Favorites Tom Kim and Jordan Spieth, part of a 19-man crew making the jump from Maui to Oahu this week, are proving popular picks in early golf betting ahead of the Sony Open in Hawaii.

While playing the week before the Sony Open in Hawaii helps a great deal, it will be a completely different test than last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions.

First, it’s the full-field event of 2023 (144 players); second, Waialae Country Club is a much different course than The Plantation Course. Last week at Kapalua, it was a birdie-fest with wide fairways that rewarded the longer hitters. Players will have to deal with a much tighter course this week in Honolulu, and the scores will be low, but not as low.

The Plantation Course is a par-73 that plays to 7,596 yards, while Waialae Country Club is a par-70 that plays to 7,044 yards yet five of the last six winners at Waialae played the week prior.

And over the last six years, 73% of the players who played at the Sentry Tournament of Champions made the cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

So, how have the bettors reacted this week?

As of Tuesday at the BetMGM online sportsbook, Jordan Spieth (+1600) and Tom Kim (+1100) are the two most popular players.

Spieth is first in tickets (10.2%) and handle (16.2%), while Kim is second in tickets (10.1%) and handle (14%). Kim has the shortest odds in the field, while Spieth has the third shortest.

Kim will be making his tournament debut, while Spieth hasn’t played at the Sony Open in Hawaii since 2019, when he missed the cut. Spieth’s best finish at the event came in 2017 when he finished third.

Both players had solid weeks at Kapalua, with Kim finishing T-5 while Spieth was T-13.

Current Handle & Tickets

Handle

1. Jordan Spieth – 16.2%
2. Tom Kim – 14%
3. Russell Henley – 13%
4. Hideki Matsuyama – 11.4%
5. Brian Harman – 7.1%

Tickets

1. Jordan Spieth – 10.2%
2. Tom Kim – 10.1%
3. Hideki Matsuyama – 6%
4. Russell Henley – 4.8%
5. Corey Conners – 4.6%

Hideki Matsuyama (+2000) is the defending champion, and it's no surprise he’s among the most popular players to bet on. He finished T-21 a week ago.

Russell Henley (+2200) is also a popular pick, given his history at the event. He lost in a playoff to Matsuyama a year ago and won the event in 2013. Henley was T-30 last week, but this course is much more suited for his game.

This seems to be a week to target players who can keep the ball in play, and length won’t matter very much. Putting well is a must with 12 of the last 13 winners sitting inside the top-10 of Strokes Gained: Putting.

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