The PGA Tour season is off and running in the New Year, although it isn’t running very far. After opening 2020 last week in Maui, the Tour heads to Oahu for the Sony Open in Hawai’i, contested at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. And unlike last week’s invitation-only event that featured 34 players, the field expands to 144 players this week with the cut rule back in place. Around 20 players made the trip from Maui to compete this week, including TOC winner Justin Thomas, who opened as the betting favorite at online sportsbooks. And there’s a good chance one of those golfers raises the trophy on Sunday with 15 of the past 21 Sony Open winners also competing in Maui the week before. Matt Kuchar attempts to become the fourth repeat champion at the Sony Open and has favorable odds to do so. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Odds to Win Sony Open in Hawai'i at BookMaker.eu
Justin Thomas +510
Webb Simpson +1100
Patrick Reed +1200
Hideki Matsuyama +1600
Collin Morikawa +1700
Sungjae Im +2000
Matt Kuchar +2200
Joaquin Niemann +3300
Marc Leishman +4000
Charles Howell III +4000
Alex Noren +4000
Cameron Smith +4000
Corey Conners +4000
Kevin Kisner +4000
Abraham Ancer +4000
Chez Reavie +4500
Brandt Snedeker +4500
Russell Knox +5000
Brendon Todd +5000
J.T. Poston +5000
Brian Stuard +5500
Andrew Putnam +5500
Brian Harman +6000
Sebastian Munoz +6600
Carlos Ortiz +7000
Emiliano Grillo +7000
Dylan Frittelli +7000
Keegan Bradley +8000
Vaughn Taylor +8000
Ryan Palmer +8000
Pat Perez +8000
Brian Gay +8000
Aaron Wise +8000
Rory Sabbatini +8000
Shugo Imahira +8000
Kevin Na +9000
Zach Johnson +9000
Lanto Griffin +9000
Matt Jones +9000
Daniel Berger +10000
Kyle Stanley +10000
Ryan Armour +10000
Scott Piercy +10000
Odds Analysis
Webb Simpson +1100
With the success Simpson has had at this event it was alarming he sat out last year. Well, he’s back and looking to continue his run of solid form that’s seen him go 9 for 9 with six top-20s, including one in each of his last five trips. “I’m comfortable here. I love playing this golf course. I love Waialae, I really do,” he said recently. And that’s what you want to hear when getting ready to throw down on a golfer. Simpson didn’t compete last week so we’re bucking a trend, but he’s got the credentials to outdistance the field.
Collin Morikawa +1700
Morikawa did play last week and he did quite well finishing T7 at 9-under in his TOC debut. And just like in his previous events his game was consistent, which tells me we don’t have to worry about the learning curve as he makes another tournament debut. His ball-striking and putting are top-notch, and with ties to the area he knows a little about golfing on the islands. That knowledge helped last week and should do so again at Waialae.
Justin Thomas +510
There’s a reason why JT is the heavy favorite to win again. And betting against him could be suicide. The unofficial King of Hawai’i, at least in the golfing community, Thomas has three victories on the islands and overcame an uncharacteristic gaffe last week to claim victory in sudden death at the TOC. He swept the Hawaiian swing in 2017 when he shot a 59 at Waialae.
Charles Howell III +4000
Another player who enjoys the annual visit to paradise, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Howell mingling with the leaders over the weekend. He hasn’t missed a Sony Open or a cut in the last 18 years recording 10 top-10s in that span. The layout and the weather haven’t changed over that time so it’s safe to say Howell knows what to expect. He also boasts a scoring average of 67.51 in 68 career rounds.
Brandt Snedeker +4500
Considering the way Snedeker has played in blustery conditions over his career, I was a bit surprised to see him with such long odds. He hasn’t played in a while and that could be reason for concern, but he’s thrived with a masterful short game and putter, two areas required to score low at Waialae. He has a history, too, with a playoff loss in 2016 and a top-20 last year.
Course: Waialae Country Club – 7,044-yards, par-70
The course has hosted this event since 1965 and is short by Tour standards. Those who played last week will have to do an abrupt change to their approach. The beast at Kapalua measured over 7,500 yards at par 73 and played to the long strikers. Now we have the tidy layout at Waialae that goes just over 7,000 yards. The track will force players to club down off the tee box with importance on placement rather than distance. It’s a straightforward layout with few hazards which is why we’ve seen some low scores in the past. Three years ago Justin Thomas won the prize with a record 27-under and five of the last seven winners carded 20-under or better. Like last week wind will certainly be a factor, though the forecast right now calls for calmer gusts.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel
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