Golf
Sony Open Predictions & Betting Tips (2026)
The PGA TOUR’s 2026 season tees off this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii, hosted at the famous Waialae Country Club on the island of Oahu.
Lush fairways and palm trees, plus views of the Pacific Ocean create a beautiful relaxed ambience for this opening, almost “laidback” tour competition. It’s little wonder the event attracts 120 of the world’s top golfers to the islands to compete for a share of the $9.1 million purse.
Here are my five against the field in Hawaii this week:
Si Woo Kim (18/1)
Last Friday afternoon, Si Woo Kim announced that he would be competing in the Sony Open, quashing rumours he was about to join the LIV Tour.
After ostensibly committing to the event he won in 2023, I dare say Kim will let his golf do the talking this week, and I have him down as a cert to finish in the top five positions.
Course experience seems to be pay real dividends at Waialae and Si Woo has it by the bucket load.
Corey Conners (28/1)
Canadian Corey Conners has been very steady at Waialae down the years with four finishes of T12 or better, including a T3 finish in 2019. It was actually a remarkable performance by Conners as he had only just qualified for the tournament via a play-off on the previous Monday.
Conners took part in 25 tournaments last season, making the cut in them all (100%), so one would like to think he will at least make the weekend play.
Chris Kirk (35/1)
Kirk participated in 23 tournaments last season, securing one win and three top ten finishes.
His record in the Sony Open is highly encouraging from a punting point of view, because the last four times he has competed here, he has finished in the top three twice. In 2021 he finished just one shot adrift of Kevin Na on a score of -20, while in 2023 he ended the week on a total of -18, three shots behind tournament winner Si Woo Kim.
If there was ever an each-way play this week, it’s certainly with Chris Kirk.
Nico Echavarria (50/1)
Nick Taylor needed two playoff holes to see off Nico Echavarria of Colombia to claim this tournament twelve months ago, so it would come as no surprise if the South-American does his upmost to avenge that painful loss this week.
Over his last five tournaments, Echavarria has finished in the top 15 three times, most recently playing very well to finish T4 in the RSM Classic in November. Course experience this week should see him right in the thick of things.
Michael Kim (70/1)
A full-time member of the PGA Tour since 2016, Kim won his first PGA Tour event at the 2018 John Deere Classic by eight shots, setting a tournament scoring record. Unfortunately his form fell to pieces in 2019, lost his Tour Card in 2021-22, then regained it in 2022-23 after a stint on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Last year we started to see the old Kim. He finished tied second at the Phoenix Open and won his first DP World Tour title at the French Open in September 2025.
He’s clearly a resurgent player and could well make a fist of it this week at generous each-way odds.
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*
