The Loop
Can Jimmy Walker make it a hat trick at the Sony Open?
You might not remember who won the Sony Open last year, but there's a pretty good chance you remember the player who was allegedly kidnapped. Yep, Robert Allenby is back in Hawaii and we're guessing he and other tour pros will be a bit more careful at the local wine bars this week. Unfortunately, that incident overshadowed one of the most dominant performances in PGA Tour history as Jimmy Walker blew away the field by nine shots, one better than what Jordan Spieth did last week in Kapalua. Can he make it a third straight victory at Waialae CC? Here's who we're taking on our PGA Tour Fantasy Golf squad this week:
Jimmy Walker: Why overthink it? Walker is the two-time defending Sony champ, including that nine-shot romp at Waialae last year. The man knows how to work a lei.
Justin Thomas: We know how much JT wants to be a part of a winning Ryder Cup team and this might be the perfect spot to help earn his spot on the squad. Thomas fired a 61 here in the second round last year to grab the 36-hole lead. He fizzled over the weekend to a T-6, but we're expecting a similar result in his second trip to Waialae.
THE GRIND: Golf-themed bar crawls and Holly Sonders' sizzling shoot
Brandt Snedeker: The streaky Sneds finished T-3 at Kapalua, and more importantly was second in strokes gained/putting. We've seen him get on early-season runs before and there's no reason he can't this year if his biggest weapon is working like that.
Kevin Na: We're still not sure how Na didn't win in the fall when he had a string of three straight top-three finishes. Now, Na is back and at a course where he has three career top 10s.
__ Bench:__ Matt Kuchar and Ryan Palmer.
And for those of you playing other fantasy golf formats:
Yahoo! lineup: Justin Thomas, Brandt Snedeker, Jimmy Walker, Kevin Na (starters); Tony Finau, Ryan Palmer, Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell (bench).
Knockout/One-and-done pick: Justin Thomas.
Previously used: Tony Finau (Frys.com), Kevin Kisner (RSM - winner!), Anirban Lahiri (CIMB), Graeme McDowell (Hyundai), Patrick Reed (HSBC), Patrick Rodgers (Shriners), Brendan Steele (OHL).