2026 PGA Tour Sony Open Expert Picks, Outright Winners for Waialae Country Club in Hawaii

It’s been a long time since I’ve had the opportunity to write one of these betting previews. I used to do them for every event, but I took some time off last summer for the birth of my daughter. She has been the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. She is a beam of sunshine, and the cutest baby I have ever seen. I’ve always thought that sleep was overrated anyway.

With the NFL regular season in the rearview mirror, I have time to provide these golf articles once again. It’s good to be back, and it’s good to have golf back in our lives after the short winter break. We typically start the year with The Sentry, but it was canceled due to severe drought and water restrictions in Maui.

Instead, we start with the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club. We have a talented field teeing it up in Hawaii. Even better, we have a cut (120 golfers in the field) and Shot Tracker for all four rounds. Sweating an event is just not the same without being able to see the play-by-play of every golfer.

2026 Sony Open Outright Picks

Ben Griffin

+1900 at FanDuel | 5% on Kalshi

I have Ben Griffin and Russell Henley as the clear favorites in my model this week, so I’ll side with Griffin at +1900 over Henley at +1100.

In his last 13 starts, Griffin has 10 top-15 finishes. The floor has been incredible. He’s also had a high ceiling during that stretch, picking up two wins and two runner-up finishes.

He’s elite on approach, excellent around the green, and an elite putter. This is a perfect course for his skill set.

In the last 12 months, Griffin is top 10 in the world in adjusted strokes gained per round. He’s also picked up three wins during that stretch if you count the Zurich Classic.

I say this mostly in jest, but could we be looking at the next Scottie Scheffler?

Aaron Rai

+3500 at BetMGM | 3% on Kalshi

Aaron Rai has only won one event on the PGA Tour, but he actually has three more victories on the DP World Tour. He recently picked up a win at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, so he should have plenty of confidence heading into this season.

Rai is a good total driver of the ball, he’s above-average around the green, and he’s one of the best iron players in the world. His upside largely hinges on the flatstick.

While I wouldn’t call him a good putter, he’s what I like to call a splash putter in that he’s capable of gaining 3, 4, or 5 strokes putting in any given week.

Rico Hoey

+5000 at DraftKings | 2% on Kalshi

We didn’t have Shot Tracker for a lot of the fall events, so we don’t truly know how Rico Hoey gained all of his strokes. However, he finished T7, T22, T21, solo second, and T4 in his last five events of the year.

Hoey switched putters before the start of the fall swing, and that has clearly paid dividends. Let’s hope he took the break to improve even more on the greens.

Hoey is right there with Corey Conners as the best ball-striker in the field, so don’t be surprised if he’s in the mix on Sunday once again. At this price, he deserves a look on your outright card.

Nicolas Echavarria

+5000 at DraftKings | 2% on Kalshi

Nicolas Echavarria nearly won this event last year. He was positive in all four of the strokes gained metrics but ultimately lost in a playoff to Nick Taylor.

Echavarria tends to shine on these Par 70 courses that reward good iron play and good putting (his two biggest strengths).

He clearly likes the course and has played well in the fall, posting top-15 finishes in three of his last four events.

Eric Cole

+9000 at DraftKings | <1% on Kalshi

I remember when Griffin and Eric Cole were on the same trajectory a couple of years ago. One continued to trend upward, while Cole couldn’t seem to figure out his driver.

That’s still a concern at this stage of his career, but that’s why he’s +9000 this week.

He sets up well for the course, as he’s excellent on approach, around the green, and on the green.

This is an enticing number for a golfer who has finished T5 and T13 at this event in the last two years.

When is the 2026 Sony Open?

The 2026 Sony Open tees off on Thursday, January 15, 2026.

• What: Sony Open
• When: January 15-18, 2026
• Where: Waialae Country Club, Honolulu
• Par: 70
• Length: 7,044
• Purse: $9.1million

Where is the 2026 Sony Open?

Sony Open Course Preview: Waialae Country Club

Wailae Country Club is a Par 70 that measures 7,044 yards. Each of the last five winners have finished between -16 and -23, so the course is certainly on the easier side of the spectrum. The fairways here are average in width (36 yards), and the greens are fairly large on average (7,100 square feet). The greens feature bermudagrass and should run at around 11 on the stimpmeter.

While this isn’t the tight, technical track that it used to be, it still isn’t a course that can be overpowered off the tee. Driving accuracy hasn’t been super important to success here, and driving distance has been even less important. This course is all about what you do after you hit your tee shot. Approach play, scrambling, and putting are all important metrics this week. We can also bump up Par 4 scoring since this is a Par 70.

Where to Watch the 2026 Sony Open?

2026 Sony Open TV Schedule

Round 1: Thursday, January 15

• Live stream: ESPN+ (noon to 10 p.m. ET)
• TV coverage: Golf Channel (7 to 10 p.m.)

Round 2: Friday, January 16

• Live stream: ESPN+ (noon to 10 p.m. ET)
• TV coverage: Golf Channel (7 to 10 p.m.)

Round 3: Saturday, January 17

• Live stream: ESPN+ (noon to 10 p.m. ET)
• TV coverage: Golf Channel (7 to 10 p.m.)

Round 4: Sunday, January 18

• Live stream: ESPN+ (noon to 10 p.m. ET)
• TV coverage: Golf Channel (7 to 10 p.m.)

Who is Favored to Win the 2026 Sony Open?

Russell Henley is favored to win the 2026 Sony Open at +1100 odds posted at DraftKings.

Next up is Ben Griffin at +1400 odds to win the Sony Open, followed by five golfers at +2000: J.J. Spaun, Hideki Matsuyama, Si Woo Kim, Robert MacIntyre, and Collin Morikawa

2026 Sony Open Betting Odds, Favorites

Odds via DraftKings and as of Tuesday