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The Sony Open is the first full meal of the season. And the Waialae Country Club serves as the perfect setup. Yes, you’re right, it’s the same course that became (in)famous after narrowly averting one of the most dangerous golf accidents of all time. Hideki Matsuyama’s driver slipped from his hand and launched into the spectators — watch what happened next.

Nevertheless, Waialae has hidden dangers (for pros). Seth Raynor's clever bunker placements and raised, fiendish greens will test everyone. The par-70 layout stretches surprisingly long with just two par-5s, flat terrain, forced layups, and typically soft conditions.

But Hawaii's recent dry spell might firm things up more than usual here, handing short grass a bigger edge. The Bermudagrass is thick, and the missed fairway penalty is higher than the Tour average. With 12 par-4s and 11 of them stretching 400-480 yards, you'll see plenty of short-to-mid-irons this week. Over 47% of approach shots are hit from 150-200 yards here, so it's all about proximity at Waialae.

Past champion Russell Henley could be a dynamite here. He hits fairways at a 68% rate, and misses are narrow (third in distance from the edge of the fairway). In 2025, he led the Tour in proximity from 75-100 yards and was fifth from 50-125 yards.

Meanwhile, Ben Griffin has been on fire lately, with 12th or better in six straight starts. Griffin needs to be careful about his driving accuracy (101st), though. Defending champ Nick Taylor is another favorite. His last four Sony Open finishes read like a success blueprint: winner (2025), T7 (2024), T7 (2023), T11 (2021). He might become the first one to defend his title since Jimmy Walker in 2015.

The PGA Tour is so, so back.

Upset: That Brooks Koepka’s return would ruffle some feathers was never in doubt — one player did hint that “some are pissed.” That some will speak out openly was never in doubt, either. The only question was who would be the first. Well, now we know.

The speaker here is a multiple-time PGA Tour winner and a recent major champion. Can you guess who? Well, here is your answer and the full rant.

Meanwhile, Koepka returns at the Farmers Insurance Open. And that means another chance to watch him repeat this bonkers tee shot that landed inside a cameraman’s shoe. Yup, you read it right — check out the absurd situation below.

Valuable: Fans crave acknowledgement. Bryson DeChambeau gives exactly that. Recently, Scott LIV CEO Scott O’Neil called Bryson “the biggest star in golf” and “social media darling.” Hard to deny, and Bryson knows it, too. In fact, he is pretty serious about building a career on YouTube. His frank admission reveals he has chalked out some details as well.

Pride: Last season, Aphrodite Deng snagged the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship as the first Canadian ever. That unlocked exemptions to this year’s U.S. Women’s Open and Augusta National Women's Amateur, making her just the fifth Canadian there. The 15-year-old also claimed the 2025 AJGA Junior Player of the Year (first Canadian) and briefly held the lead at last year’s CPKC Women’s Open. Check out her powerful swing in this video.

Picture your swing as a perfect circle with the clubhead as its edge. Your lead arm forms the radius of that circle from shoulder to clubhead, so keep it long without stiffening up. Here’s how:

Let’s be honest. Everyone has been there. You shank a shot, and the next thing you know, the owner of a nearby house comes out screaming. Now, it’s easy to laugh at the guy if they happen to be your playing mate. They’re your classic stick-in-the-mud, your average Joe. But don't be too quick to smirk.

Because folks have done worse. Like wrecking a cart for $3,200 in damage. Or someone smacking his club into a power line, blacking out 5,000+ homes. Yes. Here are the worst golf course damage stories you never heard before.

But they are not as hilarious as Peyton Manning's tee shot smacking a house at the Memorial Pro-Am. Scottie Scheffler was there — watch him laugh uncontrollably, mocking Manning.