The first full field event of the 2025 PGA Tour season is here as the Tour hops from Kapalua for last week’s The Sentry Tournament of Champions to Honolulu for this week’s Sony Open in Hawaii.
This event has been staged since 1965 and has been held at the Waialae Country Club every year since its inception.
Although the Tour just played the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Maui at the Kapalua Plantation Course, the two event’s geography is the only thing they share in common.
The Field
As previously mentioned, this week serves as the first full field event of the 2025 PGA Tour season, meaning 144 golfers will take to Waialae Country Club.
Most of the Tour’s big guns that we saw in action a week ago will remain idle and prepare their tracks back to the mainland United States.
However, last week’s winner, Hideki Matsuyama will be teeing it up this week in hopes to claim his second title of the early season and his second Sony Open in Hawaii victory.
Joining him will be the likes of Corey Conners, Tom Kim, Byeong Hun An, Russell Henley, Keegan Bradley, Robert MacIntyre, Maverick McNealy, Sahith Theegala and Si Woo Kim as notable names teeing it up this week.
The late Grayson Murray is the defending champion, winning over Byeong Hun An and Keegan Bradley in a playoff a season ago.
Other former champions of this event teeing it up this week include Si Woo Kim (2023,) Matsuyama (2022,) Matt Kuchar (2019,) Patton Kizzire (2018,) Henley (2013,) Ryan Palmer (2010) and Zach Johnson (2009.)
The Course
As previously mentioned the Waialae Country Club has been the host of this event since its inception in 1965.
It plays as a par 70 at 7,020 yards.
It is a short resort course that was designed by Seth Raynor in 1927.
Of course, Waialae Country Club features wall-to-wall Bermuda grass.
This course typically plays firm and fast on both the fairways and the greens despite it being susceptible to coastal rainfall.
Although the Tour just made a stop in Hawaii in last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions, the geography is the only thing last week’s venue and this week’s have in common.
Waialae Country Club is best described as a tight, claustrophobic and positional golf course that requires correct ball placement on each and every shot. In other words, long bombers off the tee won’t see an advantage this week.
This track features a multitude of doglegs and tight tree lined fairways.
The course features grown out rough that added the importance of finding the fairway off the tee. It previously measured 2.25 inches but in 2013, the rough was grown to three inches.
With the tight fairways and persistent doglegs, approach play from 125-200 yards will be of the utmost importance as the majority of approach shots will come from that distance.
Putting this week will be a premium as 12-of-the-last-15 winners ranked within the top ten in Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT) on the week.
Like what we saw last week, Waialae is exposed to the Hawaiian cost and the severity of the wind will play its hand in how the week will play out. Over the past few seasons, winds have been held in check, allowing the winning score to push -20. However, if the winds do become a factor, like they did in 2020, scoring could be much lower. Cameron Smith won that event at -11.
The Weather
As of the time of writing this, there is at most a 15-percent chance of precipitation on Friday this week. Thursday is calling for just a ten-percent chance and the weekend is currently forecasting a zero-percent chance of precipitation. Temperatures are set at 80-degrees for all four days as well. Winds will begin at their lowest on Thursday at 12 miles-per-hour before gradually increasing to 18 miles-per-hour on Sunday. In all, it appears to be a great four days of golf.
Key Stats
Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (SG: OTT) / Driving Accuracy
Proximity to the hole from 125-200 Yards
Strokes Gained: Putting on Bermuda (SG: PUTT Bermuda)
Greens in Regulation Percentage (GIR%)
Strokes Gained: Around the Green (SG: ATG)
Birdie or Better Percentage
Par 4 Average Scoring
Scrambling
DFS Suggestions
$10,000+
There’s only two golfers in this price range. I have absolutely no problem playing Hideki Matsuyama at $11,000 as honestly, that feels like a discount but I’m going to talk about Corey Conners ($10,200) here. Conners finished last season third on Tour in SG: APP, 21st in SG: OTT, 26th in both proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards and GIR%, 38th in hit fairway percentage, 56th in birdie or better percentage and 66th in par four average scoring. He does come with some downfalls however. Namely the putting, where he finished 153rd in SG: PUTT Bermuda. Now, it was reported that over the off-season he went to the lab and worked on his putting. That showed last week as he led the entire field at The Sentry Tournament of Champions in SG: PUTT gaining 1.852 strokes-per-round. In total, he gained 1.224 more strokes on the greens than second place Cameron Young. He also struggles around the greens as he ranked 124th in SG: ATG and 148th in scrambling last season. That trend continued into The Sentry Tournament of Champions as he lost 0.392 strokes-per-round around-the-greens. He does have a very strong course history here. He placed 57th last season but prior to that he placed 12th in 2023, 11th in 2022 and 12th in 2020. You’re getting an elite approach player on a course that requires strong approach play at a slight discount to Matsuyama in this price range.
$9,000-$9,900
One of my tournament favorites this week can be found in this price range in Russell Henley ($9,900.) He won this event back in 2013 and over the last four years has placed fourth in 2024, 32nd in 2023, second in 2022 and 11th in 2021. He did play last week at The Sentry where he placed T30th. He also had a very quiet fantastic 2024 campaign, missing the cut in just one of 19 events and placing in the top 25 11 times and the top 10 seven times. He also had five top five finishes. He finished last season 11th on Tour in scrambling, 12th in hit fairways percentage, 21st in SG: ATG, 26th in par four average scoring, 33rd in both SG: APP and SG: PUTT Bermuda, 71st in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 106th in SG: OTT, 122nd in birdie or better percentage and 150th in GIR%. Although that GIR% number is a bit worrisome, he is elite around-the-greens and scrambling. He’s also on my betting card at +2200. Also consider Sahith Theegala ($9,100.) Theegala has not had the best go of things at this event or golf course. He missed the cut here last year and placed 48th in 2022. However, I believe we can take those results with a grain of salt. He’s twice the golfer he was at either of those events. He did play last week where he finished T36th. Prior to that he placed eighth at the Hero World Challenge, T7th at the Procore Championship and third at the PGA Tour Championship. He finished last season 28th on tour in SG: OTT, 43nrd in birdie or better percentage, 44th in SG: APP, 52nd in SG: PUTT Bermuda, 62nd in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 66th in both par four average scoring and scrambling, 80th in GIR%, 81st in SG: ATG and 109th in hit fairway percentage.
$8,000-$8,900
My first play in this price range is Davis Thompson ($8,500.) Thompson played last week where he finished T36th and prior to that placed T5th at the Shriners Children’s Open, T33rd at the FedEx St. Jude Championship and T12th at the Wyndham Championship. He’s played this event twice before, placing 57th in 2024 and 54th in 2023. Again, take those results with a grain of salt as he is twice the golfer he was at either of those previous outings here. He finished last season fifth on Tour in SG: ATG, 38th in both SG: APP and SG: OTT, 41st in par four average scoring, 44th in birdie or better percentage, 59th in GIR%, 68th in scrambling, 70th in hit fairway percentage, 91st in SG: PUTT Bermuda and 98th in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards. Also consider Brian Harman ($8,300.) In a week where the course is best described as a place-and-plot course, we have to mention Harman. I know he hasn’t been the same really since claiming The Open Championship back in 2023, but we can’t ignore the fact that he is a major champion. He played last week at The Sentry where he finished 58th which was last place) but prior to that placed 12th at the Hero World Challenge, T25th at The RSM Classic and 25th at the BMW Championship. He’s played this event each of the last five years as well, highlighted by an 18th place finish a season ago. Harman finished last season 14th on Tour in hit fairway percentage, 30th in SG: PUTT Bermuda, 35th in SG: APP, 40th in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 41st in par four average scoring, 57th in scrambling, 74th in SG: ATG, 88th in SG: OTT, 110th in birdie or better percentage and 131st in GIR%. He is also on my betting card at +4500.
$7,000-$7,900
Kicking off this price range, I’m going with Mac Meissner ($7,100.) Now, I named Meissner as one of my break-out candidates for the 2025 season so I figured I have to put my money where my mouth is. That’s not to say he doesn’t model well for this course though. He finished last season ninth on Tour in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 26th in SG: APP, 34th in GIR%, 38th in scrambling, 41st in par four average scoring, 45th in SG: ATG, 58th in hit fairway percentage, 62nd in SG: OTT, 72nd in birdie or better percentage and 73rd in SG: PUTT Bermuda. In other words, he ranks 73rd or better in each of the ten statistical categories I took into consideration this week. He recently placed T27th at the ZOZO Championship, T25th at the Black Desert Championship, T37th at the Sanderson Farms Championship and T12th at the Wyndham Championship. He will be making his debut at this event and course this week. He is also on my betting card at +9000. Also consider Ryo Hisatsune ($7,100.) I don’t have any statistical data to back this information up with but, Asian golf seems to match up well with this course. Two-of-the-past-three winners (Matsuyama and Si Woo Kim) are Asian and Byeong Hun An placed second here a season ago. It just seems that, at least to the eye, there’s some correlation there. Either way, Hisatsune matches this course well. He finished last season 23rd on Tour in GIR%, 26th in par four average scoring, 27th in SG: PUTT Bermuda, 38th in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 49th in hit fairway percentage, 70th in SG: APP, 89th in birdie or better percentage, 101st in SG: OTT, 107th in SG: ATG and 108th in scrambling. He recently placed T17th at The RSM Classic, T29th at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, T25th at the Black Desert Championship and T3rd at the Wyndham Championship. He made his debut here a season ago where he placed 30th. He’s also on my betting card at +25000.
$6,900-
I absolutely love what Henrik Norlander ($6,800) brings to the table this week. He hasn’t played this event since 2022 but did place ninth here in 2020. Across the Fall Series he placed T17th in his last outing at The RSM Classic, T30th at the World Wide Technology Championship, T8th at the Black Desert Championship and T28th at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He finished last season third on Tour in par four average scoring, fourth in scrambling, fifth in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, eighth in GIR%, 11th in SG: APP, 23rd in hit fairways percentage, 48th in birdie or better percentage, 99th in both SG: PUTT Bermuda and SG: ATG and 103rd in SG: OTT. Also consider Patton Kizzire ($6,900.) I know he’s been out of form since his victory at the Procore Championship (although he did follow that up with a T11th at the Sanderson Farms Championship,) but he did play last week in Hawaii where he placed T40th. He’s also played this event each of the last five seasons, placing seventh in 2021 and 13th a season ago. He finished last season sixth on Tour in par four average scoring, seventh in GIR%, 14th in birdie or better percentage, 18th in SG: APP, 35th in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 59th in hit fairway percentage, 80th in scrambling, 85th in SG: ATG, 102nd in SG: PUTT Bermuda and 120th in SG: OTT.
Betting Card
Russell Henley (+2200)
Brian Harman (+4500)
Daniel Berger (+8000)
Mac Meissner (+9000)
Nick Taylor (+12000)
Ryo Hisatsune (+25000)
Daniel Berger (+8000)
We haven’t seen Berger at this event since 2021 where he placed 7th. He also placed 38th in 2020 here. We last saw Berger at The RSM Classic where he placed T2nd. He also placed T20th at the World Wide Technology Championship and seventh at the Sanderson Farms Championship over the Fall Series. He finished last season sixth on Tour in hit fairways percentage, 12th in GIR%, 24th in SG: OTT, 26th in par four average scoring, 41st in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 62nd in SG: APP, 69th in birdie or better percentage, 75th in SG: ATG, 134th in SG: PUTT Bermuda and 158th in scrambling.
Nick Taylor (+12000)
You’ll be hard pressed to find someone in this field with a better course history here than Taylor. He’s played this event each of the last four seasons where he placed seventh last year, seventh in 2023, 11th in 2021 and 32nd in 2020. He also played last week at The Sentry where he finished T48th. He did play five of the PGA Tour’s Fall Series events, highlighted by a T25th at the Black Desert Championship. He finished last season 55th in SG: APP, 63rd in hit fairways percentage, 74th in scrambling, 84th in par four average scoring, 90th in SG: ATG, 102nd in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 109th in SG: PUTT Bermuda, 130th in SG: OTT, 149th in birdie or better percentage and 152nd in GIR%.