Jimmy Walker will be hoping to win the Sony Open for the third year running in Hawaii at the Waialae Country Club.
Last year Jimmy Walker finished on 23-under at the 2015 Sony Open, scoring a total of 257. He came just one stroke shy of the tournament record of 256, which is held by 2013 champion Russell Henry.
Walker won in Hawaii by nine shots, beating previous tournament records for largest margin of victory. These were held by Paul Azinger (2000) and John Hutson (1998), who both managed a seven stroke-winning margin.
The event is the biggest charity golf event in Hawaii and has raised more than $15 million for the local not-for-profits since 1999. It is the first-full field PGA Tour tournament of 2016, featuring 144 professionals.
The tournament was established in 1965 and was first known as the Hawaiian Open. Since 1999, it has been known as the Sony Open.
Venue: Waialae Country Club Date: Jan 14-17 Course stats: par 70, 7020 yards Purse: $5,800,000 Winning share: $1,044,000 Defending Champion: Jimmy Walker (-23)
TV Coverage:
Thursday 14 – Sky Sports 4 from 00.00 Friday 15 – Sky Sports 4 from 00:00 Saturday 16 – Sky Sports 4 from 00:00 Sunday 17 – Sky Sports 4 from 23:00pm
Player Watch: Jimmy Walker – The World Number 26 has a brilliant record at the Sony Open, winning the last two tournaments. The American breezed to victory last year, finishing nine shots ahead of second placed, Scott Piercy.
Harris English – Ranked 102nd in the world, English has performed well in Hawaii in recent years. Last year he finished third on 13-under-par and in 2014, he came fourth on 14-under par.
Key Hole: 17th. This is a very challenging par-3 requiring a long or middle iron. The hole features a Redan-style green with a large bunker on the left and a series of four deep bunkers protecting the right. A par is a good score here, especially on the final day.
