Niall Lyons has six selections for this week's Sony Open in Waialae.
Sony Open
The Sony Open 2025 will be hosted in Waialae, which is a welcome one for tipsters and punters alike as it's a venue we know extremely well and one where it's possible to find a few interesting outsiders.
Driving distance traditonally doesn't matter an awful lot here and instead approach play along with a sharp short game is what's required here to score well.
Some really solid putters have thrived here down the years and those coming from Kapalua look to have a better chance.
Below is a look at the stats of the top performers in the past three editions of this tournament.
Sony Open tips
- 2pts each-way R.MacIntyre 30/1 (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place market
- 1.5pts each-way S.Straka 50/1 (1/5 8) Skybet, WilliamHill
- 1pt each-way D.Berger 80/1 (1/5 6) Unibet, Livescore, BetMGM
- 1pt each-way M.Thorbjornsen 90/1 (1/5 6) Unibet, Livescore, Bet MGM
- 0.75pt each-way H.Higgs 300/1 (1/5 8) Skybet, WilliamHill
- 0.5pt each-way P.Peterson 500/1 (1/5 8) Bet365 WilliamHill
Before we get into more detail on my selections for this week, note that a handful of winners here have also won at El Cameleon in Mexico so a nod to previous form there is advisable.
Wind often plays it's part here with it being a coastal layout so form shorter tracks near the sea, in particular Harbour Town are worth analysing.
2025 will be an emotional one with last year's winner Grayson Murray sadly no longer with us.
Robert MacIntyre at 30/1 (Eight Places)
Bud Cauley was playing some decent golf towards the end of 2024 and he'd be a popular winner should he manage to return to his best at some stage this year.
Mackenzie Hughes was playing well towards the end of last year and with a sparkling short game should come into the conversation here, but a horrible course history is enough to stroke him off the list.
One I'm keen to back here is Robert MacIntyre and he has plenty going for him heading to Waialae.
The Scot finished off 2024 in fine style with a pair of 7th placed finishes in the DPWTC and at the Hero World Challenge.
Both of those were elite fields, and it's in those type of fields where he has shown what he is really capable of.
It was a breakout year, and a big test now awaits as he sets out for his second full season on the PGA Tour.
With his background he doesn't strike me as someone who will lack motivation to push on and just like some fellow countrymen in other sports he has everything to keep pushing and keep achieving.
A work out at the Sentry seems to be preferable for the Sony and 15th place there is a perfect warm up where he hit the ball really well only to be let down a little by the putter.
We know what he can do with that club though and with some wind and rain forecast his exemplary action around the greens may bring him to the fore.
He is a wizard in these types of conditions and if they get tough over the four days then it will suit him even more.
On debut here last year he opened with 71 before finishing with 66-69-67. He is a much more complete golfer than what he was just twelve months ago also so I can't but feel this is a huge opportunity for MacIntyre to hit the ground running in 2025.
2pts each-way R.MacIntyre 30/1 (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place market
Sepp Straka at 50/1 (Eight Places)
Harry Hall certainly looks capable of landing another victory and his performance last week is a decent warm up for the Sony.
At a bigger price though surely Sepp Straka is the better option. This imperious ball striker is perfect for a test such as this and the only surprise is that he hasn't a better record to date.
His 42nd place in 2022 included a 65, 66 and 67 whilst in 2021 he shot rounds of 69-66-66-65 for 25th.
So all is not doom and gloom on his last two visits here and with a win at PGA National and a couple of top 5 finishes at Harbour Town he has the perfect profile for an event such as this.
9th in the World Challenge in December was another solid showing there and the 2023 Ryder Cup star is dangerously overlooked by the layers.
Anything of 45/1 or above looks really fair and I'd question whether he should be a bigger price than the likes of Clanton, Poston and Pendrith.
William Hill
- Solid in-play betting service
- Cash-in option to help increase profitability
- Excellent reputation within the UK betting-industry
Daniel Berger at 80/1 (Six Places)
I was reluctant to leave Corey Conners off the list here and I'd argue he's possibly the most likely winner. He has a really solid game for this place and that's indicative of his results here.
On this occasion though I think Hideki is a little short and Conners just about the right price and I'll opt for a few at bigger prices who look a shade more value.
It's a new year, but old habits die hard and I've been sucked into betting Daniel Berger once again.
The main reason behind this is two fold - basically that I believe the market hasn't yet got hold of him since returning to the game, and secondly that he has a fairly high ceiling that has yet to be touched.
Berger is at home on coastal layouts, and none more so was that evident than when runner up last time out at the RSM Classic.
I'm still trying to comprehend how he didn't win that Sunday, playing ridiculously well from tee to green only not to be able to hole a putt here or there down the final stretch.
Make no mistake though, his golf was hugely impressive that final day at Sea Island and although he didn't play the Sentry, neither did the last couple of winners here and he holds a better chance than what the market suggests.
He did have a a run out at the Grant Thornton in December so isn't exactly as cold as some others in the field, but I don't think his performances towards the end of 2024 have been taken into account enough by the market and I'm definitely a player once again at these odds.
1pt each-way D.Berger 80/1 (1/5 6) Unibet, Livescore, BetMGM
Michael Thorbjornsen at 90/1 (Six Places)
Ben Griffin will always come into consideration for a course such as this but around the 40/1 kills most enthusiasm.
I think we can let him win at those sort of prices before being too keen to get involved.
Joe Highsmith was another who was high up my list but I expected plenty of triple figure quotes and I can't get excited about his price.
One I can get a little excited about is the 2018 US Junior Amateur Champion Michael Thorbjornsen.
This was never a course for the big hitters down the years but there's no doubt over the last few renewals driving distance has crept up, and last year in particular it proved to be a fair advantage.
Thorbjornsen hits a long ball but his iron play can really sing also and the little evidence we've seen of him to date suggests he could be a great player in the years to come.
After turning professional in June last year it took him only a few weeks to land a runner up finish at the John Deere Classic.
He finished the year in fine style also with a pair 8th placed finishes at the Sanderson Farms and RSM Classic.
I'm not overly convinced there's a huge difference between him and Clanton and I'll happily take the bigger odds about Thorbjornsen to land a maiden victory on tour.
1pt each-way M.Thorbjornsen 90/1 (1/5 6) Unibet, Livescore, Bet MGM
Harry Higgs at 300/1 (Eight Places)
I'll finish off with a couple of outsiders, the first being Harry Higgs.
With a couple of victories on the Korn Ferry Tour last year Higgs secured his card and he didn't disgrace himself towards the end of the season.
30th in the WWT in Mexico then 34th and 11th in the two Australian events in deep enough fields were good enough finishes to suggest he hasn't totally lost that form that took him to those back to back victories last May.
Higgs gets better the closer he gets to the green which is a good fit for Waialae in general.
Doesn't have the best of records here but he's a lively outsider given what he showed at the end of 2024.
Paul Peterson at 500/1 (Eight Places)
Finally who doesn't want a January 500/1+ winner and I'll give us the dream with having a few quid on Paul Peterson.
Peterson is almost a forgotten name having won the Czech Masters on the DPWT back in 2016 beating the likes of Thomas Pieters and Matt Fitzpatrick in the process.
He has had a bit of a wild journey since but secured his PGA Tour card courtesy of a win at the Simmons Bank Open last September.
4th in the International Series in Thailand and 25th at the RSM Classic to close out the year were solid results.
With recent winning experience and already a main tour winner in Europe, Peterson may cope better than expected should he find himself near the top of the leaderboard come the weekend.
He will certainly prefer this shorter yardage in Hawaii.
