Recapping last weeks picks for #TheSentry, did not hit the outright dinner and didn't have any other bets for top-5/10/20 finish. But here is how my squad did last weekend.
Viktor Hovland (+900) T22
Patrick Cantlay (+1200) T12
Max Homa (+1200) T14
Sunjae Im (+3000) T5
J.T. Poston (+9000) T5
Golf is a funny sport to bet on, as you see the guys with the higher odds finished closer to the top.
2024 Sony Open schedule
Dates: Jan. 11-14 | Location: Waialae Country Club Honolulu, Hawaii
Par: 70 | Yardage: 7,044 | Purse: $8,300,000
Previous Winner: Si Woo Kim
The PGA Tour moves from Maui to the Waialae Country Club for the Sony Open. The first full-field event of the 2024 PGA Tour season will feature 38 of the 59 golfers who teed it up last week at The Sentry as well as an eclectic mix of young PGA Tour members and Korn Ferry Tour graduates. Shout out Kevin Kisner on joining the booth for the PGA Tour this past weekend. It was a nice change of pace in the booth, especially when Jordan Spieth missed a 3 foot putt after Kisner said to just tap it in and not think about it. Now he will be teeing it up in Waialae.
As the first full-field event of 2024, the Sony serves up a healthy cross section of established veterans (not only Kisner but also major winners Brian Harman, Hideki Mastsuyama, Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick) and rising stars, including Ludvig Aberg and Akshay Bhatia. Among the familiar faces will be two who have been largely out of sight of late. Gary Woodland, sidelined since September, when he underwent brain surgery, will be back in action. Will Zalatoris who has played just four competitive rounds (at the 20-man Hero World Challenge in November) since having back surgery in April, will be playing this week as well.
Chris Kirk, who went off at +12500, won the Sentry Tournament of Champions last week, holding off Sahith Theegala and Jordan Spieth to get into the winner’s circle.
Picks & Odds:
Ludvig Aberg (16-1): The Swedish superstar finally flew through some turbulence at The Sentry as a third-round 77 sent him tumbling down the leaderboard. He bounced back quietly with a 10-under 63 on Sunday and looks primed to contend for his second PGA Tour victory in his last three starts. Despite already being a household name, Aberg will continue to experience a number of firsts in his first full season on the PGA Tour including this week at Waialae Country Club.
Russel Henley (22-1): Henley returns to his happy place this week. His first victory was at the 2013 Sony, and he lost in a playoff at Waialae two years ago. The four-time PGA Tour winner is accurate off the tee and has gained strokes on approach in 15 of his past 17 events. While Henley underwhelmed at the Sentry with a T52 showing (-11), I’m anticipating a huge improvement in his tee-to-green game and his familiarity with the greens at Waialae to pave the way for him to be in contention Sunday. I’ve also bet Henley at +130 to finish in the Top 20.
Sahith Theegala (33-1): In terms of course fit, Kapalua may have been as good as it gets for Theegala. Waialae presents a stark contrast and could lead to some struggles for the man who finished one off the pace at The Sentry. Theegala's ceiling has always been high, but he looks to be adding some consistency to his repertoire. The 26-year-old now has a win, a runner-up result and three other top-20 results in his last seven worldwide starts.
J.T. Poston (33-1): A top-five putter in the field, Poston’s last six months have been fueled by a much-improved approach game. He’s first in the field for creating birdie opportunities and third in birdie or better percentage. Take J.T. and watch the Postman deliver your first win of the year.
Harris Englihsh (45-1): English has the game to succeed at Waialae, and he showed well in the Sentry with a T14 finish. His accuracy off the tee will play well, and he finished 10th in strokes gained putting last week. I’m also anticipating his approach game to see statistical correction. English lost 1.595 strokes on approaches last week, but he entered the Sentry with +0.75 true strokes gained approach per round over his previous five events. I’m also backing English in the Top 20 market at +220.
Co Worker Jim's Picks:
Conners: 30-1
Theegala: 40-1
Davis: 45-1
Glover: 65-1
Bradley: 65-1
Players To Fade:
Brian Harmans bald nerdy ass.