PGA Props Picks: Sony Open Predictions

We had a successful weekend of golf betting in Maui at the Tournament of Champions as we hit two of our four bets. We took a (+300) shot on Rickie Fowler, and from the start, he looked like a 3 to 1 underdog to finish inside the top ten.

The two bets we hit were small underdogs. So, the plan worked, and we came out with a modest 17% return on our investment. It doesn’t sound like much. If we can maintain that on a week-to-week basis over time, though, we would be very successful.

Hawaii is a long way to travel for anyone, and it is made up of 8 islands with some of the most beautiful golf courses in the world. So, let's hop on a plane or a boat even, travel to Honolulu, and check out the Waialea Country Club for the Sony Open.

The course is one of the most challenging on the Tour for driving accuracy. However, recent adjustments to the height of the rough have made this one a Bryson DeChambeau special. Just rip it off the tee and play it wherever it stops rolling.

A good tee-to-green stat is something we will look for this week along with putting prowess and golfers who perform their best on Bermudagrass.

I hope you're ready for some seriously interesting prop bets today because we have everything from a 1st round leader play to some yes or no odds on whether we will see a hole-in-one or not.

Let’s dive in!

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Hideki Matsuyama to Make the Cut: -205

This first one is fairly straightforward. I generally like to keep most of my golf bets above the watermark in the plus money range, but this one stuck out to me to have the most value. The betting favorites for the tourney were sitting at nearly 5 to 1 to make the cut.

Hideki Matsuyama is one of the most experienced golfers on the PGA Tour. The Japanese superstar has had mixed success here at Waialea, but he was the one hoisting the trophy outside of the clubhouse just two years ago.

He rarely has back-to-back bad weeks, and he is coming off of a rough performance at The Sentry this past weekend. His 4th round was his best, however, and I think he will keep his score low enough to make it to the weekend.

The field isn’t that strong.

Double Chance to Win

Ludvig Aberg or Corey Conners: +1400

If either of these two golfers wins the tournament, we get paid.

We will give Ludvig Aberg a mulligan for his underwhelming performance in Maui. The European was probably a bit jet-lagged after not giving himself enough time to acclimate.

His particular set of skills aligns itself well with Waialea.

Our other guy for this bet is the Canadian Corey Conners. The Kent State grad is in his prime at the age of 32 and has one of the best course histories in the field. His previous 4 outings earned him a 3rd, 11th, 12th, and another 11th place finish.

Any Hole in One is Made

Yes: -140

No: +100

It looks like a coin flip, but I have to include this one. It's a lot of fun, especially if you can watch some of the tournament on TV.

Winds play a major role at Waialea. The breeze is expected to die down a bit for the weekend, but coastal weather can be unpredictable. Thursday and Friday, though, winds of up to 35 MPH are projected.

Take the even money bet here, and let's try to double our money with a NO on the hole-in-one.

Pick: No

Keegan Bradley Round 1 Leader: +5500

Thursday is likely to be the windiest day of the week in Honolulu. The first round is going to be a tough one for everybody.

So, why Keegan Bradley? Well, he has finished 12th here twice over the past four years. He plays some of his best golf on Bermudagrass. 55 to 1 is a reach. However, if you hit a bet like this, you can buy a plane ticket to Hawaii and watch both The Sentry and the Sony Open next year.

Matchup

Sahith Theegala (-110) vs Andrew Putnam (-110)

The Orange, California native Sahith Theegala shot an incredible 10 under par on Sunday in Maui, only to fall one shot short of the winner, Chris Kirk.

Theegala doesn't have the course history here, but he didn't have any previous competitive experience at The Sentry last week, either.

The sportsbooks have him matched up with Andrew Putnam this week, and they are each sitting at (-110).

Putnam is another American. He didn't finish very high on the leaderboard last week, but many people didn't. It was one of the easiest courses on the Tour, and only champions were invited.

The Pepperdine grad was right there in round 4, with Theegala shooting 9 under on Sunday.

He isn't a big name, and Sahith has a lot of hype behind him. I am actually going to side with the 34-year-old Tacoma native and bet against the hype.

He is playing just as hot as Theegala, and Putnam has a 2nd place finish here and a 4th just a year ago. It's hard to deny the top 5 finishes in a matchup with someone, who has zero course history.

Pick: Putnam

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