After a thrilling week in Maui, the PGA TOUR is hopping over to Oahu this week for the Sony Open.
Waialae plays host once again, greeting players with its iconic palm tree "W" on the 18th. The Honolulu course is shorter than Kapalua last week. This course will play similarly to other short, coastal layouts outs on Tour. Look for guys who play well at the RBC Heritage or other similar courses.
Here's a look at my favorite First Round Leader bets for the 2021 Sony Open.
Cameron Smith | +2000
I'm not entirely sure how I left him out of my article last week. I feel like I bet him almost every week last season for FRL (and for good reason),
It didn't take long Cam to remind me of my stupidity when he went on to take the lead after Thursday and then won in wire-to-wire fashion.
The Brisbane native has said in the past he really enjoys playing at Waialae because it reminded him of the golf he grew up playing. It's no surprise, then, that Smith is a past champion of this event in 2020.
That, paired with the fact that he's on absolute fire right now with his game, leads me to believe Cam is a great choice for FRL, despite being the outright favorite.
Webb Simpson | +2500
I really, really didn't want to put the first two guys on the odds board on this list … but here we are. Webb Simpson leads the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Thursday at Waialae.
The Wake Forest Alum has never won this event, but he finished T4-T3-T4 in his last three appearances here. He averaged 67.7 strokes for those three rounds.
It's pretty easy to see why you should take Webb for Thursday. This is his first appearance since the RSM, but that time off will most likely work in his favor with his lingering neck injury.
Ryan Palmer | +8000
The 2010 Sony Open champion never misses the second start of the calendar year. Since then, however, his best finish was T-4 in 2020. Despite that, he knows this course better than almost anyone.
Palmer's ability to flight the ball low in the wind (with his Texas roots) give him an edge. He stands a good chance this week of not only going low on Thursday but also having himself a nice tournament overall.
Hudson Swafford | +11000
Believe it or not, this man is second in Strokes Gained: Total in the First Round at Waialae. His last start here was a T3 back in 2019, one of his three top-10s in six years at this event.
He's been really consistent at Waialae, and at such long odds, it's worth throwing a few bucks down on him.
