2012 Fantasy Golf Picks: Sony Open in Hawaii

The PGA TOUR remains in Hawaii this week as the Sony Open tees off tomorrow morning. Defending champion Mark Wilson captured his first of two titles in this event in 2011, which makes him this week's "favorite pick". Steve Stricker also returns to action after his victory at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Click the jump to see my fantasy golf picks for the 2012 Sony Open in Hawaii.

Starter: Steve Stricker; Bench: K.J. Choi

As mentioned above, Stricker returns to action and looks to go back-to-back in Hawaii after winning at Kapalua. Stricker's game seems to show no signs of his neck injury that hindered his performance throughout the majority of 2011, and his wedge game seems better than ever. Similarly, K.J. Choi finished last season on a bit of a hot streak, finishing no worse than a tie for 16th in his last 4 tournaments of the season (excluding the President's Cup). He will be a great option off the bench if Stricker falters early. Choi also won this tournament in 2008.

B List

Starters: Mark Wilson, Steve Marino; Bench: Harrison Frazar, D.A. Points

Wilson won this event in 2011 in impressive fashion, which would mark the start of his best year on TOUR. Wilson's 67 on Sunday last year gave him a two-stroke victory over my other pick this week: Steve Marino. Marino has played this tournament brilliantly in the past, having accumulated three top-10 finishes in his career. He's going to win his first title on TOUR sooner or later, and my money is on the former. Harrison Frazar and D.A. Points are gambles, admittedly, however Frazar did play exceptionally well last week (especially on the weekend). He may have the hot hand this week other than Stricker, so I'll be sure to keep my eye on him throughout.

C List

Starter: Jonathan Byrd; Bench: Johnson Wagner

J-Byrd isn't going to get many starts for me in other tournaments this season, so I might as well play him in the state where he is most successful. Byrd finished T-3 last week, and while he appears to be driving the ball exceptionally well, his putter let him down late in the tournament. He certainly seems to show up every so often, plays really well, and then fades away into the crowd. The Wagner pick was probably a mistake (he's missed three consecutive cuts at this tournament), but we'll see if he can change his tune this week.