PGA Betting – Sony Open Preview & Pick
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2013 Sony Open in Hawaii
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Course: Waialae Country Club
Date: Jan 10-13, 2013
Total Purse: US $ 5,500,000
Winner’s Share: US $ 990,000 (18% of total purse)
Defending Champion: Johnson Wagner ($990,000)
With the windy, wacky Hyundai Tournament of Champions finally out of the way, now is time for the first full-field event of the Golf season – the Sony Open in Honolulu. Waialae Country Club hosts 19 former PGA TOUR winners and 25 graduates from the Web.com Tour this weekend, starting Thursday on a relatively short but challenging course. Length won’t necessarily be rewarded here – accuracy and strong iron play will likely get it done.
So let’s take a look at some of the names to watch this weekend.
The Favorites:
Dustin Johnson 10/1
Emerged the victor in the Hyundai to start his season off right. He has played this event twice in the past finishing T10 in 2008 and T6 in 2010. Johnson has proven to be very good in the wind – last week and last year at Southwind proved that blustery conditions raise the level of his game. Johnson is clearly the biggest name in the field but he may be hard to trust after a long week at Kapalua.
Webb Simpson 16/1
Will be playing this even for the sixth straight year but has just one top 10 – a T9 in his first trip in 2009. He looked good last week however in the crazy Hyundai and could be motivated to avenge a couple of good starts to rounds that were wiped out due to weather. If not for Simpson’s sketchy past here he would have to be considered a huge favorite.
Matt Kuchar 16/1
Finished T5 here in 2011 and skipped the event last year. He has two top 5s here but has missed the cut six of the nine times he’s started the Sony. Still, his game is perfectly suited for this track – he is among the best in the world with his irons and his putter. Ball striking is the key here and Kuchar is among the best on the planet – a very impressive Tuesday round at the Hyundai has opened my eyes even more!
Keegan Bradley 16/1
Led the TOUR in all-around last season and looked pretty good last week at the Hyundai. He finished T13 here last year but his game is well suited for a run here.
The Contenders:
Zach Johnson 20/1
The 2009 champion didn’t look so hot last week but this course suits him much better – length isn’t such a key! Other than the 2009 win, his results have been just OK on this track in the past. Johnson thrives on the shorter courses and with a win a few years ago here, he has to be in the conversation. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Charles Howell III 22/1
Absolutely loves this course – 11 starts and 11 cut made with six top 5s including last year’s T2. He is third all-time in earnings at this event. Howell III closed out 2012 in fine form and will be looking to keep the momentum going this week.
Tim Clark 33/1
Comes in a little under the radar and rightfully so. But he finished second here in 2011 when he led the field in both proximity to the hole and scrambling. Also co-led in greens in regulation. Clark has played this event three times and hasn’t finished outside the Top 25 yet. He, like Zach Johnson thrives on courses in which length isn’t the determining factor – watch out for Clark this week!
Brendon de Jonge 33/1
Arguably the hottest golfer on the planet after a sensational Fall Series and a win in Malaysia. He was 8th on the PGA TOUR in GIR in 2012 and finished T10 in this event last year. de Jonge has had troubles on the weekends in the past but seems to have figured it all out ahead of the Sony.
The Sleepers:
Matt Every 50/1
Finished T6 in this event last year after holding the lead through 54 holes. He led the PGA TOUR in birdies or better on par 4s in 2012 and is certainly due for his first ever PGA win.
David Hearn 125/1
Looking for a deep sleeper? David Hearn’s game is very well suited for this track! He finished T10 here last year ranking T7 in fairways hit, T17 in greens and sixth in proximity. Hearn played well toward the end of last year – he has every quality to make a run this year at Waialae.
The Pick:
It is hard to get a gage of the players that played in the Hyundai but I am going to take a stab anyway. My pick this week is matt Kuchar at 16/1. His game, his attitude and his recent success all have me pointing in his direction this week.
My sleeper is Matt Every at 50/1. He maybe deserved a better fate last year and karma could catch up with him this year.
