The PGA Tour stays in the Aloha State and expands the field for the Sony Open in Hawai’i, which gets underway Thursday from the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. For the first time this year we’ll have a full field of 144 golfers with the cut rule in place, and 24 players make the trek to Oahu from Maui after competing in last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions. Cameron Smith goes for the Hawai’i sweep after his record-setting performance at Kapalua. He won this event two years ago and seems right at home in paradise. Smith opened as the betting favorite in the outright market and is featured in several matchups. A larger field means more betting opportunities and there are plenty. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of matchup betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Sony Open in Hawai’i Matchup Odds
Cameron Smith -150 vs. Webb Simpson +120
Cameron Smith -145 vs. Sungjae Im +115
Webb Simpson -115 vs. Sungjae Im -115
Hideki Matsuyama -130 vs. Marc Leishman +100
Hideki Matsuyama -120 vs. Abraham Ancer -110
Hideki Matsuyama -130 vs. Kevin Na +100
Marc Leishman -120 vs. Abraham Ancer -110
Marc Leishman -125 vs. Kevin Na -105
Abraham Ancer -110 vs. Kevin Na -120
Corey Conners -125 vs. Talor Gooch -105
Corey Conners -135 vs. Harris English +105
Talor Gooch -125 vs. Harris English -105
Kevin Kisner +105 vs. Matthew Jones -135
Kevin Kisner +130 vs. Russell Henley -160
Matthew Jones +105 vs. Russell Henley -135
Billy Horschel -115 vs. Jason Kokrak -115
Billy Horschel +105 vs. Seamus Power -135
Jason Kokrak -110 vs. Seamus Power -120
Maverick McNealy -125 vs. Christiaan Bezuidenhout -105
Charles Howell III -125 vs. Brian Harman -105
Erik Van Rooyen -110 vs. Cameron Davis -120
Ryan Palmer -110 vs. Chris Kirk -120
Brendon Todd -130 vs. Brendan Steele +100
Matt Kuchar -110 vs. Keegan Bradley -120
Aaron Rai -115 vs. Emiliano Grillo -115
Stewart Cink -135 vs. Lucas Herbert +105
Patton Kizzire -120 vs. Zach Johnson -110
Brian Stuard -125 vs. Robert Streb -105
Russell Knox -115 vs. Branden Grace -115
Need to Know
For those who played last week, the Waialae Country Club layout is much different than the one at Kapalua. At 7,044 yards, the course is short by Tour standards and will require players to club down. By contrast, the Plantation Course played at over 7,500 yards. The shorter yardage puts an emphasis on accuracy rather than distance, though it is an advantage to have played the TOC with 16 of the previous 23 Sony Open champs having competed the week prior. Water comes into play on a few holes, but for the most part it’s a manageable course for the pros with six of the past nine winners scoring -20 or better. Kevin Na will attempt to become the first repeat champion since Jimmy Walker in 2014, 2015. Players will have to navigate the wind, which always seems to be a factor, though the forecast right now calls for calmer conditions.
Sony Open in Hawai’i Matchup Picks
Marc Leishman +100 vs. Hideki Matsuyama
There are several players in the field who have performed well at Waialae without a victory and Leishman is one of them. The good thing is we don’t need him to win we just need a better finish than his matchup partner. Leishman has played the weekend in all 12 Sony Open starts collecting four top-10s among his seven top-20s, so he definitely has the course dialed in. And he started the year off with a T10 at Kapalua. At even money and with his record, I’ll back the Aussie.
Webb Simpson +120 vs. Cameron Smith
Simpson’s record in the Sony Open is impeccable and to get him at plus odds you have to beat back the best. That’s what’s facing Webb in this matchup. Another Waialae success story, Simpson is 11 for 11 with seven straight top-20 finishes. It seems like the only thing he needs to do is win, though it’s not for a lack of trying. He placed among the top-5 in each of his last three starts. He does get the betting favorite in this head-to-head and Smith has been pretty good here too. But I’ll take Simpson at his price and enjoy the payout.
Matthew Jones +105 vs. Russell Henley -135
If you believe in the carryover effect you might want to throw down on Jones. He was solo third last week at Kapalua but no one did better over the weekend than Jones’ 62-61. Hell, just thinking about that is impressive. And he’s enjoyed some success in the backhalf of the Hawai’i swing with three top-20s that includes a T11 in last year’s edition. Once again I’m looking at plus odds players and Jones kinda stands out.
Charles Howell III -125 vs. Brian Harman -105
I know you have to go out and beat the other golfers, but if anybody deserves a win in this event it’s Howell. He is the tournament’s all-time money winner thanks to making the cut in all 20 starts. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him hanging around the top of the leaderboard on Sunday. He placed among the top-10 in exactly half his starts at Waialae with an additional four top-20s. In 76 career rounds he boasts a 67.50 scoring average. I don’t like to go this deep with the price, but it’s hard not to back CH3 with his history.
Billy Horschel +105 vs. Seamus Power -135
I have to get back to a value pick after Howell disrupted my run. While this might not be the most popular selection, backing Horschel makes sense. He’s seemingly got used to the surroundings and is playing both legs of the Hawai’i swing for the first time. His game is better suited for the shorter Waialae course that requires accuracy more than distance. Horschel usually hits the ball where he wants it to go, which is a plus. And he had a nice run last year placing among the top-10 shooting 66 or under in each round.
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