Aidan Parks

The PGA Tour is back! It’s not the most exiting tournament of the year, but its golf, and there are a lot of big names who are teeing it up this week in Hawaii. So lets me give a couple picks I like for this week.

Lets begin by addressing the elephant in the room. The NFL divisional round is this weekend, who would be sitting around watching the Sony Open. I agree, and thats why I’m taking a specific betting approach. For a major championship, a Players Championship, or a big signature event not during football season I would be inclined to take a few winners, some top 20 or 10’s, and so on. But this week, the golf should be just something in the background. We’re not gonna be tuned in all four days, and watching closely on the weekend, there are four fantastic NFL games on.

So lets make 2 picks, one winner and one top 10. Something that are low stakes, high return, and just something that you can keep an eye one, and tune in if need be.

The first pick is an outright winner. The Sony Open is played at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii. The course holds statistically favorable odds to hit fairways, and not a huge penalty when missed. This is a tournament that cant be one simply from playing well off the tee, as last year the top 4 leaders in gained strokes off the tee missed the cut. You need to have good iron play, and a hot putter.

That leads me to a guy who is due for a win on the PGA Tour, a man who was top 5 in strokes gained putting in 2025, Denny Mccarthy. Last year in this tournament Mccarthy was top ten on the greens at Waialae, but just didn’t play well enough around the greens and with the driver to get into the mix. But he’s one of the best putters in the world, and this tournament may turn into putting contest if there is good scoring weather, and his driver is just good enough. He’s got the make to compete in this event, and at 55-1, he is the guy to sprinkle, and keep and eye on as you watch football.

Secondly, lets take a top 10 finisher. Lets stay on the theme of someone who will benefit from not needing to rely on the driver, and is an above average putter. A good guy for this is Nick Dunlap. In 2025 the two time tour winner gained strokes with his irons, around the green, and with the putter. He had a T-10 finish at this course last year, and gained the second most shots of the anyone in the field putting. He’s known for being bad with the driver, but at this tournament I don’t think it will be a factor to keep him out of the top 10. 9-1 odds, good value.

One unit each play, lets see how we do. Throughout the year I will post picks for different events on the PGA tour, and other sports as well, keeping track of my stats on the site.