The PGA Tour’s swing through Hawaii wraps up this week when the 2022 Sony Open tees off Thursday at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Some of the big names from last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua are taking the week off, but not winner Cameron Smith. The Australian shot a final-round 65 in Maui to go a PGA-record 34-under par and win by one stroke. Smith moved into the top 10 in the world rankings, and he won this event two years ago. Caesars Sportsbook lists Smith as the 10-1 favorite in its latest 2022 Sony Open in Hawaii golf odds. Among the other top contenders in the 2022 Sony Open field include Webb Simpson (16-1), Sungjae Im (16-1) and Hideki Matsuyama (18-1).
Can Smith, who has three top-10 finishes in four events, stay hot in Honolulu? Or will defending champion Kevin Na (30-1) make a run and be a better option for your 2022 Sony Open Fantasy golf picks? Before you lock in any Fantasy golf lineups, picks or bets for the 2022 Sony Open, be sure to check out the Fantasy golf projections and DFS lineup advice from fantasy expert Riley Gates.
Gates nailed his picks for last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions, with four of his top seven posting top-five finishes. That included Smith and runner-up Jon Rahm, as well as Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa, who ended in a three-way tie for fifth along with Daniel Berger.
“Smith has good value for a player who should be in the mix,” Gates told SportsLine before the event in Maui. The 28-year-old went toe-to-toe with world No. 1 Rahm and held off the challenge to get his fourth Tour victory.
The expert also was on a roll on his picks during the fall season. At the Hero World Challenge, again four of his top seven finished in the top five, including winner Viktor Hovland. And at the Houston Open, seven of his picks finished in the top 20, led by Scottie Scheffler, who tied for second. The previous week at the World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico, five of Gates’ top six golfers finished in the top 15, including winner Hovland.
Now, Gates has ranked his top 20 golfers in the 2022 Sony Open field. You can only see his fantasy golf rankings and picks at SportsLine.
2022 Sony Open golf expert picks
This week in Honolulu, Gates is firmly behind Smith, and not just because of that dominant performance at Kapalua. The Australian was certainly impressive, but he has been playing well all season. He has been locked in on the greens, ranking sixth in greens in regulation (77.08 percent), and he has been rolling in every putt, sitting fourth in strokes gained putting. That has helped him finish in the top 10 in three of his four outings, including a T-4 at his previous event.
At the same time, Gates isn’t seeing the interest in Simpson and is fading him even though he is among the favorites. The 36-year-old has won seven times on tour and has ranked as high as fourth in the world. He is down to 29th and has finished in the top twice in his past 13 events. He missed the cut at the Shriners but finished T-8 at the RSM Classic. He followed that by shooting three rounds in the 70s at the Hero World Challenge a week later in his most recent tournament.
How to set your 2022 Sony Open golf rankings
For the event at Waialae, Gates also is backing a long-shot who comes in at well over 30-1. This player already has one top-five finish this season, and Gates believes oddsmakers should be giving him more respect. You need to take advantage of the oversight, and this golfer is a must-play for your Sony Open 2022 Fantasy golf picks. You can find out who it is, and check out all of Gates’ Sony Open picks at SportsLine.
Who wins the 2022 Sony Open at Waialae Country Club? Who are the top PGA Tour players to target for your Sony Open Fantasy picks? And which overlooked players can help you win your league this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Riley Gates’ Fantasy golf rankings for the 2022 Sony Open, all from the fantasy expert with his finger on the pulse of the game, and find out.
