Sony Open 2024 Each-way Tips: Picks from 20/1 to 66/1

• 33/134.00 Justin Rose finished with a 61 last week

• 20/121.00 Corey Conners is a course horse at Waialae

• 66/167.00 Tom Hoge has a third in both Hawaii events

After the sweeping, wide-open spaces and massive greens of The Plantation Course, the PGA Tour hops Hawaiian islands to Honolulu for a very different test at Waialale Country Club.

This week's action - the first full-field event of 2024 - takes place on a par 70 measuring just over 7,000 yards. The greens are Bermuda once more but they're small and the route to them is tree-lined although not in a suffocating way.

In fact, despite an initial temptation to look for short, straight hitters above everyone else, past stats suggest what you do off the tee isn't ultra-important.

The scoring - it's ranged from 17-under to 27-under in the last 11 editons, the exception Cameron Smith's 11-under in gusty conditions four years ago - is done with the irons and putter.

Datagolf shows that in 2023, over a quarter of approaches were hit from 150-175 yards so that's a good stat to mine.

The last two Sony winners highlighted each key to scoring: Si Woo Kim ranked 1st in Approach in 2023 while Hideki Matsuyama was 1st for SG: Putting in 2022.

Past course form is another strong indicator. Kim had finished fourth on debut while Matsuayama was 12th and 19th in his previous two attempts. Two of the previous three winners, Kevin Na and Matt Kuchar, had logged top fives at the course before lifting the trophy.

As for correlating form, it's the usual suspects for a shorter test so check results at Colonial, Sea Island, Harbour Town and El Camaleon.

And as for that much-asked question: how many winners here had teed it up at the previous week's Sentry? The answer is eight of the last 10 and, going further back, 17 of the last 25.

In short, it's likely this week's winner was seen on the fairways at The Plantation Course a few days ago.

Back Justin Rose @ 33/134.00

"I think if you can come in there [Sony Open] mentally sharper than the rest of the guys I think you have an opportunity to do well."

That was Justin Rose speaking at The Sentry on Sunday and it may help explain why those who played last week have an edge.

The Englishman was in particularly chipper mood as he'd just fired a stunning 12-under 61.

It didn't do him much good in terms of his eventual finish there (tied 40th) but, as a momentum builder for this week, that super-low lap could be worth its weight in gold.

"I kind of know I've been playing well, I know I'm right there with my game, so it was kind of a little frustrating to have had such a poor first three days," said Rose after the 61. "Really nice click to into gear today."

Rose ranked 1st in SG: Approach in round four at The Sentry, putting the improvement down to overcoming wind misjudgments and mental errors on club selection.

With the swing tuned up, he now goes to a course where he has good memories, albeit distant ones.

Rose has form here at Waialae of 20-MC-12-13-2 although that was built in 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011 and 2017.

"Really like it. I think it's a good, old-school, traditional golf course," said Rose and he won't see much difference when he returns.

That second place on his most recent appearance in 2017 featured a pair of 64s in rounds two and four while he ranked in the top 25 for every Strokes Gained category.

The former US Open winner's last two victories on the PGA Tour have come early on the West Coast - Pebble last year and the 2019 Farmers - so this looks a good time to catch him.

As for the key metric of 150-175 yards, he ranked 13th in that category in the season just gone.

And in correlating course news, Rose is a former winner at Colonial (2018), added a third there in 2020 and was 12th at the famed Texas venue last May.

Still feeling some afterglow from the Ryder Cup, Rose is a bet at 33s.

Back Corey Conners @ 20/121.00

If keen on the course form angle, it's hard to leave Corey Conners out of the staking plan.

Scroll back through Sony results from the last four years and you'll find he's been an ever-present in the top dozen.

That run was sparked by a third place in 2019 when he closed with two 64s while he also fired a pair of bookend 64s when 11th two years ago.

"Really like the golf course here. Feel like it suits my game well," he said in 2022 and that all makes sense.

Conners ranked 29th for Approaches from 150-175 yards last season and also 12th for 125-150 yards (there are plenty of those too for him this week).

Last week at The Sentry he was 3rd for SG: Approach so that strength was already to the fore after the festive break.

Conners could only manage 33rd at The Sentry but we've seen plenty of Sony winners finish middle of the pack in the first Hawaii event before really hitting their stride at the more suitable Waialae.

His weekend rounds of 68-67 there were his best of the week so hopefully some momentum was building.

This is a big year for Canadian golfers with the Presidents Cup taking place in Montreal and Mike Weir captaining the Internationals.

Conners will want to be on that team and it'll be interesting to see the motivating effect it has on the Canadian contingent this week and beyond.

Putting will ultimately decided his fate here and it wasn't great last week.

But the 32-year-old has putted these small Bermuda surfaces well in the past, ranking in the top eight twice and gaining over five strokes on the greens each time.

You can virtually guarantee he'll give himself an absolute ton of chances.

Back Tom Hoge @ 66/167.00

Further down the betting, Lucas Glover could be worth a look at 55s. He was fifth here two years ago despite struggling on previous visits and struck his irons well at The Sentry.

But preference is for Tom Hoge at 11 points higher.

Hoge has a past early-season win to his name having landed the spoils at Pebble Beach in 2022.

Third at the Players Championship last year thanks mainly to a Saturday 62, Hoge, like Rose and Conners, shook off some festive rust at The Sentry last week.

The American did his best work when pulling irons and ranked 4th for SG: Approach.

Zoning in, Hoge was 9th in the all-important 150-175 yards category last season and in the top 25 from slightly closer in at 125-150.

A quick scan of his form over the last six months doesn't throw up anything amazing but five top 21s in his latest 11 starts and just one missed cut in that period is pretty decent.

As for course form, he was third here in 2018 and also made the top dozen in 2020. He was in good position after 18 holes the next two years but couldn't build on opening laps of 65 and 66 respectively.

Third at the 2023 Sentry adds another layer of Hawaii form while fourth in the 2021 RSM Classic and second at the 2022 American Express are further relevant finishes on Bermuda greens.

Hoge can get in the mix at 66s.

Now read Steve Rawlings' preview of the Sony Open