Sleeper Picks: Sony Open

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Note: Beginning in 2012, fantasy expert Rob Bolton will provide his list of sleeper picks for every tournament. This week, he focuses on the first full-field event of the 2012 PGA TOUR season.

Briny Baird His playoff loss at the Frys.com Open in October propelled him into the top 125 in earnings and a renewal of his fully exempt status after one year on conditional. He's been one of the more consistent drivers off the tee, ranking 17th in 2011, and has worn out greens with his irons his entire career. In 10 starts at Waialae, he has four top 15s including a T12 in his last appearance in 2010.

Billy Hurley III It would be tough for anyone to top a successful week by the PGA TOUR rookie in Honolulu where he was stationed for part of a five-year obligation in the Navy. But this isn't a sentimental nod. In fact, he matches up exceptionally well with Waialae. He'll never overpower a track but he won't need to this week, instead relying on his accuracy off the tee and scrambling; he ranked eighth and fourth, respectively, in those two splits on the Nationwide Tour in 2011.

George McNeill Fully exempt again after an efficient 2011 that featured four top 10s including a pair of runner-up finishes. He's been too inconsistent since his rookie year of 2007 to pigeonhole in the stat book but his track record at Waialae has been relatively steady -- three top 20s in four starts including a T7 in 2009.

Stephen Ames First appearance since 2010. In seven appearances at Waialae, he has five top-16 finishes, three of which are top 10s. Ranked 22nd on TOUR in fairways hit last year. Also 35th in scrambling.

Shigeki Maruyama The three-time PGA TOUR winner hasn't played in the U.S. with regularity since 2008 -- opting for a regular schedule in his native Japan -- but he's been a regular at Waialae since his first appearance in 1999. He has four top 10s including a T7 last year when he ranked second in putting and led the field in birdies. In his heyday, he was among the best in scrambling and putting.