2026 Sony Open Picks & Predictions: Best PGA Bets
The 2026 PGA Tour season tees off at the 61st edition of the Sony Open on Thursday. 120 golfers in this field will compete at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawai’i, on the island of Oahu, with a traditional cut line enforced after the first two rounds. Nick Taylor returns as the defending champion, beating Nico Echavarria in a playoff.
This is a par 70 track that runs short at 7,044 yards, featuring Bermudagrass surfaces, with the Stimpmeter measuring 12 feet for putting velocity. Rough stands at 3.5 inches, while undulated greens and coastal winds will be the biggest obstacles for golfers to overcome.
Notable golfers in this field, aside from Taylor, include betting favorites like J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley, Hideki Matsuyama, Ben Griffin, and Collin Morikawa. Keegan Bradley, Robert MacIntyre, and Jordan Spieth are also names to monitor in Honolulu this week.
I’ve got three best bets to tail ahead of Round 1 at the 2026 Sony Open. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more free bets and PGA Tour analysis throughout the 2026 PGA Tour season.
2026 Sony Open: Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
72 Hole Matchbet J.J. Spaun vs. Keegan Bradley
J.J. Spaun and Keegan Bradley have been paired together in the 72 Hole Matchbet market on FanDuel. Spaun returns to Waialae after posting a T3 finish at 15-under-par, leading to a successful 2025 campaign, including a major title at the U.S. Open.
Spaun’s ball-striking is consistent, while he’s elevated his putting game. Bradley’s also a strong ball-striker, particularly with his irons, yet his short game leaves a bit to be desired. Last year at the Sony Open, Bradley logged a T6 finish at -13-under-par, going under par in all four rounds.
This is a 4-day wager that could wind up a bit sweaty. However, we’re investing in Spaun’s tee-to-green efficiency and putting supremacy against Bradley’s volatile short game. Let’s bet on Spaun as a marginal favorite to record a lower score than Bradley by the end of Round 4 on Sunday night.
Pick: J.J. Spaun (-125)
Top 20 Finishing Position
We’re going to pivot to the Finishing Position betting market to back Robert MacIntyre to post a Top 20 Finish at plus odds. The Scotsman had a pedestrian T53 finish at Waialae in 2025, going over-par in Round 3, while never breaking -3-under-par.
Down the stretch in 2025, we saw MacIntyre’s putter get red-hot. The lefty finished last season ranked 30th SG: Tee-to-Green and 39th SG: Putting.
MacIntyre ranked top-40 in Round 1 and Round 4 scoring average, so despite a poor result at this event in 2025, let’s back MacIntyre to climb the leaderboard with better ball-striking and a putter capable of draining birdies from 20 feet or further out.
He ended 2025 with six T10 finishes and 11 T25 finishes, including three of his final six regular season events. In the FedExCup Playoffs, MacIntyre went T38-2-T17, albeit in smaller fields, making a push to win the entire postseason. He also recorded a 12th-place finish at the Hero World Challenge in December.
Bet on Robert MacIntyre to record a Top 20 finish at +125 odds during the 2026 Sony Open.
Pick: Robert MacIntyre (+125)
72 Hole Matchbet Maverick McNealy vs. Harry Hall
We’ll conclude with another 72 Hole Matchbet prop for our third and final best bet at the 2026 Sony Open. Maverick McNealy and Harry Hall will go head-to-head, with Hall being undervalued as a slight underdog.
The Englishman enjoyed a career season on the PGA Tour in 2025. Hall logged a T10 finish at the 2025 Sony Open, going -5-under-par or better in two of four rounds. He wound up ranked sixth in total strokes gained metrics, largely due to his short game. Hall was third in SG: Putting, sixth scrambling, while leading the PGA Tour in putting average and putts per round.
Maverick McNealy has plenty of talent to make this a competition. The American has a strong off-the-tee game, outmatching Hall with his driving ability. However, McNealy lacks consistency with his short game. In 2025, he carded aT45 finish at Waialae, imploding with a +3 finish in Round 4.
Oddsmakers have set this prop market close to a pick’em. They know Hall is capable of beating McNealy, especially at the course where the Englishman bested McNealy by five strokes.
Let’s bet on Hall as an underdog to beat McNealy by the end of the final round at the 2026 Sony Open at -110 odds.
Pick: Harry Hall (-110)