The first event of the PGA Tour 2021 calendar year saw an exciting finish in Kapalua, Hawaii. Harris English (33/1) defeated Joaquin Niemann in a playoff after finishing the week at 25-under-par. English was coming off of an excellent year where he put up six top-10 finishes. This was the 31-year-old’s third career PGA Tour win.
We now move on to the Sony Open in Hawaii, which will mark the first full-field event of 2021. A group of 144 golfers will be featured in Honolulu, with some very strong talent in the mix. 21 of the top-50 ranked golfers will make the trip.
Webb Simpson (+1300), Collin Morikawa (+1500), Daniel Berger (+1800), and last week’s winner, Harris English (+1500), headline the field. Waialae Country Club has long played host to this event, where we have seen a variety of differently skilled golfers hoist the trophy. It is definitely a week to take a few shots at longshots down the board.
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Previous Winners
- 2020: Cameron Smith (-11)
- 2019: Matt Kuchar (-22)
- 2018: Patton Kizzire (-17)
- 2017: Justin Thomas (-27)
- 2016: Fabian Gomez (-20)
Course Preview
- Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii
- Par 70
- 7,044 yards-long
- Bermuda Fairways/Greens
- Tight, technical track
- Scoring conditions vary due to the coastal winds
- Second shot golf course
Relevant Betting Stats
- Par 5 Scoring
- Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermuda)
- Strokes Gained: Approach
- Birdie-or-better
Recommended Plays
Webb Simpson ($11,100)
Simpson is an automatic play at a short, Bermuda course. In his last five times out at the Sony Open, he finishes of third, fourth, and 13th (twice). He is coming off of a T17 finish a the Sentry Tournament of Champions, where Simpson finished fifth in strokes gained: approach. This course suits his game much better, as it is much shorter, and he won’t lose as many strokes off the tee.
Sungjae Im ($9,800)
The talented Korean kicked off his 2021 year with a solid T5 showing last week. He finished at 21-under-par and could have very well won the event if not for a cold putter. Im led the entire field in strokes gained: tee-to-green, gaining an impressive 9.52 strokes on the competition. The 22-year-old has two consecutive top-25 finishes at this event.
Kevin Kisner ($8,800)
Consistently one of the best putters on Bermuda, Kisner enjoys playing at Waelaie Country Club. Over the last five times out at this event, he has two fourth-place finishes and a fifth. He is trending very nicely as well, with five top-10s in the last six months.
Zach Johnson ($8,500)
Johnson had a very solid finish to 2020. He made his final eight cuts and mixed in three top-10s. The 22-year Tour veteran has found his game of late and goes to a course that should set up very well for him. His strong putting and accuracy off the tee should help him compete in Hawaii. Johnson is a former winner of the event (2009).
Patton Kizzire ($7,700)
A winner here in 2018, Kizzire had a very solid stretch going to end 2020. In his final four events of last year, he had finishes of 32nd, 10th, 11th and 24th. He can rack up a lot of points of your lineups because of his high birdie-or-better percentage. He is an excellent putter who should know his way around this course this week.
Hudson Swafford ($6,800)
This salary is very inviting considering Swafford’s course history and recent form. Swafford has three top-15 finishes in his last five times out at this event, including a third-place finish here in 2019. The 33-year-old won the Corales Championship in September of 2020 and played well in Hawaii last week (T35).
Brian Gay ($6,700)
Sticking the mold of shorter, accurate hitters who have a strong putter, Gay is someone worth backing at a good price. The Bermuda Championship winner of 2020 proved he still has plenty left in the tank. His course history is tremendous, with five top-15 finishes here. In my rolling stats, Gay ranks top-10 in driving accuracy, scrambling, and putting.
Check out the FREE betting guide for the Sony Open at BettingPros
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Nic Turner is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Nic, check out his archive and follow him @sportzbandit.
