Sleepers: Sony Open in Hawaii

J.J. Spaun … Although he missed the cut as a PGA TOUR rookie in his debut here last year, that's just enough experience to be dangerous on a course where it matters after a red-hot fall. The 27-year-old sprung into the holiday break with a runner-up finish at The RSM Classic. That chased top 15s in Vegas and Mexico. So, with 427 FedExCup points already banked – good for 12th overall – and his card virtually secure for next season, he can focus on the next objective: to win. Currently 28th in greens in regulation.

William McGirt ... It's not often when a golfer can claim to have bettered his previous result in five consecutive tournaments, but that's his reality upon arrival at Waialae. Since missing the cut at the Wyndham Championship, he's finished a respective T54, T30, T25, T10 and T8, the last three of which to open the 2017-18 season. Slots sixth in adjusted scoring. He's also survived five straight cuts at the Sony Open in Hawaii, two going for a top 20, and his scoring average in his last eight rounds on Waialae is 67.5.

Jason Kokrak … Returns after a two-year hiatus and it's fair to wonder why he decided on that at all. He's perfect in four trips with top 20s in his last two. Before petering out in the fall, he connected eight paydays, five for a top 25, three of which to launch into the new season. Not surprisingly, the long hitter gobbles up par 5s. Ranked 15th in par-5 scoring on the PGA TOUR, he'll be licking his chops at the easiest set on the schedule this week.

John Oda … If the UNLV product was going to open qualify anywhere, it would make the most sense for it to occur in his backyard. He lives in Honolulu. In fact, this is the second consecutive year he's survived the four-spotter to compete at Waialae. He's already made some noise as a professional, though, placing eighth in his debut at Mayakoba in the fall. The 21-year-old then shored up a shred of status on the 2018 Web.com Tour via Q-School.

Yusaku Miyazato … With younger sister, Ai, having retired from the sport last year, Yusaku can hog the headlines for himself. And he wasted no time. The 37-year-old paced the Order of Merit on the Japan Golf Tour for the first time last year. He won four times, added a solo fourth at the Indonesian Masters last month and concluded 2017 at 50th in the Official World Golf Ranking. The combination of those achievements yielded exemptions into the his first Masters and return trips to The Open Championship and WGC-Mexico Championship. He's no stranger to Waialae where he's making his 10th appearance; he's survived four cuts. And as a matter of intrigue, this is the fifth time that both he and Brian Harman (No. 1 in the Power Rankings) have pegged it in the same tournament since the 2016 edition of the Sony Open in Hawaii. See, when Harman recorded two holes-in-one in one round at the 2015 NORTHERN TRUST, he joined Miyazato as two of the only three golfers known to have converted two aces in the same round of a PGA TOUR event. Miyazato performed his magic at the 2006 Barracuda Championship. (Bill Whedon was the first to do so at the 1955 Insurance City Open.)