The 2026 Sony Open tees off the opening of the new PGA Tour season, with 120 golfers set to compete in this field. A traditional cut line will be enforced after the first two rounds conclude on this par 70 track.
Despite being a relatively short course, with only two par 5s, ball-striking and putting are two different ways to succeed at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawai’i. Located on the island of Oahu, coastal winds will be the primary obstacle, along with Bermudagrass greens that measure over 7,100 square feet.
We’re diving into the DFS betting markets on DraftKings and FanDuel ahead of Round 1 at the Sony Open. I’ve categorized my top golfers to insert into lineups across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 value based on salary and upside.
Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more PGA analysis and free picks throughout the 2026 PGA Tour season.
PGA DFS: Top Golfers (2026 Sony Open)
DraftKings Salary: $50,000 | FanDuel Salary: $60,000
The 2026 Sony Open tees off the opening of the new PGA Tour season, with 120 golfers set to compete in this field. A traditional cut line will be enforced after the first two rounds conclude on this par 70 track.
Despite being a relatively short course, with only two par 5s, ball-striking and putting are two different ways to succeed at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawai’i. Located on the island of Oahu, coastal winds will be the primary obstacle, along with Bermudagrass greens that measure over 7,100 square feet.
We’re diving into the DFS betting markets on DraftKings and FanDuel ahead of Round 1 at the Sony Open. I’ve categorized my top golfers to insert into lineups across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 value based on salary and upside.
Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more PGA analysis and free picks throughout the 2026 PGA Tour season.
PGA DFS: Top Golfers (2026 Sony Open)
DraftKings Salary: $50,000 | FanDuel Salary: $60,000
TIER 1
| Golfer |
DK $ |
FD $ |
| Ben Griffin |
$10,100 |
$11,900 |
| Hideki Matsuyama |
$9,700 |
$11,600 |
Ben Griffin is the second most expensive golfer to roster in DFS contests at the Sony Open. He’s coming off a career season on the PGA Tour, securing three outright wins and 12 T10 finishes.
Griffin profiles well at Waialae based on his tee-to-green efficiency and putting prowess. Despite a T45 finish at the 2025 Sony Open, Griffin finished 2025 ranked fifth in total strokes gained. This included 22nd SG: Approach, 19th SG: Putting, 32nd GIR percentage, and 20th scrambling.
Hideki Matsuyama is a former Sony Open champion and carries a massive ceiling. The Japanese golfer is a volatile prospect who can either make or break a DFS lineup, so we’re investing in his high ceiling upside at this elevated salary.
Matsuyama averaged 72.6 fantasy points per game in 2025. He ranked 24th in total strokes gained, 19th SG: Approach, and 10th for proximity and scrambling. His ball-striking and short game skillset are too enticing to pass up, even as one of the most expensive golfers in DraftKings and FanDuel DFS contests this week.
TIER 2
| Golfer |
DK $ |
FD $ |
| Kurt Kitayama |
$8,900 |
$10,200 |
| Aaron Rai |
$8,200 |
$9,900 |
In Tier 2, we’re going to target Kurt Kitayama and Aaron Rai. Kitayama carded a T37 finish at the 2025 Sony Open, going 3-under-par or better in two of four rounds.
In 2025, Kitayama had a bounce-back campaign, recording four T10 finishes and an outright win. He managed to rank 12th SG: Off-the-Tee, 32nd SG: Approach, and fifth in driving distance.
The NorCal native also ranked first in approach shots from 200+ yards and fifth in proximity. To top it off, Kitayama ranked 12th in putting average, eighth in scoring average, 16th on par 4s, and 10th in birdie average. He’s a value play on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Aaron Rai is another qualtiy ball-striker available in Tier 2. The Englishman didn’t compete at Waialae in 2025 but previously logged a pedestrian T57 finish in 2024.
So why Rai? He ranked 18th total strokes gained in 2025. 22nd SG: Off-the-Tee, 21st SG: Approach, second driving accuracy, and 18th for greens in regulation hit. This led to Rai ranking 16th on par 4s, which are plentiful at Waialae.
Putting is the glaring issue for Rai. However, his tee-to-green accuracy trumps his short game inefficiency, so let’s plug him in at a good price amongst Tier 2 golfers.
TIER 3
| Golfer |
DK $ |
FD $ |
| Alex Smalley |
$7,200 |
$9,000 |
| Austin Eckroat |
$6,900 |
$8,500 |
Alex Smalley jumps off the page amongst Tier 3 golfers at the Sony Open. In 2025, Smalley carded a T16 finish at this event, and now, he’s available to roster at an affordable salary.
Smalley finished 2025 ranked high in many key metrics. These included 19th SG: Off-the-Tee, 31st total strokes gained, 14th total driving, and 24th scrambling. The Duke graduate leveraged these skills into a 16th-ranked scoring average, fourth on par 4s, and 26th in birdie average. Smalley offers a high floor with the potential for a high ceiling performance, so insert him into lineups with confidence at a discount.
We’ll wrap up Tier 3 with Austin Eckroat. While he only logged a T42 finish at the 2025 Sony Open, he did start -9-under-par during the first two rounds.
Eckroat ranked 54th SG: Approach and 55th SG: Off-the-Tee. His inability to be a consistent putter kept Eckroat from posting a single T10 finish last season, even though he logged two outright wins in 2024.
Eckroat is a quality ball-striker who could climb the leaderboard early like he did a year ago. 31st proximity, 24th on approach shots from 200+ yards, and 25th in sand save percentage all bode well for Eckroat this week. If he can fine-tune his putting, expect quality production from a cheap prospect like Eckroat in DFS lineups at Waialae.
Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for BettingPros and FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.
