Max Homa wins Farmers after first mic'd-up, on-course interview

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The PGA TOUR regained traction on the 2022-23 season with last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions, but with only 39 golfers competing in the exclusive invitational on Maui, the rubber doesn’t meet the road in earnest until this week’s Sony Open in Hawaii. RELATED: The First Look | Five Things to Know The 144-man competition at Waialae County Club in Honolulu represents the first sizable gathering since The RSM Classic in the week before Thanksgiving. However, as Jimi Hendrix crooned, are you experienced? For why that matters so much and more, continue reading beneath the ranking of projected contenders. POWER RANKINGS: SONY OPEN IN HAWAII Billy Horschel, Webb Simpson, Matt Kuchar and Emiliano Grillo will be among the notables review in Draws and Fades. The soft reopen (and hard close … sigh) at Kapalua personified the undisputed claim that Hawaii is a remote land of extremes no matter the pursuit. Unsurprisingly, it also applies to the experience on the southeastern shore of Oahu. This is the 58th edition of the Sony Open in Hawaii. All have been staged at Waialae. Throughout the FedExCup era (2007-present), it’s been a par 70 capable of ranging to 7,044 yards, and it will again this week. Save a bunker that has been split in two beside the green on the par-4 first hole and bermuda greens allowed to stretch another foot to 12 on the Stimpmeter, the course is the same. So, sans surprises that could even the playing field, literally or figuratively, a pair of strong trends has reason to continue. Although Kapalua and Waialae never will be confused as twins, the objectives on each are the same – hit greens and sink putts. Despite vastly different topographies – Kapalua is on the side of a mountain; Waialae is flat and at sea level – wind really is the only challenge on either, and like last week, it isn’t forecast to be that at all again once the Sony starts on Thursday. With all other elements cooperating, the field will have a great chance to copy last year’s scoring average of 67.998. So, as of midday Monday, the 18 who teed it up at Kapalua and have made the short trip to Waialae have the edge to win. They are warm and arrive with the knowledge that eight of the last nine champions of the Sony played the Sentry the previous week. The other almost unbelievable fact of the matter is that, since Gay Brewer prevailed in the inaugural edition of the Sony in 1965, Russell Henley is the only winner in his tournament debut. Fitting for the phenomenon of extremes, Henley was in his first-ever PGA TOUR start as a member in 2013. The moral of the matter, then, is that first-timers who didn’t peg it at Kapalua last week are facing headwinds of trends times two. For the sixth consecutive year, all Korn Ferry Tour graduates who have committed are in the field. So, even the slowest starters aren’t penalized this opportunity after the first reorder of their category at the conclusion of the fall portion of the last wraparound season. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous perspectives. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Draws & Fades SUNDAY: Payouts and Points, Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Rookie Ranking * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.

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2017-18 Qualifiers – Majors, World Golf Championships and THE PLAYERS Golfers are omitted if they haven’t recently competed in majors for which they are eligible (e.g. PGA — Steve Elkington). 1 = Masters 2 = U.S. Open 3 = Open Championship 4 = PGA Championship MC = WGC-Mexico Championship MP = WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play TPC = THE PLAYERS Championship BI = WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Recent Additions 1 – Austin Cook 2 – none 3 – Kiradech Aphibarnrat; Paul Dunne; Ross Fisher; Matthew Fitzpatrick; Tommy Fleetwood; Dylan Frittelli; Tyrrell Hatton; Scott Jamieson; Alexander Levy; Shane Lowry; Francesco Molinari; Thorbjørn Olesen; Brady Schnell; Jordan L. Smith; Hideto Tanihara; Peter Uihlein; Lee Westwood; Bernd Wiesberger; Fabrizio Zanotti 4 – Austin Cook MC – Kiradech Aphibarnrat; Rafa Cabrera Bello; Paul Dunne; Ross Fisher; Matthew Fitzpatrick; Tommy Fleetwood; Dylan Frittelli; Branden Grace; Tyrrell Hatton; Hao Tong Li; Rory McIlroy; Francesco Molinari; Alex Noren; Thomas Pieters; Henrik Stenson; Peter Uihlein; Bernd Wiesberger TPC – Austin Cook BI – Austin Cook; Jon Rahm REMAINING QUALIFYING CRITERIA Criteria are listed in chronological order where possible. Best estimates are given but all are subject to change. MASTERS (1) @ Augusta National Golf Club – April 5-8 • Winners of PGA TOUR events that award full FedExCup points allocation for THE TOUR Championship through the week before the Masters. • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on Dec. 31. • Winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (Jan. 23). • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on March 26. • Special invitees to international players per Masters Tournament Committee. U.S. OPEN (2) @ Shinnecock Hills Golf Club – June 14-17 • Winner of Masters (April 8). • Winner of THE PLAYERS (May 13). • Top 60 from Official World Golf Ranking on May 21. • Winner of the BMW PGA Championship (May 27). • Open qualifying (late May-early June). • Top 60 from Official World Golf Ranking on June 4. • Special exemptions per USGA Executive Committee. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP (3) @ Carnoustie Golf Links – July 19-22 • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Australian Open (Nov. 26). • Money leader on the 2017 Australasian Tour (Dec. 3). • Top 2 on Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit (Dec. 3). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Joburg Open (Dec. 10). • Money leader on the 2017 Asian Tour (Dec. 17). • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 from the Singapore Open (Jan. 21). • Winner of the Masters (April 8). • Winner of THE PLAYERS (May 13). • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 and ties at the Mizuno Open (May 27). • Winner of BMW PGA Championship (May 27). • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on May 28. • Top 2, not otherwise exempt, from Order of Merit on Japan Golf Tour ending with Japan Golf Tour Championship (TBD). • Winner of U.S. Open (June 17). • Winner of British Amateur, if still an amateur (June 23). • Top 2, not otherwise exempt, inside the top eight at the Korea Open (June 24). • Winner of the International European Amateur Championship (June 30). • Top 5 and ties, not otherwise exempt, inside Top 20 in FedExCup points thru a PGA TOUR event to be determined in 2018 (TBD). • Top 5 and ties, not otherwise exempt, inside Top 20 in Race to Dubai thru a European Tour event to be determined in 2018 (TBD). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Open de France (July 1). • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 at The National (July 1). • Local Final Qualifying. Top 3 at each of four sites: Notts, Prince’s, The Renaissance Club, St. Annes Old Links (July 3). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Irish Open (July 8). • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 at The Greenbrier Classic (July 8). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Scottish Open (July 15). • Top finisher, not otherwise exempt, inside the top five at the John Deere Classic (July 15). PGA CHAMPIONSHIP (4) @ Bellerive Country Club – August 9-12 • Winners of PGA TOUR events thru the final week before the 2018 PGA Championship. • Winner of Senior PGA Championship (May 27). • Top 20 from PGA Professional National Championship (June 20). • Top 70 from special money list on PGA TOUR from 2017 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and Barracuda Championship through 2018 RBC Canadian Open (July 29). • *All 2016 Ryder Cup members, provided they are inside top 100 of Official World Golf Ranking (July 29). • Special exemptions per PGA of America. (This will likely include all golfers inside Top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking on July 29.) • If necessary to compete the field of 156, golfers outside Top 70 from special money list (three lines above) will gain entry in order of position. WGC-MEXICO CHAMPIONSHIP (MC) @ Club de Golf Chapultepec – March 1-4 • Top 2 on Australasian Tour Order of Merit, not otherwise exempt (Dec. 3). • Top 2 on Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit, not otherwise exempt (Dec. 3). • Top 2 on Asian Tour Order of Merit (Dec. 17). • Top 10 from Race to Dubai on Feb. 19. • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on Feb. 19. • Highest-ranked golfer from Mexico in the Official World Golf Ranking, if not otherwise eligible (Feb. 19). • Top 10 in FedExCup Points on Feb. 26. • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on Feb. 26. WGC-DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY (MP) @ Austin Country Club – March 21-25 • Top 64 inside the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking on March 12. THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP (TPC) @ TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Course) – May 10-13 • Winners of PGA TOUR events thru the final week before THE PLAYERS. • Top 10 in FedExCup Points on April 30. • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on April 30. • If necessary, golfers outside the Top 10 in FedExCup Points on April 30 will gain entry in order of position to complete the field of 144. WGC-BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL (BI) @ Firestone Country Club (South Course) – August 2-5 • Winner of Australian PGA Championship (Dec. 3). • Winner of the Indonesian Masters (Dec. 17). • Winner of a Sunshine Tour event to be determined (TBD). • Winner of 2018 Japan Golf Tour Championship (TBD). • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on July 23. • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on July 30. • Winners of official tournaments from the Federation Tours with an Official World Golf Ranking strength-of-field rating of 115 points or more.

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