Sony Open 2026: Dave Tindall's each-way picks from 40/1 to 150/1

• 40/141.00 Chris Gotterup has winning form by the coast

• 60/161.00 Haotong Li is in form and has played well here before

• 150/1151.00 S.H. Kim has a mix of course, current and coastal form

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Introduction to the Sony Open

The PGA Tour returns a week later than usual after The Sentry was postponed due to drought issues.

That season opener was always a strong guide as to who would win here as 18 of the previous 27 Sony Open champions had teed it up the week before at Kapalua.

There were exceptions though and, going way back, I recall Paul Goydos winning the Sony at a three-figure price and kicking myself a little bit.

Why? Although he hadn't played The Sentry, Goydos had finished runner-up on his previous start, myself and plenty of others being thrown off the scent as it had been the other side of Christmas.

I think we sometimes presume that the holiday period is an enormous gap when everything gets reset and everyone starts from the same place again.

It doesn't happen that way and perhaps of more use back then was noting that Goydos was a short, straight hitter who putted well (he was 2nd for both Driving Accuracy and Putting Average that week).

That recipe has worked well plenty of times since and last year's winner (Nick Taylor) and runner-up (Nico Echavarria) ranked 157th and 162nd respectively for Driving Distance on the PGA Tour in 2025 but both are straight hitters who can putt.

Waialae Country Club doesn't scream for its fairways to be hit but placement is rewarded.

It's a flat par 70 measuring just 7,044 yards with Bermudagrass greens. Don't think of it as a pushover though. There are plenty of courses on the PGA Tour where -20 under or better is needed but the winning score here in the last three years has been -16, -17 and -18.

Coastal winds can keep the scores in check and Friday to Sunday it's likely to blow at around 20mph.

Helpfully, there are plenty of correlating tracks, with form at the RSM Classic, RBC Heritage, Colonial, Cognizant Classic, Bermuda Championship and Wyndham Championship all worth considering. 

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Bet 1: Chris Gotterup @ 40/141.00

Chris Gotterup was one of the hottest players on the planet last summer when he beat a world-class field to land the Scottish Open and then added third place on his Open debut at Royal Portrush a week later.

Two more top 10s followed in his next four starts (3M Open and the Tour Championship) before he, deservedly, took it easy for a little while and was hardly seen from August onwards.

There appeared to be some rust when he turned up for the Baycurrent in October (40th although had rounds of 66 and 68) and then finished at the bottom of the pack in November's 20-man Hero World Challenge.

But he closed that event at Albany with a 67 (only five players went lower on Sunday) and then finished runner-up in the Grant Thornton Invitational pairs event alongside Jennifer Kupcho.

That was played December 12-14 and we've since seen him make two impressive appearances in the indoor TGL league in Florida, helping champions Atlanta Drive win their first two matches.

Some won't read much into that but it helps feed the idea that Gotterup is active and gaining momentum when others will be needing a run.

Before he made his jump up the world rankings - Gotterup is currently 28th - the 26-year-old from Maryland had blitzed his rivals to win the Myrtle Beach Classic, another coastal event played on Bermuda greens, by six shots in 2024. He was 13th when defending. 

The windy forecast this week is a help too as he's a low-ball hitter who can hit stingers all day long.

A missed cut on debut last year (71-69) shouldn't be a concern and probably helps us get such a decent price on a quality player.

Back him each-way at 40/141.00 (1/5 Odds, 8 Places).

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Bet 2: Haotong Li @ 60/161.00

It will be interesting to note the performances of the new PGA Tour graduates who came through the DP World Tour via the top 10 not exempt in the Race to Dubai Rankings.

Seven of those tee it up at the Sony but we're relying on guesswork really. Except, that is, for Haotong Li.

The Chinese golfer, who has had some remarkable highs and lows in his career, has played here twice before. Way back in 2016 he missed the cut despite shooting a pair of 69s while in 2022 Li posted 12th place after opening 63-65. He was second at halfway and third with a round to go.

That didn't come out of the blue as Li had finished runner-up in the China Open on his previous start in December. Again that backs up the idea of carrying pre-Christmas form over into the new year.

This time Li arrives in Hawaii with top 10s in his previous two starts, November's DP World Tour Championship and December's Nedbank Golf Challenge.

As a mark of his quality, Li has two top four finishes in Open Championships.

The most recent came at Royal Portrush last year and earlier in 2025 he'd won the Qatar Masters where wind and grainy grass feature. 

I think he's gone under the radar a little here so back the four-time DP World Tour winner, who has finished in the top eight for SG: Putting in his last two starts, at 60/161.00 in the 10 places market.

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Bet 3: S.H. Kim @ 150/1151.00

I do like plenty at the front of the betting and it would be no surprise to see any of Russell Henley, Hideki Matsuyama, Si Woo Kim, Ben Griffin and J.J. Spaun lift the silverware. The first three mentioned are all past winners.

But a more imaginative punt is S.H. Kim at 150/1151.00 (8 Places).

Players from Korea and Japan often do well on these shorter tests as it's more in line with what they grew up with.

The 27-year-old from South Korea cut his teeth on the Japan/Korean Tours and was voted Korn Ferry Tour Rookie of the Year in 2022 after making the move to the United States.

He's played this event twice and shown promise each time. On debut in 2023, Kim finished 12th after round positions of 4-6-9 while in 2024 he shot middle rounds of 64-66 before posting 30th.

Kim also fits the bill as someone who was active in the late part of 2025.

After finishing 12th in the Korn Ferry Tour Championship and fourth at the Japan Open in October, the man from Changwon played three times in November. He finished 18th at the Lexus Masters in Korea, 11th at the Singapore Open and 16th in the Saudi International.

It will help his cause that the better players haven't had a run out at The Sentry so, in the hope that he can catch a few of them cold, back Kim at a big price.

He ranked 16th for SG: Putting when he played the PGA Tour in 2024 and was 15th for Driving Accuracy, 1st for Sand saves and 18th for Putting Average on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025. 

Kim kicked off 2025 with second place by the coast at the Korn Ferry's Bahamas Golf Classic last January so hopefully he can start the campaign fast again.

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