How to bet the Sony Open in Hawai'i: Best bets, DFS tips and more - ESPN

The Sony Open in Hawai'i kicks off the 2026 PGA season at Waialae Country Club, a course that rewards precision, iron play and patience more than power.

We're looking for players who gain with approach, avoid mistakes and can stack birdie chances without forcing it. It's also Week 1, which means that the golf season is long and there's no need to spray bets everywhere.

Be selective, protect the bankroll and remember — the NFL playoffs and College Football Playoff title game still deserve your attention.

Russell Henley: Top 10 (+115)

Full odds:

Top 20: -185

Top 10: +115

Top 5: +230

To win: +1100

1st round leader: +2800

I normally don't touch top-10 markets unless your name is Rory McIlroy, but in this field with his experience, Henley is worth the risk. He's the rightful favorite because he leads the field in strokes gained approach and tee-to-green over the last 32 rounds — core skills this course rewards.

At Waialae, his results are almost perfectly tied to his irons. When he gains with approach here, he contends, and he has plenty of course history to show for it. He has posted a win, a runner-up, a T4 and multiple top-10s because he consistently gains four to six strokes with his irons on this course. That repeatability tends to land near the top of the leaderboard.

Ben Griffin: Top 20 (-130)

Full odds:

Top 20: -130

Top 10: +165

Top 5: +330

To win: +1700

1RL: +3500

Griffin is first in the field in bogey avoidance and scrambling, which is huge at Waialae where missed greens don't automatically mean bogey but bad decisions. He's also top-15 in weighted approach over the past few months, so the irons are holding up. Betting Griffin is about banking on a player that stays mistake-free on a course where patience gets you