Welcome back after a short PGA TOUR hiatus over the holiday season!
We start right back up this week in Hawaii. The event is the Hyundai Tournament of Champions where anyone who hoisted a trophy in the 2015 calendar year is invited to come vacation compete.
The course is Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course and it stretches out past 7,400 yards so its long but the hilly terrain and hole-by-hole design help it play a little shorter than the yardage book would have you believe. The venue has no protection from the coastal winds so they WILL play a factor. Give a look at the Wind Specialists and the entire Hyundai Fantasy Golfanac for more quotes and course details.
Check out my Searching for a Specialist article over at RotoGrinders for some deeper analysis.
Players to Watch
Jordan Spieth… The Golden Child claims his wedge game was average last year. Don’t let his modesty fool you. He is nearly elite with every club in the bag and that makes him a top option every week. After finishing runner-up here in 2014, I think another podium is in the cards this week.
Dustin Johnson… Looking at notable wind specialists from the link above, DJ stands out as he’s gained 2.247 strokes over the field during rounds where the wind has picked up over 14 mph. It’s no wonder he won the weather-shortened 2013 playing of this event. The guy handles the elements with the best of em.
Bubba Watson… While DJ is laidback and handles any element thrown at him, Bubba is kind of the opposite. Completely uptight while on the course and really throws a hissy fit anytime something doesn’t go his way. If the wind doesn’t pick up this week then Bubba could really scorch this course. That’s a big IF though, so I think we will have to settle for a top 15 instead.
Patrick Reed… Just might be the hottest golfer on the planet right now. Not his physical hotness (unless you’re really into that #dadBodLife but his form is what we’re looking at. Six straight top 10s, internationally as he arrives back on U.S. soil. Oh yeah, also the defending champ.
Emiliano Grillo… I’m not all-in this week, but I am very interested to see his performance against this elite field. Grillo is one of my favorite up-and-comers and I think if he puts out a top 10 this week then he’s safe to roll out anywhere moving forward.
Kevin Kisner… The Kiz has the game where he can pepper flagsticks on any course. This week’s course will make that even easier. He doesn’t have the same length as some of the big boys so he will need the wind to be somewhat cooperative this week. Other than that, he should be hitting GIRs at an incredible rate this week.
Brandt Snedeker… The Sneds never has the sexiest of stats but he’s just a winner. He should bounce back in 2016 now that he’s had time to rest up and take care of that hip that bothered him over the summer. I’m expecting big things to come for Sneeeedeker.
Brooks Koepka… New Nike sticks in the bag. Has to feel great about the new clubs to make that switch after his breakout season. There could be an initial in-tournament learning curve though. Same goes for guys like Zach Johnson, Chris Kirk, and James Hahn who are all debuting their PXG clubs this week.
Jason Day… Has been inactive for 14 weeks now. He’s world-class obviously and able to come out and win this thing regardless of his last tee time. That rust factor is still enough to knock him down my rankings though.
Hyundai TOC Cheatsheet… Head over to Daily Fantasy Solutions and grab this week’s DraftKings cheatsheet for just five bucks. This includes guys that fit the stat profile, golfers that are in good form, course history, recommended cash game targets and more! I love hearing about the success people are having with the weekly DraftKings cheatsheet so check it out!
Top 25 for the 2016 Hyundai TOCc
1. Jordan Spieth
2. Dustin Johnson
3. Bubba Watson
4. Jimmy Walker
5. Patrick Reed
6. Jason Day
7. Zach Johnson
8. Rickie Fowler
9. Justin Thomas
10. Brooks Koepka
11. Russell Knox
12. Brandt Snedeker
13. Emiliano Grillo
14. Brandt Snedeker
15. Scott Piercy
16. Graeme Mcdowell
17. Kevin Kisner
18. J.B. Holmes
19. Chris Kirk
20. Alex Cejka
21. Smylie Kaufman
22. James Hahn
23. David Lingmerth
24. Steven Bowditch
25. Peter Malnati