The 2023 PGA tour season is officially underway, which means it’s time for One and Done pools to begin starting with the 2023 Sony Open.
Each week this column will pick a golfer, with the goal of racking up as much money as possible based off where they finish. Just like NFL survivor pools, each golfer can only be used once. Planning ahead is absolutely necessary.
The PGA Tour is in Hawaii for the Sony Open, and there are plenty of golfers to choose from. Below are several different options of One and Done choices, from a risky pick to a safe pick and ultimately the play for this week.
2023 Sony Open One and Done Picks
Safe Pick: Tom Kim
Tom Kim burst onto the PGA Tour scene with multiple wins, and considering he’s still just 20 years old, the sky is the limit. He participated in the 39-man field in the Sentry Tournament of Champions, where he once again dominated with his irons en route to a fifth-place finish. The putter was relatively flat, so if that comes around, he clearly could win this event.
Kim has little-to-no course history at most venues, but given he hasn’t missed a cut since the PGA Championship in May 2022, he is a clear conservative choice. The other downside is he will not be available for the rest of the year, but he is the class of the field this week.
Contrarian Pick: Cam Davis
Depending on the size of pools, a more aggressive approach may be warranted right off the bat. Even an event like Sony has millions of dollars up for grabs towards the top. A guy like Cam Davis shouldn’t be on most people’s minds in this spot, but there is no doubting the talent. He had a big 2022 and seems to favor easier tracks, which this course should provide. Davis is an elite scorer, and if he limits the mistakes, he could easily have his best season on Tour.
Davis has some experience here, with four appearances and three made cuts, including a ninth in 2020. Given he is a much better player at this point in his career, there are zero issues being aggressive with him in One and Done this week. The other benefit is Davis isn’t a huge opportunity cost, and with so many weeks, that’s incredibly useful for later-season events.
Official One and Done Pick: Corey Conners
Conners sits around 25-1 in the outright market, so he isn’t that far off from being one of the favorites at this event. He played last week at the Tournament of Champions, where he was positive with his ball striking but unable to sync up the putter.
Now he comes to Sony, where he made the cut in all four previous visits, including a third-place finish in 2019. Conners has gained strokes putting every time he’s played here, which is a huge bonus given that’s usually a weakness of his game. Although he is a quality player, burning him early in the season isn’t too much of a problem, and he is a solid starting point for the 2023 One and Done season.
