Sony Open Golf Tips & Predictions

We have expert betting tips for the Sony Open this week, which is the first PGA Tour tournament of the year.

It has attracted a tidy field, including Russell Henley, Hideki Matsuyama, J.J. Spaun, and many other Tour winners from last year.

Our golf picks this week include players at big odds, who could make an early impression on the links in Hawaii.

Sony Open Tips & Predictions

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Best Bet

Maverick McNealy @ $34.00

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We fancy Maverick McNealy to make a positive start to his year. He showed good consistency in 2025, including making the cut in all four majors.

That should spur him on for a good start to the season at the Sony Open, and he should be suited by the conditions. He doesn’t mind playing the wind, as shown by his performance at the Open Championship last year.

The American, who graduated from Stanford, is a smart golfer, and he’s going under the radar at $34.

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Next Best

Aaron Rai @ $34.00

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Aaron Rai is another player going under the radar, and punters could cash in with the $34 odds.

The British golfer had a busy offseason on the DP World Tour, so he hasn’t missed a beat, and he played well in those tournaments to close out the year.

A winner on the PGA Tour, Rai has gone from strength to strength since moving to the US, and we have him winning at least one tournament in 2026. It could come at the Sony Open this week, and we’re happy to take the $34.

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Best Value Bet

Nico Echavarria @ $41.00

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Columbia’s Nico Echavarria could have a breakout year on the PGA Tour, and he could have a similar year to what Ludvig Aberg had in 2024.

He has already shown his ability to play well against tough fields, and although he’s no spring chicken at 31 years old, he hasn’t been on the Tour for very long. He should have derived plenty of benefit from 2025, and he could out swinging.

His game is good enough to win the Sony Open, so take the value odds.

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Best Roughie

Billy Horschel @ $76.00

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Billy Horschel has become a battler on the Tour, but he is good enough to win the opening tournament of the year.

He went through a tough period of his career, which included plenty of missed cuts. However, we liked how he ended 2025, and that should give him enough confidence to be competitive in fields without the world’s best players.

Getting $76 for Horschel is a good price, and he should give punters a good sight.

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Top 10

Hideki Matsuyama @ $3.20

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Class is with Hideki Matsuyama, who is a major winner, and is still one of the best players in the world.

The Japanese superstar typically plays well in Hawaii, and we don’t think he’s getting enough respect in Top 10 betting markets.

Punters get $3.20 for a player who is consistently on the first page of the leaderboard, so snap up the value odds.

Editor In Chief

Daryl Curnow

After graduating from the University of Auckland (BA - English), Daryl was thrown into the world of sports and horse racing journalism.

Having worked as a racing journalist for two years, he decided to move into the online world of horse racing and sports writing. After years of honing his craft, Daryl became a professional punter in 2009 - with a focus on horse racing, NRL, AFL, NBA, Rugby, NFL, and US college sports.

Daryl's tips have been featured on various websites around the world before joining the GoBet team. When he's not working, Daryl tries to avoid making bogeys on the golf course.