Following Jon Rahm’s incredible come from behind win at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the PGA TOUR will make a short trip from Maui to Honolulu, Hawaii, for the Sony Open. Ever since this tournament was added to the annual PGA TOUR schedule in 1965, Waialae Country Club (par 70, 7,044 yards, Bermuda greens) has been the only course to host the Sony Open. Last season, Hideki Matsuyama finished at 23-under-par and defeated Russell Henley in a playoff for the win.
Waialae CC is an easy par 70 that always generates low scoring. In fact, Matsuyama last season became the seventh Sony Open champion over the last decade to crack 20 strokes under par. With shorter hitters like Kevin Na, Matt Kuchar and Patton Kizzire winning at Waialae CC over the last five years, being long off-the-tee is not a necessary skill at this par 70. However, what those three players all have in common is that they are elite putters of the golf ball and savvy par-4 players. For 10 years running, the golfer to take home the top prize at Waialae CC has ranked T6 or better in par 4 efficiency during their wins. Furthermore, over the last five years, three of the Sony Open victors have finished the event top-three in SG: Putting.
After last week’s limited field at the Sentry TOC, the Sony Open is our first full field event of the year, with 144 golfers competing and a standard top-65 and ties cut following the first two rounds. Seven of the top-25 ranked players in the world are listed in this field, with Tom Kim ($10,500) as current betting favorite to win the Sony Open on the DraftKings Sportsbook at +1100.
Below, I dive into my four favorite sub $7.5K DraftKings bargain plays for the Sony Open.
Brendon Todd ($7,400) – Todd is a world class putter (finishing top-10 in SG: Putting in two of the last three seasons) that has been very successful at Waialae CC throughout his career. In eight appearances at the tropical venue, Todd has only missed one cut and carded three top-25 finishes. The Georgia graduate finished 2022 making eight of his final 10 cuts – including a pair of top-10 finishes – and is far too cheap for his upside. Todd’s salary for this week is notably the cheapest he has been for a Sony Open since 2016.
Chris Kirk ($7,400) – Kirk is coming off a MC at the RSM Classic, but this is only the second time he has failed to make the cut in his last 13 starts, and he should bounce back with a quality finish at Waialae CC this weekend. Kirk has made eight of 12 cuts at the par 70, including two runner-up finishes, one of which just came two years ago. The 37-year-old ranks third in this field in career Strokes Gained at Waialae CC and ranks eighth in Total Strokes Gained when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at venues that are home to Bermuda greens. Kirk is one of the best bargains of the week at this soft price tag and should come with low ownership with a missed cut as his most recent result.
Greyson Sigg ($7,300) – Sigg finished T44 in his Sony Open debut last season and should produce an even better result in his second attempt at Waialae CC this week. After a rough patch in the middle of the Summer, the 27-year-old was outstanding to close out 2022, advancing to the weekend in 10 of his final 12 starts, with seven of these finishes being top-30 results. Impressively, Sigg has shot under par in 17 of his last 20 rounds, most notably with a six-under par 64 at the RSM Classic for his final round of 2022, which tied his career low on the PGA TOUR. Ranking ninth in Strokes Gained on par 4’s, 10th in BOB% and 13th in SG: Putting across past 24 rounds, Sigg checks all the boxes for Waialae CC and is a steal at this low salary.
Stewart Cink ($6,900) – At this sub $7K salary, Cink is vastly underpriced for his chances of making the cut. The veteran has proceeded to the weekend in eight of his past 12 starts, with three top-30 finishes coming during this run. On top of the solid form, Cink owns an impressive course resume at Waialae CC. The 49-year-old has been competing on the weekend in 13 of his last 15 appearances at the par 70, including six top-30 finishes in that span. Cink is never a popular option (hasn’t cracked 5% ownership in DraftKings’ main GPP of the week in 12 starts), but is an appealing punt play that will help you squeeze multiple studs into your lineup.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.