The 2022 Sony Open gets underway on Thursday at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii. It will be the 57th edition of the season’s first full-field event.
Kevin Na returns to defend his 2021 title, while 2020 winner Cameron Smith enters off a record-setting performance last week in Kapalua.
The tournament’s headliner will be Hideki Matsuyama, the reigning Masters winner. The Japanese superstar will be seeking his first top-10 finish in his ninth career start at the Waialae layout.
Note: Each week, we make our picks based on the odds offered by DraftKings Sportsbook. The picks we make MUST offer payouts of at least +200. (We are looking for the best return.)
2022 Sony Open in Hawaii
Top-5 Betting Favorites
Pos-Player-Odds
1. Cameron Smith (10-1)
2. Webb Simpson (16-1)
3. Hideki Matsuyama (18-1)
3. Sungjae Im (18-1)
5. Corey Conners (25-1)
5. Marc Leishman (25-1)
3 Bets To Win
Outright Winner
Hideki Matsuyama (+1,800) – The reigning Green Jacket holder enters off a top-15 at Kapalua and a win at the ZOZO Championship. Amid this two-start stretch, Matsuyama has posted eight straight rounds in the red, carding a cumulative score of 36-under par.
As a Japan native, Hideki has made the Sony a regular stop on his annual schedule, making him the highest profile tour star to be a fixture in Honolulu. Despite this familiarity with the Waialae layout, Matsuyama has never posted a top-10 finish. We think that streak ends this week. And ends in a big way… with a walk to the winner’s circle.
Three other outright picks we like: Cameron Smith (+1,000), Webb Simpson (+1,600), Russell Henley (+3,300)
Top-5 Finish
Brendan Steele (+1100) – The 38-year-old Steele has been a horse for the Waialae course in past two editions. In 2020, he was the 54-hole leader before losing to Cameron Smith in overtime, and then last year, producing a third-round 61 en route to a T4 finish.
In six starts during the wrap-around fall series, Steele finished in the money five times, with a top-20 and T2 his best showings.
Three other top-5 picks we like: Kevin Kisner (+550), Billy Horschel (+550), Matt Kuchar (+950)
Top-10 Finish
Chris Kirk (+550) – The 36-year-old Tennesseean finished T2 in 2021, which included four consecutive rounds of 65. Kirk owns three additional top-10s including a second runner-up in 2014. We think Kirk posts his first top-10 finish of the season in Honolulu.
Three other top-10 picks we like: Jason Kokrak (+300), Ryan Palmer (+450), Joel Dahmen (+500)
Odds To Win: 2022 Sony Open
Waialae Country Club . Honolulu, Hawaii . Jan. 13-16, 2022
Joel Cook contributed to this report.
