The two-tournament Hawaii swing for the PGA Tour has come to an end. so now viewers will have to settle for visuals of balmy California for the next few months instead of the sun and surf Kapalua and Honolulu offer. It’s still a sleepy time in the golf world as the season has just gotten underway, but there were some decided winners and losers of this two-tournament stretch. Some golfers seemingly came from out of nowhere to play some great golf, while some others who entered with high expectations disappointed.
We’ll start with the obvious: the two actual winners. Chris Kirk and Grayson Murray won The Sentry and the Sony Open, respectively, and the two share a unique bond. Both are recovering alcoholics. Kirk has been sober for several years now, Murray only for eight months. But both of their stories are worth celebrating amid victories on the Hawaii leg of the Tour’s schedule.
Of course, they were not the only winners in Hawaii. Other under-the-radar names emerged to assert themselves over the first fortnight of this season. Let’s take a look at a few of those as well as some disappointments from the first two tournaments of the year.
Carl Yuan: The 135th-ranked player in the Official World Golf Rankings got an official gift on Sunday at the Sony Open when he appeared to hit a ball over the hospitality on the final hole. Instead of being penalized, he got a free drop in front of the hospitality tent even though his ball was never found. He made par from there, finished just outside the Sony playoff and is now in second in the Swing 5 standings. What is the Swing 5 standings? It’s the ranking of players between signature events which allows them to get into the next signature event — in this case, Pebble Beach at the beginning of January. Verdict: Winner (in a bit of a crowning)
Ludvig Aberg: If you expected better than a T47-T30 showing from Aberg in Hawaii, you are not alone. He was among the favorites at both events but failed to show up in each outing. That has no bearing on how I feel about him over the course of this season or his career (bullish on both), but he has not driven it up to his usual standards thus far. No real contention or even a sniff of it over eight rounds in Hawaii is a disappointment. Verdict: Loser
Ben An: What if I told you that Ben An has finished in the top five in four of his last seven starts and lost to four total golfers in Hawaii (the fewest of any player who teed it up in both events)? An goes about his work quietly, but he’s playing some of the best golf he’s ever played. One reason? He’s gone to a broomstick putter and it’s working. A notoriously bad putter, An has gained strokes putting in seven of his last eight starts and may have at least stopped the leakiest part of his game. Verdict: Winner
Gary Woodland: A 71-71 missed cut at the Sony Open in the middle of January is rarely reason to celebrate. But for Woodland, who underwent brain surgery for a tumor last September, it’s the best MC of his career. Woodland spoke optimistically and excitedly about the future after his showing in Hawaii and said he will tee it up again at Torrey Pines next week for the Farmers Insurance Open, where he has a fantastic ball-striking record but not a lot of high finishes in the last few years. Verdict: Winner
“There was a time where I didn’t know if this was going to be possible,” said Woodland. “It was a good week for me from a mental standpoint. I needed to be mentally sharp to get where I want to be in the world. It’s coming back.”
“Go home, have a nice off week with the kids at home and tighten up some things with the golf game,” he added, “and I’ll be back for Torrey.”
Hideki Matsuyama: The 2021 Masters winner quietly had his worst statistical season on the PGA Tour in 2023 and played poorly in Hawaii, finishing second to last at The Sentry and T30 at the Sony Open, which he won just a few years ago. He turns 32 in February, which is not old for a golfer, but his slight downward trajectory is one to keep an eye on this season to see if it turns around or if he’s perhaps not the same golfer he once was in his 20s. Verdict: Loser
J.T. Poston: The other J.T.! I would put Poston, An and Eric Cole as three of the most underrated golfers in the world right now. Poston, like An, also placed in the top 10 in both Hawaii events and, like An, he is playing some of the best golf of his life. I don’t know if he’s a threat to win a major championship, but he is absolutely a threat right now to win a signature event like Pebble or Riviera. After his Hawaii performance, Poston is ranked No. 17 in the Data Golf rankings, ahead of Aberg, Justin Thomas, Tom Kim and Bryson DeChambeau. Verdict: Winner