Paulie’s Picks: 2026 Sony Open in Hawaii

I would never have expected to say this, but the 2026 PGA Tour season starts this week with the Sony Open in Hawaii. Yes, this year is a bit different with the Sentry’s cancellation. Going into the Sony, we usually have a bit of an edge and some data on players who already have a week of competition under their belt (albeit on a completely different examination of skills at Kapalua).

Once again, and maybe for the last time, the Sony Open is being held at Waialae Country Club, one of the few courses on Tour where precision and accuracy trump distance and aggression. Don’t get me wrong, scores can be low and birdies can be made, but they are often the result of accurate tee and approach shots. Bomb and gouging your way to birdies won’t work as well as it does other weeks on Tour. This opens the door for many non-elite players to potentially contend, especially early in the year when top players may be a bit rusty. Let’s take a look at a few tacticians to back in this week’s field:

Nick Taylor: Top 30, +105

Nick Taylor, the 2025 Sony Open champion, seems undervalued in the betting market this week. This is one of the best courses on Tour for his game as he plods along and avoids mistakes. Taylor has finished in the top 11 in each of his last four Sony Open appearances.

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Billy Horschel: Top 40, -115

I know this sounds weird, but TGL actually helps me trust Billy Horschel here this week. You can’t compare simulator golf to the outside world, but with his two appearances in the recent TGL matches, we can see that he has been practicing and is at least close to full health. Waialae is an ideal course for him and a great bounce-back spot after an injury-plagued 2025. He has two top 20s in the last five years at the Sony, so finishing in the top 40 seems very attainable.

Eric Cole: Top 40, +105

Eric Cole’s results have been very up and down over the last few years. However, his game showed some promise in the fall as he only missed one cut in six events with two top-10 finishes. He has made the cut in all three appearances at the Sony, including finishing fifth and 13th the last two years.

Adam Svensson: Top 40, +130

Similar to Cole, we have seen Adam Svensson be very unpredictable over the last few years. He had a terrible 2025 with only one top-20 finish, which forced him to earn his card back via Q School, where he finished second. He has finished 43rd or better in all five of his previous Sony Open appearances. This week is a great buy-low spot considering this is one of the best courses for his skill set.