Golf Betting Tips: Sony Open predictions

Updated on 12:14pm GMT 13 January 2021

The PGA Tour continues this week when many of the world’s top stars head to Honolulu, Hawaii for the Sony Open. A competitive field at the Waialae Country Club will battle it out for $6.6m in prize money, and below we’ve got some prime tournament betting tips to get you in the mood for the action.

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Sony Open predictions and tips

Justin Thomas did a Sentry Tournament of Champions and Sony Open double in 2017, hitting an impressive first-round 59 at Waialae Country Club in the process, and Harris English is hoping to make a similar impact in Honolulu this week.

English ended a lengthy seven-year victory drought by winning the Sentry on Sunday, beating Joaquin Niemann with a birdie at the first extra hole, and his performance under pressure hints that more success at the Sony could be possible. English holds a solid Waialae record and will be among the contenders in Honolulu, but bigger odds about others are preferred.

Sony Open course guide and where to watch

Course: Waialae Country Club, Honolulu, Hawaii

Par: 70

Field: 144 players

Sony Open winner prediction: Kevin Kisner @28/1

Harris English got a monkey off his back last Sunday, ending a seven-year PGA Tour victory drought by winning the Sentry Tournament of Champions, and the Georgian might deliver a quick follow-up in the Sony Open.

Justin Thomas managed the Sentry and Sony double in 2017 – and English is playing well enough to complete the Hawaiian two-timer as well – but perhaps the Sentry took too much out of him. It was an emotional and draining triumph for which he needed to go to a playoff against Joaquin Niemann, so maybe the 31-year-old will wilt at some stage during the Sony.

Bigger prices about Kevin Kisner and Lanto Griffin are preferred. Kisner relishes short layouts like Waialae, where his precision, course-management skills and putting touch count for so much, and he has threatened a Sony success on a number of occasions.

Kisner’s form figures from the last five renewals of the Sony are 5-4-25-69-4, and nobody was more impressive from tee to green in the last edition. He is bringing a hot putter to the tournament this time, having gone nine under par at the weekend of the Sentry on much less suitable terrain, and should make an impact.

Kisner won his maiden Tour title on a similar par-70 seaside track to this one – a six-shot romp in the 2015 RSM Classic – and he was a playoff loser in the RSM at the end of last year.

Sony Open winner prediction: Lanto Griffin @40/1

Griffin can also get his name on the leaderboard. The 2019 Houston Open champion is an excellent putter – an essential skill this week given the forecast for only light breezes. Wind is the main defence of Waialae and the track is vulnerable to low scoring in calm conditions. He was seventh last year, closing with a 64.