Cameron Smith will try to keep things lined up perfectly this week when the PGA Tour heads to Honolulu for the 2022 Sony Open, which tees off Thursday. Smith won the event at Waialae Country Club in 2020, and he just happens to be coming off shooting a PGA Tour-record 34-under last week. He beat world No. 1 Jon Rahm by one stroke for his fourth PGA Tour victory, though two of those were team titles in New Orleans. Many stars from last week are skipping this one, and Caesars Sportsbook lists Smith as the 10-1 favorite in its latest 2022 Sony Open in Hawaii golf odds. Webb Simpson (16-1) and Sungjae Im (16-1) are among the other top contenders in the 2022 Sony Open field, which also includes Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama (18-1) and defending champion Kevin Na (30-1).
Can Na repeat like Jimmy Walker did in 2014-15 and make a huge impact on your 2022 Sony Open Fantasy golf picks? Or will another long shot like Abraham Ancer (35-1) or Talor Gooch (35-1) make a run at the victory? 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
Smith has been locked in for months now, and Gates is locking him in this week in Honolulu. The Australian has finished in the top five in four of his last eight tournaments dating to last season and has another top-10 among those. He is sixth in greens in regulation (77.08 percent) and fourth in strokes gained putting this season, which is a tough combination to beat. He has shot 68 or better in 12 of his 16 rounds, and Gates sees no reason for any regression this week.
On the other hand, Simpson has been trending in the other direction, and Gates is fading him this week. The one-time No. 4 player in the world has two top-10 finishes in his last 13 outings. In his most recent tournament, the World Challenge more than a month ago, he shot three rounds in the 70s to close it out. He is down to 29th in the world, and while his last top-five finish was at this event a year ago, his lack of distance of the tee appears to be catching up to him.
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.
