae CC more than once, and Conners is on the heels of a T7 at the Hero World Challenge last month. This past season, Conners was one of the most consistent players on the PGA TOUR, missing only one cut in 21 starts and carding 12 top-25 finishes.
Brian Harman ($8,000)
You can’t go wrong with Harman at this low salary, which is the cheapest he has been for a Sony Open in four years. Harman made 20 of 24 cuts with 10 top-25 finishes last season – including a win at the Valero Texas Open – and he has advanced to the weekend in 12 of his last 13 starts at Waialae CC, six of which were top-25 results.
Updated on 1/13/26
DraftKings $7,000 Range
Mac Meissner ($7,500)
Meissner finished T21st in his Sony Open debut last year, and he closed last season playing the best golf of his career. Meissner made his final seven cuts of the season, and six of these finishes were results of T27th or better, including a runner-up finish at the Wyndham Championship in July. Meissner has nearly moved himself up 100 spots in the world golf rankings during this cut streak, and he ranks fourth in Total Strokes Gained when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds. Meissner is a player who is likely to take a big step forward this season, and he is an elite value at this $7,500 salary.
Matthew McCarty ($7,500)
McCarty finished a mediocre T65th in his first attempt at Waialae CC last season, but it’s safe to expect a much better result from him this week. McCarty finished last season in great form, making eight of his final 11 cuts. The 28-year-old produced six top-25 finishes during this span, and the best finish of the group was a T3rd at the Bank of Utah Championship in his most recent start. McCarty led his field in SG: Putting that week, and he ranks fourth in Total Strokes Gained when we analyze this field’s last 24 rounds.
Seamus Power ($7,100)
Power is one of the top values of the week at this low price tag. The Irishman finished T3rd at the 2022 Sony Open, and he has made 4 of 6 cuts at this tournament. As for his current form, Power has only missed one cut in his last 10 starts, most recently with a T7 at the RSM Classic in November, which was the third event in a row that he has gained strokes on approach at.
DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range
William Mouw ($6,900)
Mouw missed the cut in his first start at a Sony Open last season, but since then, he has secured his first PGA TOUR win, which came at the ISCO Championship in July, and he has moved himself up 52 spots in the world golf rankings. Including that victory, Mouw has made seven cuts and produced four top-25 finishes in his last nine starts. Mouw ranks 33rd in par-4 performance on the PGA TOUR, and his expertise in this department bodes well for Waialae CC, which is a standard par 70 that features 12 par 4s. Of the last five Sony Open winners, four have finished the event in the top 10 in par-4 efficiency.
Austin Eckroat ($6,800)
Including a T12 in his debut, Eckroat has made 2 of 3 cuts at Waialae CC, and he returns to the coastal venue this week as the maker of 13 of his last 15 cuts. Eckroat finished T41st at the RSM Classic his last time out, and he closed this event with a 7-under 63 at the Seaside Course. Eckroat gained strokes with both his irons and putter that week, and looking to carry this momentum over to Waialae CC, Eckroat is a strong, cheap target that should at least make the cut this week.
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Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.
Pictured: Russell Henley
Photo credit: Imagn
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