The first event of the 2025 PGA Tour season is in the books, with the circuit now moving on to the second event of the Hawaii Swing – the Sony Open In Hawaii.
Looking at the field, a number of players are making the trip over to Waialae Country Club where, sadly, defending champion Grayson Murray won’t be present following his death in May 2024.
After his unfortunate passing, Murray’s parents, Eric and Terry, launched a non-profit charity in their son’s name which aims to help those who face mental health or addiction challenges in everyday life.
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In terms of who is playing in the tournament, last week’s Sentry winner Hideki Matsuyama returns, and will be favorite, following his record-scoring week at Kapalua.
Along with Matsuyama, his Presidents Cup teammates, Corey Conners, Byeong-Hun An and Tom Kim will be joining the Japanese star, whilst Russell Henley, Robert MacIntyre and Sahith Theegala are just some of the other big names present in Hawaii.
The field is littered with value and, below, three of the Golf Monthly team have selected who their betting favorites are, as well as their outsiders, going into what should be an interesting 60th edition of the tournament.
Sony Open In Hawaii Course Guide: Waialae Country Club
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Waialae Country Club returns as the host venue of the Sony Open in Hawaii, with it being a regular feature on the PGA Tour circuit since 1965. In that time, the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh have won on its layout.
Listed as a par 70, it measures at 7,044 yards, meaning it’s one of the shorter courses on the calendar. What’s more, scoring has been incredibly low around Waialae, with Justin Thomas shooting a 59 back in 2017, whilst also firing the joint lowest 72-hole PGA Tour scoring record in history at 253.
Designed by Seth Raynor and then associate Charles Banks, the course takes a lot of its inspiration from some of the most iconic courses in the world. For example, the opening hole, a 480-yard par 4, is inspired by the “Road Hole” from the Old Course, as a shallow green and deep bunker guard the front of it.
The approach to the third hole at Waialae Country Club
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Being a coastal course, there are plenty of stunning views around the…
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