Golf: PGA Tour – Sony Open in Hawaii
Venue: Wai’alae Country Club, Honolulu, Hawaii
Dates: Thursday 12th – Sunday 15th January 2023
Tournament Preview
The PGA Tour is starting to get up ahead of steam in 2023 and the Hawaii swing continues with the Sony Open. Originally known as the Hawaiian Open, it has been coined the Sony Open since 1999 and it continues to attract a stellar field. Previous winners of the event include Justin Thomas, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh, testament to the prestige and importance placed on the Sony Open within the PGA Tour calendar. With a prize fund of $7 million and with almost $1.2 million going to the winner of the event, the stakes are high in Hawaii this week and it promises to be a fascinating 4 days of golf.
Betting Preview
Outright Winner
The Sony Open has attracted a very strong field to Hawaii and there will be plenty of household names wanting to take home the spoils:-
Breakout star Tom Kim enjoyed an incredible end to the 2022 season and the South Korean looks set to kick on further in what promises to be an action packed 2023.
South Korean Sungjae Im is one of the cleanest ball strikers around and he will be very difficult to stop if he gets up ahead of steam here in Hawaii.
Former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama enjoyed a steady season in 2022 and how he would love to build on that from the outset here in Hawaii in 2023.
Serial major winner Jordan Spieth is prolific on the PGA Tour, and he is another player that will be eager to put down a marker in the early season here in Hawaii.
Kevin Kisner has finished in the top 5 at this event previously and after a solid 2022 he will be looking to get off to a flying start in 2023 in favourable conditions.
1st Round Leader
Getting off to a flyer in the Hawaiian sun could be essential this week and there are plenty of big names that will be hoping to do just that:-
Consistency will be the order of the day this season and few players on the PGA circuit are as solid as Brian Harman and he is a good shout for a fast start this week in Hawaii.
Brendon Todd found some form at the back end of 2022 and with his accurate iron game, he could carry that across from the outset in Hawaii this week.
Top 10 Finish
With so many quality players assembled here in Hawaii, getting into the winning enclosure could be tough but there are plenty of candidates to finish in the top five come Sunday afternoon:-
American Billy Horschel always puts a shift in at this level and how he would love to finish inside the top 10 here in a packed Hawaiian field.
Former world number one Adam Scott is always a man to keep an eye on in any event he plays, and he should relish the track here in the Hawaiian sun.
Finishing 2022 will have been a relief for Webb Simpson and he will be keen to put that behind him and kick on here in 2023, starting in Hawaii this weekend.
Sony Open in Hawaii betxchange.com Best Bets:
Outright Winner: Sungjae Im – 14/1
1st Round Leader: Brian Harman – 25/1
Top Ten Finish: Billy Horschel – 9/2
