The
pandemic was disastrous for sport, golf included—there’s no doubt about that.

Courses
were closed, social mixing banned, and professional tournaments postponed left,
right and centre. However, now that all of this is behind us for good (touch
wood), the uptake in 9 hole golf is arguably one of the industry’s most notable
trends—and it’s growing quickly.

For many people, life is a lot different now to how it was pre-Covid. Be it daily routines, how and where we work, or the time we spend with family—our priorities have changed. This means golf has also changed, and we golfers have had to adapt in order to keep on playing the game we love.

The benefits of 9 hole golf

There are many benefits to 9 hole golf, some of which you may not have necessarily considered before now. Well, that’s why you’re here, right?

Time

This is an
obvious one. Playing a 9 hole round is much quicker than a full 18, and that’s
arguably why it’s become so popular so quickly.

The time
factor is one of the biggest benefits of playing 9 hole golf. With flexible,
remote working now the norm for lots of us, a 9 hole round can be easily squeezed
into a lunch break or before the work day even starts if you’re lucky enough to
live near a course.

A full 18
is serious business and can take five hours plus to complete, even on a good
day, once you’ve also factored in all the walking between holes. The sad reality
is that most of us probably don’t have this much time spare each day.

Instead, however, a shorter round gives you your precious time back, making golf a much more feasible day-to-day option rather than just at the weekend or on special occasions.

Money

Playing 9
holes works out much cheaper than a full 18.

For a start, having new and expensive clubs and other equipment is less important on shorter rounds, especially if you’re using them for practice. Second-hand clubs will do the job here.

Also, some clubs
won’t require you to be a fully paid member to play 9 holes, and there are many
pay-as-you-play options out there. As we all know, yearly membership fees can
be expensive, but it’s important to remember they aren’t always necessary.

Related: 15 ways to play golf on the cheap

Game improvements

Golfers
tend to be less bothered by their score when playing 9 holes instead of 18, which
makes it a perfect opportunity to practice and work on your weak points.

For
example, let’s say you’ve been trying to perfect a tricky lob shot for a while but
feel too pressured to give it a go in a full 18 setting when you’re up against
it. A shorter, more relaxed round is the ideal time to bring it out.

Many golfers use a 9 hole game merely as practice, especially if squeezed into a lunchtime or even a quick after-work round—so it’s perfect for experimenting. Put in the hours on the 9 hole course, and you’ll reap the rewards the next time you play a full 18—trust us.

Beginners

A full 18
can be pretty intimidating if you’re new to golf and just starting out. If you
haven’t quite caught ‘the bug’ yet either (you’ll know when you have), you
might find you get bored after a while, too. However, shorter rounds are a
great way to ease yourself in and stay motivated.

After all, 18
holes can be a struggle if you’re a novice.

On the
other hand, 9 holes are great if you’re an experienced golfer looking to get
your family more involved. Young children, for example, are far more likely to
stay engaged for longer when not being dragged around a larger course.

Put it this way—you’ll probably have better luck pitching golf to the kids as a one to two-hour activity as opposed to five or six!

Scoring

We touched
on this a little earlier on, but your score is less of a focus in 9 hole golf. While
this is indeed true, playing 9 holes can still be highly satisfying for those
who like to score well regardless.

With fewer
shots and holes, the greater the opportunity to accumulate a competitive score.
The average score for a typical adult playing 9 holes is around 45—or bogey
golf. But, of course, scores depend on various factors, such as weather
conditions and the difficulty of the course.

However,
decent amateur-level golfers can expect to record scores in the 30s if they’re
playing 9 hole rounds regularly, so it can be a good confidence booster.

Related: What is a good golf score for 9 holes?

Less pressure

It’s easy
to feel the ‘heat’ on a full 18, especially if you’re playing in a competition,
but much of this stress is eased on a 9 hole round.

Not having to constantly overthink your score on every hole allows you to feel cool, calm and collected out on the course.

How long do 9 holes of golf take?

The time it
takes to complete a round of golf ultimately depends on you and your game. Some
golfers like to take things slow and steady, while others will race around the
course lightning quick.

You’ll know
which one of those categories you fall into yourself. However, those already
acquainted with 9 hole golf say completing a round in less than two hours is
more than doable.

Related: How long should it take to play a 9-hole round of golf?

9 hole golf courses

In a world where
a full 18 is often the norm, a 9 hole round might seem hard to find, but that’s
not the case. Many full-service golf clubs and ranges now offer the option to
play shorter rounds—and the choice will only grow as the trend continues.

It’s arguably never been easier to get into 9 hole golf. Check out our interactive map of some of the UK’s best 9 hole golf courses and find your nearest one.

Specialist golf insurance with Golf Care

Although you might associate shorter rounds with less risk, accidents can, of course, still occur if you’re only playing 9 holes instead of a full 18. So, regardless of the golf you play, you may want to consider protecting yourself with specialist golf insurance.

With Golf Care, policies include Equipment cover up to £7,500, Public Liability of up to £10m and more. What’s more—thanks to the ‘Ripe Guarantee’, you won’t find the same level of cover for a better price elsewhere either.

Click on the banner below to learn more about specialist golf insurance and get a quote today.

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After a thrilling elevated event at the Sentry Tournament of Champions last week, the PGA Tour heads to Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii for the 2023 Sony Open, which tees off on Thursday. The Sony Open field features 19 of the players from last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions field and seven of the top 25 players in the world. Sungjae Im is listed as the 10-1 favorite in the latest 2023 Sony Open odds from Caesars Sportsbook. He is followed by Tom Kim (11-1), and major winners Jordan Spieth (14-1), and Hideki Matsuyama (15-1). Other top contenders in the Sony Open field include Brian Harman (16-1), Russell Henley (18-1), Tom Hoge (22-1) Corey Conners (22-1), and Adam Scott (31-1). The total tournament purse is $7.9 million, with $1.422 million going to the winner, making it imperative that you nail your one and done picks this week at Kapalua.

As a three-time major champion, Spieth will likely be a very popular PGA one and done pick this week at Waialae. Is the 2021 Masters champion a must-play? Or would it make more sense to go with another high upside option like Tom Hoge (22-1), Si Woo Kim (37-1), or MacKenzie Hughes (50-1)? Before locking in your 2023 Sony Open one and done picks, you need to see what SportsLine DFS pro and PGA expert Mike McClure has to say. 

The One and Done format is growing in popularity. It has several noticeable similarities to NFL Survivor pools, with the main difference being entries are not eliminated with a bad week. Players pick one golfer per week and earn points based on their selected golfer’s prize money for that tournament. Golfers can only be used once per season, and the point format makes nailing majors and big money tournaments critical.

McClure is a DFS legend with over $2 million in career winnings, and he’s been red-hot on his PGA picks dating back to the PGA Tour restart in June of 2020. McClure uses his proprietary simulation model to analyze the field and crush his golf picks. In fact, the model is up over $9,500 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure’s model included J.T. Poston in its best bets to win the 2022 John Deere Classic. That bet hit at +5500, and for the entire tournament, McClure’s best bets returned almost $1,100. At the 2022 Masters, McClure’s model was all over Scottie Scheffler’s first career major championship victory heading into the weekend. McClure was dialed in on his One and Done picks throughout the 2022 PGA Tour season, calling Hideki Matsuyama’s outright win at the Sony Open and hitting on several under the radar picks that finished in the top-5 or higher. 

Last week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, McClure listed 75-1 long shot Luke List as his top One and Done pick. The result: List shot 20 under to finish in 11th place, taking home $292,500.

Now, McClure has dialed in on the 2023 Sony Open golf tournament, and just locked in his one and done picks and PGA predictions. You can only see McClure’s Sony Open one and done picks at SportsLine.

2023 Sony Open One and Done picks

One of McClure’s top one and done picks this week at the Sony Open is 31-year-old Corey Conners. The No. 34 player in the world comes in at 22-1 to win the tournament, but McClure believes he has been undervalued and should be considered one of the top contenders to win this week in Honolulu. Conners has long been one of the PGA Tour’s best players off the tee and he can be elite with his irons when he’s dialed in. If he plays well on and around the greens this week, Conners could add another win to his career resume. He captured his first and only PGA Tour victory at the Valero Texas Open in 2019.

Conners notched back-to-back top-10 finishes at the Hero World Challenge and the QBE Shootout before the December break, and finished in 18th place against an elite field at the Sentry Tournament of Champions last week. If he can get his putter dialed in this week, McClure believe Conners has what it takes to win at Waialae. With the intriguing mix of talent in the Sony Open field, it’s very possible that Conners will fly under the radar in one and done pools this week offering huge value. You can see who else to back this week at SportsLine.

How to make 2023 Sony Open One and Done picks

McClure is also targeting another golfer for his 2023 Sony Open one and done picks that is listed at 34-1 in the latest PGA golf odds. This player has been red-hot dating back to 2022, but consistently flies under the radar and has the ability to win any tournament he enters. You can find out who it is, and check out all of McClure’s Sentry Tournament of Champions One and Done picks, at SportsLine.

Who wins the 2023 Sony Open? And which golfers should you target for your PGA one and done picks this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Mike McClure’s Sony Open 2023 one and done picks, all from the DFS pro with over $2 million in career winnings, and find out.

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Just four days after the PGA Tour’s stars wrapped up a thrilling event in Maui, a slightly less-impressive full field will tee off at the 2023 Sony Open on Thursday. The 144-player Sony Open 2023 field includes seven of the world’s top 25, including Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama and Tom Kim. They will face a much different test on the shorter Waialae Country Club course in Honolulu, but scoring low hasn’t been a problem there. It should be another picture-perfect week in the Hawaiian islands, so a score of 20 under or more is in the cards. Matsuyama won last year, tying Russell Henley at 23 under with a furious comeback before making eagle on the first playoff hole.     

Kim (10-1) and Sungjae Im (12-1) are the favorites in Caesars Sportsbook’s latest 2023 Sony Open odds. They are followed by Matsuyama (15-1), Spieth (16-1) and Brian Harman (16-1). Henley (22-1) also is among the eight players shorter than 30-1 in the Sony Open 2023 field. Kim is priced at $10,500 in the DraftKings Fantasy rankings, and Im, Matsuyama and Spieth are all at least $10,000.

Spieth is one of the biggest names in the field, but is he worth his $10,000 price tag to anchor your 2023 Sony Open Fantasy golf picks? Would a player like Corey Conners ($9,600) or Keegan Bradley ($9,300) give you similar results and more flexibility to set your team up to win? Before you make any Fantasy golf rankings or place any bets on the 2023 Sony Open, you need to see the Fantasy golf projections and lineup advice from SportsLine fantasy expert Jim Holliman.

Holliman has been a writer and editor for nearly 25 years and has been playing and following the game closely for more than three decades. The Florida-based writer knows what it takes to win on the PGA Tour and how the players’ games fit the courses.

The golf expert nailed the Tour Championship, saying Rory McIlroy was the only player capable of making up a six-stroke deficit to get past Scottie Scheffler. “He has a lot of ground to make up,” Holliman said, “but he is the most well-rounded player in this field, so if anyone can do it, he can.” The Northern Irishman was actually down by 10 through two holes Sunday but stormed back to claim the title.   

Holliman also had Patrick Cantlay (14-1) among his best bets at the BMW Championship, was behind Will Zalatoris (28-1) at the St. Jude and nailed the Wyndham Championship, with Kim (35-1) among his selections. “It’s a matter of when (not if) he gets his first on the PGA Tour,” Holliman said of Kim. It turned out to be at Sedgefield, where Kim won by five strokes.

The expert also has had a knack for finding the longshots. At the St. Jude, as many top stars went home early, 200-1 longshot Chez Reavie made the weekend. At the 3M Open, the expert tabbed Emiliano Grillo (50-1) as a contender before the Argentinian finished T-2. And before the PGA, he touted Cameron Young (65-1) before his T-3 finish. Anyone who has followed Holliman’s predictions is way up on their golf picks.

Now, Holliman has ranked his top golfers for the 2023 Sony Open, and you’ll really want to see what he has to say. You can only see his Fantasy golf rankings and Sony Open picks at SportsLine.

2023 Sony Open Fantasy golf expert picks

One thing Holliman is certain about this week is that Kim will put up a good result. “There’s good reason for the high price,” the expert says, “but he’ll be worth it.” Two victories in his first 15 PGA Tour events is just a continuation of a dominant career that includes 11 in various tours around the world. “The kid knows how to win,” Holliman says, and he is one of the most accurate ball-strikers on tour. Kim ranks sixth on tour in both driving accuracy and greens in regulation. Waialae rewards precision and ball placement, so it should be a perfect match.    

On the flip side, Holliman doesn’t see much chance that Matsuyama repeats his feat, so he is fading the defending champ. The Japanese star had by far his best putting week of the season – and his third-best in driving accuracy – but still needed a huge comeback to win. It was his first top-10 finish in nine tries at Waialae. He generally doesn’t hit it straight consistently enough to regularly contend on a course like this. The 2021 Masters champ is 142nd in strokes gained off the tee and 110th on approach this season, and his putting has never been a strength. You can see who else to back this week at SportsLine.

How to set your 2023 Sony Open Fantasy golf rankings

For the 2023 Sony Open, Holliman is touting a sleeper for fantasy rosters who is priced at less than $7,500 at DraftKings and has odds higher than 70-1 to win at Caesars. This golfer hasn’t missed a cut all season and is due for a breakthrough victory that could come this week. You can find out who it is and see the rest of Holliman’s Sony Open fantasy golf picks at SportsLine.

Who wins the 2023 Sony Open, and who are the top players to target for your Fantasy picks? Which overlooked players can help you win your league this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Jim Holliman’s Fantasy golf rankings for the 2023 Sony Open, all from the fantasy expert who has been on fire with his picks, and find out.

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The first full-field event of the year takes place this week at the 2023 Sony Open. After kicking off its calendar season with a thrilling limited field event in the Tournament of Champions, the PGA Tour stays in Hawaii with some players making the short trip from Maui to Honolulu.

In fact, 19 of the 39 players that participated last week at the Plantation Course at Kapalua will tee it up in the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club. Since the inception of the Tournament of Champions, 17 of 24 winners at the Sony Open had competed the week prior. This will be music to the ears of many big names, including world No. 14 Jordan Spieth, young South Korean stars Sungjae Im and Tom Kim, and defending champion Hideki Matsuyama.

Much like last week’s Tournament of Champions, last year’s Sony Open witnessed a dramatic come-from-behind victory. Entering the final nine holes five strokes off the pace of Russell Henley, Matsuyama pulled off the impossible, catching Henley and ultimately prevailing in a playoff.

Henley will look to exact revenge fresh off a win at the World Wide Technology Championship during the fall swing. He is joined by fellow Georgia Bulldogs Brian Harman, Keith Mitchell, Harris English, Chris Kirk, Brendon Todd, Davis Thompson and Greyson Sigg in the field — and all of whom have their fair share to celebrate following their alma mater’s victory in the College Football National Championship.

All times Eastern; streaming start times approximated

Round 1 – Thursday

Round starts: 12 p.m.

PGA Tour Live: 12 – 10:30 p.m. — PGA Tour Live

Live TV coverage: 7 – 10:30 p.m. on Golf Channel
Live streaming: 7 – 10:30 p.m. on Peacock

Radio: 5 – 10:30 p.m. — PGA Tour Radio

Round 2 – Friday

Round starts: 12 p.m.

PGA Tour Live: 12 – 10:30 p.m. — PGA Tour Live

Live TV coverage: 7 – 10:30 p.m. on Golf Channel
Live streaming: 7 – 10:30 p.m. on Peacock

Radio: 5 – 10:30 p.m. — PGA Tour Radio

Round 3 – Saturday

Round starts: 12:45 p.m.

PGA Tour Live: 12:45 – 8 p.m. — PGA Tour Live

Early TV coverage: 4-6 p.m. on NBC
Early streaming: 4-6 p.m. on Peacock

Live TV coverage: 6-8 p.m. on Golf Channel
Live streaming: 6-8 p.m. on Peacock

Round 4 – Sunday

Round starts: 12:45 p.m.

PGA Tour Live: 12:45 – 8 p.m. — PGA Tour Live

Early TV coverage: 4-6 p.m. on NBC
Early streaming: 4-6 p.m. on Peacock

Live TV coverage: 6-8 p.m. on Golf Channel
Live streaming: 6-8 p.m. on Peacock

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With 2022 now out of the way it is time to look forward to another great year of golf on the island of Ireland in 2023. Even though the Open will not be held on a Irish golf course this year, there are still both professional and amateur events that fans of the game of golf simply cannot miss. Here are three events in particular to watch out for in Ireland for 2023.

Horizon Irish Open

Heralded as one of the most famous national opens in all of the world, the Irish Open has been in existence since 1927 and has featured a who’s-who of winners including Sir Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, and Padraig Harrington. One name who missed the event last year but will be returning in 2023 is none other than Rory McIlroy. The event holds a special place in McIlroy’s heart not only as he grew up watching the event on television and attending it numerous times growing up, but also the fact that the event is being held at The K Club. The K Club is where McIlroy earned his first professional victory on Irish soil back in 2016, and he will be looking to regain his form and take the crown once again this year against another stellar can’t miss field. What makes this event unique is that it leads up to the Ryder Cup being held in Italy at the end of September, making it a prime time for those potential players on both sides of the pond to get their swings in early. At the moment Betfree has McIlroy as a favourite.

KPMG Women’s Irish Open

Returning once again to Dromoland Castle, the 2023 KPMG Women’s Irish Open will run from August 31 to September 3 and feature some of the top women’s players in the world today vying for a nearly €500,000 prize fund. If the event does not sound very familiar that is because the tournament previously had a ten-year absence before KPMG got involved as a main sponsor. Now the KPMG Women’s Irish Open hopes to attract the nearly 25,000 guests to the event once again and show it is really and event worth seeing in person! The event will be held at Dromoland Castle on the shores of Lough Dromoland, a nearly 7,000-yard par 72 championship golf course that undertook a €2 million upgrade in advance of the prior year’s event.

Causeway Coast Amateur Golf Tournament

Known as the largest amateur golf tournament in all of Europe, the Causeway Coast Amateur Golf Tournament will be played in 2023 from June 5 to June 9. What makes the event unique is that it is played over five days at four of the most well-known courses in Northern Ireland – Royal Portrush, Ballycastle, Castlerock, and Ballyliffin Golf Clubs, with one rest day in between. The event has attracted some of the best amateur golfers in the world from as far away as Australia and the United States, not to mention the best of what Europe has to offer.

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Russell Henley has had tremendous success at the Sony Open over the years. In fact, Henley finished on top of the leaderboard in 2013 and secured a runner-up finish at this event last year. Henley could certainly find himself in the mix again this week at the 2023 Sony Open, which gets underway from Waialae Country Club on Thursday, Jan. 12. 

Henley has won four times on the PGA Tour and he’s listed at 21-1 in the latest 2023 Sony Open odds. Tom Kim is the 11-1 favorite, with Sungjae Im (14-1), Jordan Spieth (15-1) and defending champion Hideki Matsuyama (15-1) next in line on the PGA odds board. Before locking in your 2023 Sony Open picks, be sure to see the golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, the model is up over $9,500 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure’s model predicted Jon Rahm (+800) to finish on top of the leaderboard at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions. The model also included J.T. Poston in its best bets to win the 2022 John Deere Classic. That bet hit at +5500, and for the entire tournament, McClure’s best bets returned almost $1,100. At the 2022 Masters, McClure’s model was all over Scottie Scheffler’s first career major championship victory heading into the weekend.

In addition, McClure’s best bets included Collin Morikawa winning outright at the 2021 Open Championship, even though he was listed as a massive 40-1 long shot. The model was also all over Jon Rahm’s (10-1) first career major championship victory at the 2021 U.S. Open. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the weekend, but the model still projected him as the winner.

This same model has also nailed a whopping eight majors entering the weekend. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now that the 2023 Sony Open field is locked, SportsLine simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard.

Top 2023 Sony Open predictions 

One major surprise the model is calling for at the 2023 Sony Open: Matsuyama, the defending champion and one of the favorites at 15-1, stumbles this week and barely cracks the top 10. Matsuyama faced a five-shot deficit with just nine holes to play last year but fired a 31 on the back nine to finish at 23-under for the week. 

However, Matsuyama has been extremely inconsistent this season, finishing T-21 or worse in each of his last five starts on the PGA Tour. Plus, Matsuyama has struggled mightily with his accuracy this season, ranking 136th on tour in greens in regulation percentage (66.98%). He’s not a strong pick to win it all and there are far better values in the 2023 Sony Open field.

Another surprise: Tom Hoge, a 22-1 longshot, makes a strong run at the title. Hoge has a much better chance to win it all than his odds imply, so he’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday.

Hoge is coming off an impressive T-3 performance at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and he’s finished T-13 or better in five of his seven official starts this season. The 33-year-old ranks first in strokes gained: approach the green (1.640), 10th in greens in regulation percentage (75.69%) and 11th in total birdies (115). Those impressive stats, plus his long odds, make him a strong value pick in 2023 Sony Open bets this week. See who else to pick here.

How to make 2023 Sony Open picks

The model is also targeting five other golfers with odds of 22-1 or longer who will make surprising runs. Anyone who backs these longshots could hit it big. You can only see the model’s PGA picks here.

So who will win the Sony Open 2023? And which longshots stun the golfing world? Check out the 2023 Sony Open odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected 2023 Sony Open leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed eight golf majors, including last year’s Masters.

2023 Sony Open odds, field

See full Sony Open 2023 picks, best bets, and predictions here.

Tom Kim +1100
Sungjae Im +1400
Hideki Matsuyama +1500
Jordan Spieth +1500
Russell Henley +2100
Tom Hoge +2200
Corey Conners +2200
Brian Harman +2600
Adam Scott +3100
Taylor Montgomery +3100
Billy Horschel +3200
Cameron Davis +3300
Kyoung-Hoon Lee +3400
Keegan Bradley +3400
Keith Mitchell +3700
Si Woo Kim +3700
Maverick Mcnealy +3700
J.J. Spaun +4000
Alex Smalley +4500
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +4500
MacKenzie Hughes +5000
Emiliano Grillo +5000
Harris English +5000
J.T. Poston +5000
Denny McCarthy +5000
Matt Kuchar +5000
Webb Simpson +5000
Gary Woodland +5000
Kurt Kitayama +5500
Adam Svensson +5500
Will Gordon +5500
Andrew Putnam +5500
Chris Kirk +6000
Brendan Steele +6500
Hayden Buckley +6500
Brendon Todd +7500
Nick Hardy +8000
Aaron Rai +8500
Davis Thompson +9000
Chun-an Yu +9000
Russell Knox +9500
Greyson Sigg +9500
Patton Kizzire +9500
Ryan Palmer +10000
Robby Shelton +10000
Stephan Jaeger +10000
Justin Suh +11000
Ryan Armour +11000
Troy Merritt +11000
Brandon Wu +11000
Ben Griffin +11000
David Lipsky +12000
Chez Reavie +12000
David Lingmerth +13000
Kevin Streelman +13000
Sam Ryder +13000
Kazuki Higa +14000
Michael Thompson +14000
Lucas Glover +14000
James Hahn +14000
Mark Hubbard +14000
Stewart Cink +14000
Taiga Semikawa +14000
Seonghyeon Kim +14000
Joseph Bramlett +15000
Carl Yuan +15000
Nick Taylor +16000
Brian Stuard +16000
Harry Higgs +16000
Adam Long +16000
Keita Nakajima +16000
Tyson Alexander +16000
MJ Daffue +16000
John Huh +16000
Adam Schenk +17000
Scott Piercy +17000
Cole Hammer +17000
Zac Blair +19000
Ben Taylor +19000
Austin Eckroat +21000
Danny Lee +21000
Peter Malnati +21000
Byeong Hun An +21000
Yuto Katsuragawa +21000

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The Sony Open 2023 is set to tee off on Thursday at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii. The long-standing tournament is a follow up to the first elevated PGA Tour event of season in last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions. Seven of the top 25 golfers in the world are in the 2023 Sony Open field, headlined by Tom Kim, Jordan Spieth,  Hideki Matsuyama, and Sungjae Im. Im is listed as the 10-1 betting favorite in the latest 2023 Sony Open odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Other top contenders in the field include Kim (11-1), Spieth (14-1), Matsuyama (15-1), Brian Harman (16-1), and Russell Henley (18-1).

Which players should you target when building your Sony Open prop bet betting strategy? And which sleepers should you target for a potentially huge payday? Before locking in any Sony Open 2023 picks of your own, be sure to check out the PGA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine golf expert Mike McClure.

SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, the model is up over $9,500 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure’s model predicted Jon Rahm (+800) to finish on top of the leaderboard at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions. The model also included J.T. Poston in its best bets to win the 2022 John Deere Classic. That bet hit at +5500, and for the entire tournament, McClure’s best bets returned almost $1,100. At the 2022 Masters, McClure’s model was all over Scottie Scheffler’s first career major championship victory heading into the weekend.

In addition, McClure’s best bets included Collin Morikawa winning outright at the 2021 Open Championship, even though he was listed as a massive 40-1 long shot. The model was also all over Jon Rahm’s (10-1) first career major championship victory at the 2021 U.S. Open. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the weekend, but the model still projected him as the winner.

This same model has also nailed a whopping eight majors entering the weekend. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now, McClure has set his sights on the 2023 Sony Open field and just revealed his top PGA prop bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see all of McClure’s 2023 Sony Open prop picks, sleepers, head-to-head matchups, best bets, and his top one and done pick.

Top 2023 Sony Open prop picks

One of McClure’s favorite prop bets this week for the Sentry Tournament of Champions is world No. 30 Tom Hoge finishing in the top-20 of the final leaderboard at +125 odds. Hoge notched his first career PGA Tour victory at the 2022 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, edging Jordan Spieth by two strokes, and has been climbing in the Official World Golf Ranking ever since. 

For the 2022-23 PGA Tour season, Hoge has five top-25 finishes, three top-10’s, and is coming off a third place finish last week against an elite field at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. He enters the Sony Open ranked first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach (1.640) and eighth in total strokes gained (1.811), which suggest he should perform well at Waialae Country Club. You can see the rest of McClure’s Sony Open prop bet picks at SportsLine.

Find more 2023 Sony Open picks, sleepers

McClure has also locked in a slew of other prop bets for the Sony Open 2023, including a long shot listed at 34-1 to win it all. Anyone who backs one of his 2023 Sony Open sleepers could hit it big. You can only see his Sony Open best bets at SportsLine.

So what 2023 Sony Open prop picks should you target this week? And which massive long shot has a chance to stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine to see McClure’s 2023 Sony Open in Hawaii best bets, all from the expert who’s up over $9,600 since the PGA Tour restart, and find out.

2023 Sony Open odds, field, top contenders

See full Sony Open 2023 picks, best bets, and predictions here.

Sungjae Im +1000
Tom Kim +1100
Jordan Spieth +1400
Hideki Matsuyama +1500
Brian Harman +1600
Russell Henley +1800
Tom Hoge +2200
Corey Conners +2200
Adam Scott +3100
Taylor Montgomery +3100
Billy Horschel +3200
Cameron Davis +3300
Kyoung-Hoon Lee +3400
Keegan Bradley +3400
Keith Mitchell +3700
Si Woo Kim +3700
Maverick Mcnealy +3700
J.J. Spaun +4000
Alex Smalley +4500
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +4500
MacKenzie Hughes +5000
Emiliano Grillo +5000
Harris English +5000
J.T. Poston +5000
Denny McCarthy +5000
Matt Kuchar +5000
Webb Simpson +5000
Gary Woodland +5000
Kurt Kitayama +5500
Adam Svensson +5500
Will Gordon +5500
Andrew Putnam +5500
Chris Kirk +6000
Brendan Steele +6500
Hayden Buckley +6500
Brendon Todd +7500
Nick Hardy +8000
Aaron Rai +8500
Davis Thompson +9000
Chun-an Yu +9000
Russell Knox +9500
Greyson Sigg +9500
Patton Kizzire +9500
Ryan Palmer +10000
Robby Shelton +10000
Stephan Jaeger +10000
Justin Suh +11000
Ryan Armour +11000
Troy Merritt +11000
Brandon Wu +11000
Ben Griffin +11000
David Lipsky +12000
Chez Reavie +12000
David Lingmerth +13000
Kevin Streelman +13000
Sam Ryder +13000
Kazuki Higa +14000
Michael Thompson +14000
Lucas Glover +14000
James Hahn +14000
Mark Hubbard +14000
Stewart Cink +14000
Taiga Semikawa +14000
Seonghyeon Kim +14000
Joseph Bramlett +15000
Carl Yuan +15000
Nick Taylor +16000
Brian Stuard +16000
Harry Higgs +16000
Adam Long +16000
Keita Nakajima +16000
Tyson Alexander +16000
MJ Daffue +16000
John Huh +16000
Adam Schenk +17000
Scott Piercy +17000
Cole Hammer +17000
Zac Blair +19000
Ben Taylor +19000
Austin Eckroat +21000
Danny Lee +21000
Peter Malnati +21000
Byeong Hun An +21000
Yuto Katsuragawa +21000

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The full PGA Tour gets rolling again this week when the 2023 Sony Open tees off Thursday at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Seven of the world’s top 25 golfers will be in action, with defending champion Hideki Matsuyama and three-time major winner Jordan Spieth among the top names. Rapidly rising young star Tom Kim is the highest-ranked player in the Sony Open field at No. 14, one spot ahead of Spieth. Matsuyama is 21st, while Billy Horschel (18th), Sungjae Im (19th), Brian Harman (23rd) and Keegan Bradley (25th) are also set to compete. Matsuyama made a dramatic comeback on Sunday last year, making up five shots to tie Russell Henley at 23 under. He then hit a 3-wood to 2 feet from 276 yards out on the first playoff hole for an emphatic eagle to close it out.       

The 20-year-old Kim is already a two-time tour winner, and Caesars Sportsbook lists him as the 11-1 favorite in its latest 2023 Sony Open odds, just ahead of Im (12-1)sa. Those four also are the highest-priced golfers in the DraftKings Fantasy rankings, all priced at more than $10,000. Can Matsuyama ($10,100 at DraftKings) find some more magic at Waialae and be a reliable anchor for your 2023 Sony Open Fantasy golf picks? Or would a player like Tom Hoge, who comes off a T-3 last week and is priced at $9,900, give you a better chance to win? Before you make any Fantasy golf rankings or place any bets on the 2023 Sony Open, you need to see the Fantasy golf projections and lineup advice from SportsLine fantasy expert Jim Holliman.

Holliman has been a writer and editor for nearly 25 years and has been playing and following the game closely for more than three decades. The Florida-based writer knows what it takes to win on the PGA Tour and how the players’ games fit the courses.

The golf expert nailed the Tour Championship, saying Rory McIlroy was the only player capable of making up a six-stroke deficit to get past Scottie Scheffler. “He has a lot of ground to make up,” Holliman said, “but he is the most well-rounded player in this field, so if anyone can do it, he can.” The Northern Irishman was actually down by 10 through two holes Sunday but stormed back to claim the title.   

Holliman also had Patrick Cantlay (14-1) among his best bets at the BMW Championship, was behind Will Zalatoris (28-1) at the St. Jude and nailed the Wyndham Championship, with Kim (35-1) among his selections. “It’s a matter of when (not if) he gets his first on the PGA Tour,” Holliman said of Kim. It turned out to be at Sedgefield, where Kim won by five strokes.

The expert also has had a knack for finding the longshots. At the St. Jude, as many top stars went home early, 200-1 longshot Chez Reavie made the weekend. At the 3M Open, the expert tabbed Emiliano Grillo (50-1) as a contender before the Argentinian finished T-2. And before the PGA, he touted Cameron Young (65-1) before his T-3 finish. Anyone who has followed Holliman’s predictions is way up on their golf picks.

Now, Holliman has ranked his top golfers for the 2023 Sony Open, and you’ll really want to see what he has to say. You can only see his Fantasy golf rankings and Sony Open picks at SportsLine.

2023 Sony Open Fantasy golf expert picks

One player Holliman is firmly behind for Fantasy players this week is Kim, even though he is the most expensive player on the board at $10,500. “There’s good reason for the high price, but he’ll be worth it,” the expert says. Kim makes his living hitting the ball straight, and that is exactly what’s needed at Waialae. He also has the mentality to close out victories, as he has 11 worldwide in his career. Many came in smaller events, but winning in any tournament setting takes nerve. He is sixth in driving distance, greens in regulation and scoring average this season.

On the other hand, Holliman is not sold on Matsuyama, even though he is a Masters champion and won here last year. But that was his first top-10 finish in nine tries at Wailalae, and he doesn’t typically have the accuracy or putting prowess needed to win on a course like this. The 30-year-old also has a history of injuries and withdrew from the Houston Open in November. He’s healthy now, but he’s 142nd in strokes gained off the tee and 110th on approach this season. He hasn’t finished higher than T-21, so he won’t justify the cost to take him this week. You can see who else to back this week at SportsLine.

How to set your 2023 Sony Open Fantasy golf rankings

For the 2023 Sony Open, Holliman is touting a sleeper for fantasy rosters who is priced at less than $7,500 at DraftKings and has odds higher than 70-1 to win at Caesars. This golfer hasn’t missed a cut all season and is due for a breakthrough victory that could come this week. You can find out who it is and see the rest of Holliman’s Sony Open fantasy golf picks at SportsLine.

Who wins the 2023 Sony Open, and who are the top players to target for your Fantasy picks? Which overlooked players can help you win your league this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Jim Holliman’s Fantasy golf rankings for the 2023 Sony Open, all from the fantasy expert who has been on fire with his picks, and find out.

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The PGA Tour heads to Hawaii for the first time in 2023 for the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii. The 2023 Sony Open field tees off on Thursday and features a mix of proven Tour champions and rising stars. World No. 19 Sungjae Im is listed as the 10-1 betting favorite in the latest 2023 Sony Open odds from Caesars Sportsbook. He is followed by Tom Kim (11-1), Jordan Spieth (14-1), Hideki Matsuyama (15-1) and Brian Harman (16-1). Other top contenders in the Sony Open field include Russell Henley (18-1), Tom Hoge (22-1) Corey Conners (22-1), and Adam Scott (31-1). The total tournament purse is $7.9 million, with $1.422 million going to the winner, making it imperative that you nail your one and done picks this week at Kapalua.

As the betting favorite, Im will likely be a very popular PGA one and done pick this week at Waialae. Is the two-time PGA Tour winner a must-play? Or would it make more sense to go with another high upside option like Billy Horschel (32-1), Webb Simpson (50-1), or Gary Woodland (50-1)? Before locking in your 2023 Sony Open one and done picks, you need to see what SportsLine DFS pro and PGA expert Mike McClure has to say. 

The One and Done format is growing in popularity. It has several noticeable similarities to NFL Survivor pools, with the main difference being entries are not eliminated with a bad week. Players pick one golfer per week and earn points based on their selected golfer’s prize money for that tournament. Golfers can only be used once per season, and the point format makes nailing majors and big money tournaments critical.

McClure is a DFS legend with over $2 million in career winnings, and he’s been red-hot on his PGA picks dating back to the PGA Tour restart in June of 2020. McClure uses his proprietary simulation model to analyze the field and crush his golf picks. In fact, the model is up over $9,500 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure’s model included J.T. Poston in its best bets to win the 2022 John Deere Classic. That bet hit at +5500, and for the entire tournament, McClure’s best bets returned almost $1,100. At the 2022 Masters, McClure’s model was all over Scottie Scheffler’s first career major championship victory heading into the weekend. McClure was dialed in on his One and Done picks throughout the 2022 PGA Tour season, calling Hideki Matsuyama’s outright win at the Sony Open and hitting on several under the radar picks that finished in the top-5 or higher. 

Last week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, McClure listed 75-1 long shot Luke List as his top One and Done pick. The result: List shot 20 under to finish in 11th place, taking home $292,500.

Now, McClure has dialed in on the 2023 Sony Open golf tournament, and just locked in his one and done picks and PGA predictions. You can only see McClure’s Sony Open one and done picks at SportsLine.

2023 Sony Open One and Done picks

One golfer McClure will be backing this week at Waialae Country Club is Corey Conners. He is currently ranked No. 34 in the latest Official World Golf Rankings, but McClure believes he’s one of the top contenders to win this week in Honolulu. Conners has long been one of the PGA Tour’s best players off the tee and he can be elite with his irons when he’s dialed in. The 37-year-old notched his first only PGA Tour victory at the Valero Texas Open in 2019.  

Conners notched back-to-back top-10 finishes at the Hero World Challenge and the QBE Shootout before the December break, and finished in 18th place against an elite field at the Sentry Tournament of Champions last week. If he can get his putter dialed in this week, McClure believe Conners has what it takes to win at Waialae. With the intriguing mix of talent in the Sony Open field, it’s very possible that Conners will fly under the radar in one and done pools this week offering huge value. You can see who else to back this week at SportsLine.

How to make 2023 Sony Open One and Done picks

McClure is also targeting another golfer for his 2023 Sony Open one and done picks that is listed at 34-1 in the latest PGA golf odds. This player has been red-hot dating back to 2022, but consistently flies under the radar and has the ability to win any tournament he enters. You can find out who it is, and check out all of McClure’s Sentry Tournament of Champions One and Done picks, at SportsLine.

Who wins the 2023 Sony Open? And which golfers should you target for your PGA one and done picks this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Mike McClure’s Sony Open 2023 one and done picks, all from the DFS pro with over $2 million in career winnings, and find out.

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