Hi. How are ya? Holiday decorations stowed away? Good. Gift returns complete? Great. Driveway shoveled? Super. Let’s go to work!

Welcome, or welcome back. It continues to be my sincere pleasure to serve as your steward in the fantasy space at PGATOUR.com. This is my 17th season in the chair, so I’ve seen it all, and you won’t find a format for which I haven’t provided advice. I love what I get to do, but nothing is better than connecting with you and contributing to your quest for another league championship.

As it has for years, this website is hosting PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf. Not a season turns over without a new function or enhancement, and this one is no different.

In response to gamers who vocalized their requests via the feedback link on the website and the app, the roster deadline has been modified so that you will not absorb a zero for the totality of a tournament if you fail to save a roster before the opening round. In the primer that was published on Monday, I explained how it works and the possible strategies that could be considered by intentionally leaving a roster blank until deeper into the tournament. It’s meant as a safety net of sorts, but it also can be a deviation from the norm for the savvy. It’s always nice to have options.

The Sony Open in Hawaii opens the 2026 season. Because The Sentry was canceled, we hit Oahu running with a full field of 120 golfers. The construct of this column throughout the season will continue to include the sections familiar to loyal readers, but this year, I’ve added Future Possibilities. It will highlight notable golfers in the field of the tournament, contributing to PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, and rank all remaining tournaments in the segment for which they project to have an impact. If you used to read my One & Done previews at the tail end of the previous decade, you’ll immediately appreciate the shortcut that will aid your long-range planning. And if you play in a One & Done, it doubles as a guide for that format. You’re welcome.

Our weekly Expert Picks also returns. In addition to endorsements in betting markets, my little league of fantasy gamers will share our winners, rosters and explanations for PGA Fantasy Golf. Last year I successfully defended a title for the first time, so it’s all about the three-peat in 2026. All of the experts’ entries can be found in “PGA TOUR Experts” on the Leagues page. (The commissioner is TPCCSkaret.) Search on your own or navigate directly to it using this link.

A notable change to my preview material affects the frequency of Sleepers on the website. The first edition scheduled is for the WM Phoenix Open, but my abridged Sleepers for the Sony Open will be included in the distribution of “The Early Card” newsletter later on Tuesday. If you haven’t, you must register in advance to receive it. Subscribe here.

The page that I maintain dedicated to qualifiers for the Signature Events, THE PLAYERS Championship and the majors lives on. The first update of the new year will occur after the conclusion of the Sony Open.

If you missed it in mid-December, my full-membership fantasy ranking was published here. It includes 213 golfers with a two-page cheat sheet. All of the changes, details of status, and other numerous nuggets that apply in our world are in it.

Off-site, I launched my annual thread for Medical Extensions on my X page when the Sony field was released last Friday. I’ll add to the thread when it’s relevant.

I also ignited the weekly thread for my Rookie Ranking, also on X. This season’s opening class is just 22 deep, 20 of whom are at Waialae Country Club this week.

It goes without saying – but I’m going to say it, anyway – that none of this would be possible without your interest, need and support. If at anytime you have questions and/or requests, reach out to me publicly or privately on my X.

Captain

Russell Henley … Although he’s No. 1 in my Power Rankings, you could win an argument that it’s not definitive. So, just like that, there should be some separation in the ranks. Game on!

Other considerations

• J.J. Spaun ... He’s like an outstanding character actor whose name you know, but he’s not quite a leading man. In our world, that’s not a slight, that’s a reason to lean in. If a guy who’s found a level of comfort after figuring it out presents more as a contrarian for this role, pounce. He’s No. 2 in my Power Rankings after all.
• Hideki Matsuyama ... In full disclosure, I inadvertently omitted him from the Power Rankings when it was published, so if you don’t recall seeing him in there, please reread it. He’s No. 3. The Sony Open is one of six stops in Segment 1, where he will generate attention. For where he slots in terms of potential impact, scroll or swipe down to Future Possibilities.

Rounding out the roster

As I detailed in the Power Rankings, Waialae does not reward debutants and rookies, and in the first tournament, this is entirely about getting at least four to the weekend who have done it before. Put yourself in a position on which to build. No one wins a marathon at the one-mile mark.

My starters

• Keegan Bradley
• Russell Henley (C)
• Hideki Matsuyama
• J.J. Spaun

My bench

• Nick Taylor (1)
• Brian Harman (2)

Careful

For almost every tournament, usually an impressive subset of the field warrants avoiding, and it might be represented in my Power Rankings, which is not written in the context of any fantasy golf format. In this section, I single out those who demand a pause and why.

• Collin Morikawa ... While I believe in a rebound season because his class is permanent and no talent avoids all of the pitfalls, and while it’d surprise no one if he busts out of the gates with a silencer at Waialae, the conservative that I am requires some evidence that he’s reconnected with the kind of form that generated the highest of expectations in the first place. And if that happens, we’ll have plenty of chances to plug and play later in Segment 1.
• Tony Finau ... At last check, he was just outside the top-10 most-owned at 16 percent. Anecdotally, the majority (all?) of those gamers selected him on name alone because the tall drink of water is coming off a rough 2025 that ended without a top 30 in eight starts worldwide, and he logged only one top 10 all year. Also, he hasn’t appeared at Waialae since 2018.
• Chris Gotterup ... Another surprisingly popular target at just over 16 percent. I love him in the long-term, but he missed the cut in his debut at Waialae last year. He has many weapons, but the course takes the driver out of his hands. Wait.
• Denny McCarthy ... The 32-year-old has been bobbing around 70th in the Official World Golf Ranking for a month. Obviously, there’s nothing that he could have done about it during the holiday break, but it’s his worst value in three years. He’s four-for-four at Waialae with top 25s in the last two editions, but his game tends to play up on the hardest tracks. This one tilts in that direction in the context of the experience, but his long-term form upon arrival is uninspiring.

Future possibilities

NOTE: This section consists of notables in this week’s field for whom more than three starts may be considered in Segment 1 of PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf. Golfers committed to the tournament are listed alphabetically. Future tournaments are sorted chronologically and reflect previous success on the courses on which the tournaments will be held. The numerical values in parentheses represent the order of relative confidence of where to use each golfer if multiple tournaments are listed (e.g., “1” for strongest, “2” for next-strongest and so on). To present weighted confidence in real time, numerical values will not change throughout Segment 1, no matter how many tournaments remain listed for each golfer. All are pending the golfer's commitment.

• Keegan Bradley ... Sony (2); Farmers (3); Arnold Palmer (1)
• Corey Conners ... Sony (3); Arnold Palmer (1); PLAYERS (2)
• Ben Griffin ... American Express (1); Cognizant (2)
• Brian Harman ... Sony (1); PLAYERS (2)
• Russell Henley ... Sony (2); Cognizant (3); Arnold Palmer (1)
• Si Woo Kim ... Sony (4); WM Phoenix (2); Pebble Beach (1); PLAYERS (3)
• Robert MacIntyre ... WM Phoenix (1); Arnold Palmer (3); PLAYERS (2)
• Hideki Matsuyama ... Sony (2); Farmers (6); WM Phoenix (1); Genesis (3); Arnold Palmer (5); PLAYERS (4)
• Maverick McNealy ... WM Phoenix (1); Pebble Beach (2); Genesis (3)
• Collin Morikawa ... Pebble Beach (2); Genesis (1); Arnold Palmer (4); PLAYERS (3)
• Jordan Spieth ... WM Phoenix (1); Pebble Beach (2)

Returning to competition

• Peter Malnati ... Withdrew from the Sanderson Farms Championship in early October with a chest injury and hasn’t competed in earnest since. He landed at No. 188 in the FedExCup, but he’s fully exempt through this season via his victory at the 2024 Valspar Championship. At $282K, he comes cheap in salary formats, but don’t hold your breath at Waialae, where he missed the cut in the last four editions.

Notable WDs

• Kevin Yu ... He also opened and closed the FedExCup Fall with early exits, the latter of which cost him a chance to finish inside the Aon Next 10, but nothing has surfaced to explain the decisions. He also skipped last year’s Sony Open despite playing The Sentry the week prior, so try not to read too much in between the lines. Take it one week at a time for now.

Membership matters

• Lee Hodges ... Opens the season in the Nos. 101-110 category and will stay there unless he wins, but he also has four starts on a Minor Medical Extension. Should he bank 2.045 FedExCup points before THE PLAYERS, he will earn an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s flagship event. The minimum finish to clear that hurdle at Waialae is a two-way tie for 79th place, worth 2.050 points. Finished T10 here last year and closed out 2025 with a T4 at The RSM Classic.

• Brooks Koepka ... Monday’s big news elicited a reaction from every corner of the golf world. Now it’s my turn. Distilling it into the relevant, by returning to the PGA TOUR as a member, he’s agreed to make at least 15 starts, so that’s a boon. That can include all four majors. And as the winner of the 2023 PGA Championship, he’s also exempt into THE PLAYERS. Until then, you’ll see him at the Farmers Insurance Open and the WM Phoenix Open on the West Coast Swing. If this would’ve occurred before my full-membership fantasy ranking was published, he’d have landed right around No. 60 and would have been an automatic pick in all salary games.

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