Expert Picks: Sony Open in Hawaii

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Jan. 9, 2008

• Sleeper Picks: Who may surprise? | Get in the discussion: Give us your picks

T.J. Auclair
PGATOUR.com Interactive Producer
Pick: Steve Stricker
What can you say about Stricker? I didn't realize it was possible to be the PGA TOUR Comeback Player of the Year two years running, but then again I never really considered a "comeback" to be complete without a win. Stricker completed his comeback with the emotional win at The Barclays and hasn't looked back since. He shot an incredible 9-under-par 64 at Kapalua on Sunday, knocking in a 12-foot birdie on the final hole to get into an unlikely playoff with Daniel Chopra. While Stricker didn't drive away in a new Mercedes, something tells me this will be a multiple-win season for the humble gentleman from Wisconsin. Why not get No. 1 of 2008 this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii?

Lauren Deason
PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator
Pick: Aaron Baddeley
He's been inconsistent at the Sony Open in Hawaii in the past -- missed cuts in 2005 and 2007 but had a runner-up finish in '03 and a T15 in '04 -- but there's been little to complain about in his last few PGA TOUR events. Badds capped off a one-win season in 2007 by making a serious run in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, vaulting from 18th in the Regular Season to sixth in the final standings. He tied for 12th at the season's first tournament in Hawaii last week and Baddeley should fare well at the par-70, 7,044-yd Waialae course this week.

Melanie Hauser
PGATOUR.com Correspondent
Pick: Steve Stricker
No one, save you-know-who, rides a wave better. Yes, he lost in a playoff, but his game is solid. Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh and Mike Weir are all threats, too, but Stricker's got the confidence right now.

Dave Lagarde
PGATOUR.com Correspondent
Pick: Steve Stricker
Gathered momentum with his fantastic finish at the Sony. Finished in a tie for fourth here last year and punches his ticket for a return to Sony to the delight of his kids.

John Maginnes
PGATOUR.com Contributor
Pick: Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh didn't defend last week at the Mercedes Benz Championship but his game showed a lot of strength. The confounding greens at the Plantation Course were a little too much for Vijay's sometimes iffy putter. Look for Vijay to put it all together this week at the Sony Open.

Scott Pianowski
The Fantasy Insider
Pick: Jim Furyk
The layout gets more constricting this week, which steers me to Furyk, one of the straightest guys out here. He never seemed to have his A-game last week and yet there he was, tied for fifth at the end of it all. I'll be surprised if he doesn't have a win in his bag before the Masters.

Helen Ross
PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents
Pick: Daniel Chopra
OK. I know I am climbing on the bandwagon, but I'm going to pick Daniel Chopra to win the Sony Open in Hawaii. He's playing extremely well -- with a playoff win at the Mercedes-Benz Championship and two other top-10s, including a playoff loss at the MasterCard Masters, in his last six starts -- and his confidence is booming.

Dave Shedloski
PGATOUR.com Senior Correspondent
Pick: Steve Stricker
Tied for fourth last year and smarting from his playoff loss at the Mercedes-Benz Championship. Driving the ball well is crucial at Waialae Country Club and Stricker knows how to find fairways. He should feast on the flatter greens, too.

EXPERTS STANDINGS

Following Mercedes-Benz Championship

PGATOUR.com Experts	1st	2nd	3rd	Top-10s	Missed Cuts	FedExCup Points
Scott Pianowski	-	-	1	1	-	2225
Dave Shedloski	-	-	-	1	-	1438
Melanie Hauser	-	-	-	1	-	1275
Helen Ross	-	-	-	1	-	1175
Lauren Deason	-	-	-	1	-	1123
T.J. Auclair	-	-	-	-	-	1050
Dave Lagarde	-	-	-	-	-	735
John Maginnes	-	-	-	-	-	775

PGATOUR.com also asked fans to send in their picks for this weekend's Sony Open. Here is a sampling of the responses to dotcomfeedback@pgatourhq.com:

Fans' Picks

I think the experts have pretty much nailed the favorites for this week's tourney. I hope Vijay can rebound from his poor putting last week and get a win this week. I can see Vijay winning with a strong run from Stricker, and look out for Charles Howell as well. -- Tyler B.

Why not Charles Howell? He held the lead for most of the final day (last year) and the tournament. He looked good last week, and the new clubs and ball are helping him. -- Dan W.

My pick in Hawaii for the Sony Open is Steve Stricker. I think he will ride the momentum and is wise enough to know that wins are hard to come by and he must ride the wave while he is playing well. He wont sulk because he didnt win last week, he will build off of it and have another strong performance wanting to prove 2007 was no fluke. -- Andrew J.

Rory Sabbatini. He had eight birdies this past Sunday, but he had a snowman on the 15th that diluted his score. And Tiger is not in the field! -- Peter J.

Frank Lickliter will win early and more than once this year after shooting back-to-back 62s at Q-School. Finding fairways is necessary at the Sony, and with his work with Bob Toski, he has improved his ballstriking. He will find the flatter greens to his liking. That is my pick. -- Bruce B.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Daniel Chopra contending again. He seems to have gained confidence and moved up a step. His lag putting at the Mercedes was outstanding -- as was his putting overall. -- Noel B.

Who may win? Steve Stricker...The stud continues to play out of his mind, carrying the momentum he gained from last year into this year. He had the hardest time pulling off his first victory last year but you always saw him at the top. Now that he's over that hump, I think he is going to have a magical season and, by the looks of it, he's off to a pretty good start. He lost a playoff last week, but this week should be another story. My sleeper pick is Tadd Fujikawa. The only story that could possibly top last year's back-to-back 66's in this tournament as a young amateur would be a win in at the same tourney in his rookie year as a pro. Everyone remembers what happened last year. I am hoping for fireworks. --Ryan W.

Got a pick you want published? Drop us a line at dotcomfeedback@pgatourhq.com