Sony Open Recap: Any Given Sunday

In one corner, there was Brandt Snedeker, a seven-time PGA Tour winner once ranked No. 4 in the world. He cost $35 in the recent RotoWire League Draft, and was valued at $10,900 on DraftKings.

In the other corner, there was Fabian Gomez, a one-time winner ranked 112th who went for the whopping sum of $1 in the RotoWire Draft and cost $7,200 on DraftKings.

So when the two faced off in a playoff for the Sony Open title on Sunday evening, there was a clear favorite -- oh, and Snedeker had never lost a playoff. But it was Gomez who punctuated a scorching final-round 62 with a birdie on the second extra hole to cap a wild day of back-and-forth at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu.

To the casual observer, perhaps this was a surprise. But the seasoned gamer knows otherwise, knows the Any Given Sunday mantra, knows golf is getting deeper and deeper and knows it's getting trickier and trickier to find an edge. To further illustrate, Zac Blair, entering winless, No. 172 in the world and less heralded than Gomez, was inches away from joining the playoff, as his final eagle putt could only tease the cup.

To be sure, Gomez is no slouch. The 37-year-old Argentine already had three top-25s on his ledger this season before rattling off seven straight birdies on Sunday to join a conversation that at one point featured five other golfers tied for the lead. Further, Gomez won the St. Jude Classic last season. But he also missed 10 of 26 cuts and had only three other top-25s -- and they all came in the first three weeks of 2014-15, in October and November, when fields were light.

Gomez was one of 35 golfers to win a PGA Tour event last season, and that number would've been -- and usually is -- higher, if not for Jordan Spieth and Jason Day each winning five of the 47 tournaments. So far in 2015-16, there have been nine winners in nine starts.

We may hear more of Gomez in 2016, as he seems to be the rare golfer to turn the corner deep into his career. He's now up to No. 55 in the latest OWGR. But it would not surprise if he drifted back into the pack and rarely contended the rest of the way.

There are so many guys capable of winning in a given week, and the difference between winning and losing, not to mention making the cut and missing it, seems slimmer than ever. Chris Kirk, Russell Knox, Justin Thomas, Russell Henley, Keegan Bradley and Graeme McDowell all trunk-slammed on Friday. Adam Scott didn't even get a sniff of TV time and finished 56th.

While picking winning lineups definitely involves skill, every good gamer knows you need luck on your side to come out on top.

Just ask Fabian Gomez owners.

MONDAY TAKEAWAY

Brandt Snedeker

Snedeker going for $35 in the RotoWire Draft seemed high to me -- that's what Zach Johnson went for. But upon further review ... After a couple of lean years that saw him fall into the 60s in the OWGR, Snedeker is now back to No. 24. He switched drivers last week, when he finished T3 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. So even though he lost the playoff thanks to a wayward drive on the final playoff hole, Snedeker could be returning to the world's elite. Of course, his putting has always been elite.

Zac Blair

With a teenage face more in line with Zack Morris than a professional golfer, Blair held the lead on the back nine on Sunday. He didn't really blow it, shooting 1-under inward, as much as he was overtaken by Gomez and Snedeker. But be mindful that Blair was T6 last year at Waialae, so maybe this course simply suits his game. The second-year pro is now up to a career-best 112th in the world.

Si Woo Kim

The Web.com Tour graduate by way of Korea was among the golfers in that five-way tie on Sunday. Kim couldn't sustain it, shooting even-par on the back nine, but the solo fourth was a career best and his fourth top-25 in six starts this season. At 25, he could be a comer -- and was quickly snatched up as a free agent in the RotoWire League in mid-round Sunday.

Kevin Kisner

The hottest golfer on the planet not named Spieth or Day was also in that leading quartet. But two double bogeys killed his chances. Still, with a T5, Kisner made it four straight top-10s, moved to a career-best 14th in the world and maintained his lead atop the FedEx Cup point standings. You can't win every week, but Kisner will be in the mix more than he won't be.

Jason Dufner

Dufner is now listed at 180 pounds on PGATour.com. So he's lost 20 pounds in the last year, plus his wife (via divorce). And after those personal struggles, that has many thinking the former top-10 golfer will have a career renaissance. Dufner tied for ninth at Waialae, his second top-10 already this season after getting only two all of last season. Plus, he won the Franklin Templeton Shootout last month. Sure, it's an unofficial event, but a pair of 61s is nothing to sneeze at. Dufner won't return to the top 10 in the OWGR and he won't win another major, but he surely could win a tournament.

Webb Simpson

With birdies on four of the first five holes, Simpson not only was challenging for the title but taking a stand for all the golfers forced to give up their anchored putting stroke on New Year's Day. But he didn't birdie again the rest of the day, wound up -1.058 in strokes gained: putting and tied for 13th. It was a mixed bag for other former "anchorers:" Tim Clark also was T13, but with an impressive 1.201 SGP; Adam Scott tied for 56th at -.747; and Keegan Bradley missed the cut at -.423. They may win you some cash, especially Scott, but It's hard to imagine any of them making enough critical putts to win a tournament.

Jimmy Walker

At this time two years ago, Walker had two wins. Last year, a win and a runner-up. We've long documented that Walker's seasons are extremely front-loaded. So after the two-time defending Sony winner needed a weekend rally for a T13, leaving him winless on the season and 69th in the point standings, you have to wonder what the rest of 2016 holds for him. Yes, Walker does have three top-15s in his four starts. But going for $27 in the RotoWire Draft, held just before the Sony -- $10 less than Brooks Koepka and $8 less than Snedeker -- doesn't indicate a lot of confidence in him.

Harold Varner III

The rookie tied for 13th on Sunday, giving him a second top-25 already this season. More noteworthy and perhaps missed, Varner lost in a playoff at the Australian PGA Championship last month. Varner was fifth in the latest reshuffle and will likely move even higher after the next one following Riviera. He tees it up again this week at the CareerBuilder Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation (just rolls off your tongue, doesn't it? Life was much simpler when the tournament was simply called "the Hope.")

Gary Woodland

One of our favorite whipping boys, Woodland showed once again that he'd rather be watching football on Sunday. After shooting 66-67-66 to sit T6 after 54 holes, Woodland doubled his 55th hole, setting the stage for a T13. On the surface, T13, of course, is a good week, and he did shoot 69 on Sunday. But knowing Woodland's history of final-round meltdowns, it's just the latest disappointment for him.