After an exciting conclusion to the 2016 Hyundai Tournament of Champions, some of the best golfers in the planet now shift their focus to the upcoming Sony Open in Hawaii. It’s bound to be one exciting tournament, with seven of the world’s top 30 golfers competing in this week’s event.
[sc:PGA15-250 ]Who among the 140-player field will take home the crown? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this world-class tournament and while you’re at it, you can check out our sleeper picks for the Sony Open in Hawaii.
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2016 Sony Open in Hawaii Betting Preview
Where: Waialae Country Club, Honolulu
When: January 14-17
Line: view all Sony Open in Hawaii lines
Favorites –Jimmy Walker and Adam Scott
Jimmy Walker will be looking to create some history this week as he attempts to become the first golfer to win the Sony Open three consecutive times. Only the great Ernie Els has come close to pulling off this gargantuan feat, finishing one shot behind Vijay Singh in the 2005 staging of this event.
[sc:Golf240banner ]The American will fancy his chances of doing just that as he has been playing some spectacular golf to start the year. Walker finished tied for 10th in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, firing a 15-under-par total of 277, which also comes on the heels of his eighth-place finish at the Hero World Challenge last month. With the form that he is in right now and his experience with this particular event, expect Walker to wreak havoc in this tournament again this week.
If there’s one golfer, though, who can stop Walker from his three-peat bid, it’s got to be Adam Scott. The World No. 11 is the highest-ranked golfer in this week’s event. The Australian also came close to winning this event two years ago, finishing in a 12-way tie for eighth place with a 10-under-par total of 270. That being said, this will be Scott’s first tournament since the long putter was banned from the PGA Tour. It will be interesting to see how Scott copes with such a major rule change.
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High-Value Sleepers – Brandt Snedeker and Harris English
One player who’s playing some great golf at the moment is Brandt Snedeker. He was in scintillating form in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, firing a 21-under-par total of 271 to finish in a respectable third place. If not for Spieth’s record-shattering 30-under mark, we could still be talking about Snedeker’s solid finish instead.
One advantage that Snedeker has against the rest of the field is his smooth touch on the putting greens. He is 16th in the PGA Tour in strokes gained via putting with a solid .982 average. That will come in handy when tackling the delicate greens of the Waialae Country Club course.
Another golfer who’s primed for a huge performance this week is Harris English. He loves playing in this Hawaiian course (marketed as the Honolulu epicenter of golf) as evidenced by his past performances in this event. He is a perfect 4-of-4 in this tournament with top-10 finishes in each of the past three years. He ended up tied for ninth in 2013, grabbed a solo fourth in 2014, and finished tied for third in this event last year. English is one golfer you shouldn’t sleep on this week.
Long Shot – Chris Kirk
One golfer who can definitely surprise this weekend is Chris Kirk. Injuries may have hampered his 2015 season, but it looks like the American is back to his golfing best once again. He has recorded top-25 finishes in his last two starts, which bode well for his appearance in the Sony Open this week. He has also fared extremely well in this tournament in the past, posting two top-10s in the last three years, including a solo second back in 2014. Look for Chris Kirk to be in the hunt this coming weekend.
Writer’s Prediction
Brandt Snedeker ends his barren run with a victory here in the Sony Open.
