2023 Sony Open: PGA Tour Golf Betting Odds
South Korean Tom Kim favoured to win on the golf odds.
To play at last week’s Sentry Tournament of champions, a player had to have won in the PGA Tour last year or finished in the Top 30 of the FedExCup points and there was no cut with the limited field. Normal qualification requirements are in place this week with the standard 36-hold cut.
Waialae Country Club, a par 70 at 7,044 yards, has hosted the Sony Open since 1965 and is much, much shorter, flatter and narrower than last week’s track at Kapalua, but there are still many views of the Pacific Ocean. Being a par 70 that means only two par 5s and they conclude each nine. The par-3 17th at 194 yards parallel to the ocean is considered the signature hole. Like last week, it’s surely going to take at least 20 under par to win.
The defending champion is Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, who made up a five-shot deficit on the back nine and then beat Russell Henley in a playoff with an eagle after both finished at 23-under 257. Matsuyama birdied the 72nd hole got into the playoff when Henley missed a 10-foot birdie putt and closed with 65. Back to the 18th for the sudden-death playoff, Matsuyama hit 3-wood off the tee and 3-wood again to reach the par 5 in two and just 3 feet from the hole, although he couldn’t see his approach shot as it was hit into the bright setting sun. Henley couldn’t reach the green in two and finished with a bogey.
At least one former champion won’t be playing: 2020 winner Cameron Smith of Australia as he’s now on the LIV tour. He was the betting favourite entering last year’s tournament.
Jon Rahm, who rallied for a win Sunday at the Tournament of Champions, is not in the field this week. Rahm was six shots back at the turn to leader Collin Morikawa, who was our pick to win but collapsed down the stretch as the ninth player to lose a six-shot lead going into the final round. He’s not playing this week, either. A total of 19 of the 39 golfers who played the TOC are scheduled to tee it up at the Sony.
Sony Open Golf Odds
Rising superstar Tom Kim of South Korea is only 20 years old but already has two PGA Tour victories and is the +1300 favourite this week. He comes off a T5 at the Tournament of Champions, never shooting worse than a 69.
Sungjae Im is +1400 with defending champion Hideki Matsuyama +1600, Jordan Spieth +1800 and Russell Henley +2000. Im comes off a T13 at the TOC and missed the cut here a year ago. Matsuyama looks to become the first golfer to go back-to-back at the Sony since Jimmy Walker (2014-15) and was T21 at the Tournament of Champions. Spieth was T13 at the TOC and plays here for the first time since missing the cut in 2019. Henley (T30 on Sunday) as noted was a runner-up here last year.
No Canadian has won the Sony Open. Adam Svensson was T7 last year, Corey Conners 11th, and Roger Sloan, Taylor Pendrith and Michael Gligic missed the cut. Conners is +2500 this week with Mackenzie Hughes +7600, Svensson +8100, Nick Taylor +15000 and Gligic +35000.
Sony Open Golf Predictions
Take Tom Kim at +163 for a Top 10, but the winner is the Canadian Corey Conners at +2500. He has been worse than T12 just once in four trips here with a best of T3 in 2019. He comes off a final-round 67 at the TOC and a T18 finish.
