The second round of the 2026 Sony Open gets underway on Friday at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Kevin Roy and Nick Taylor are the co-leaders after the first round at 8-under par. They hold a one-stroke lead over the rest of the field, and the tournament remains wide open with three days remaining.
Here are my favorite Sony Open live bets for Friday.
Sony Open Live Odds, Bets: Value Plays After Round 1
Matt McCarty Top 20 (+150 at DraftKings)
The second wave of Thursday’s opening round faced a much more difficult golf course than the morning wave due to firmer greens and heavier wind gusts. However, the good news for golfers like Matt McCarty, who found themselves in the afternoon groupings on Thursday, is that the waves flip on Friday.
Heavier wind gusts are once again expected in the afternoon, so those teeing off Friday morning should have a similar advantage to the golfers who went out early Thursday. Naturally, that presents a major opportunity for players who survived Thursday’s afternoon carnage.
McCarty was one of those golfers, entering Friday tied for 29th at 3-under par. The strongest part of his game is his putting, which is especially important at Waialae Country Club.
Last year, each of the top nine finishers at the Sony Open ranked 30th or better in the field in strokes gained: putting. No other strokes-gained category showed a similar trend.
Billy Horschel Top 20 (+290 at DraftKings)
Another golfer who survived Thursday’s afternoon wave in decent shape was Billy Horschel, who enters Friday tied for 56th at 1-under par. Just two years ago, at the 2024 Sony Open, Horschel improved day over day and finished tied for 18th.
The main question surrounding Horschel this year was how he would rebound following hip surgery last summer. He struggled in his first few outings after returning in the fall before finding his footing, finishing tied for 11th at the Bank of Utah Championship and 15th at the Hero World Challenge.
Strong putting carried him in each of those tournaments, setting him up for a third consecutive top-20 finish this week if he can get the putter rolling again.
