Take Kirk on Familiar Ground

Best Bets

0.75 Pts EW (1-6) Chris Kirk (50/1 Sky Bet)

0.75 Pts EW (1-6) Emiliano Grillo (50/1 Sky Bet)

This week sees the return of the Sony Open in Hawaii. This is a problematic competition for tipsters as most of the field are playing for the first time since the festive break. A few players got a run out last week in Hawaii at the Tournament of Champions which perhaps gives us an angle in. Both of our selections played last week in Hawaii and we think that a week of competitive golf will give them a huge advantage over most of the field. Furthermore these players have been in Hawaii for over a week now so should have overcome any jetlag.

The course this week plays just over 7,000 yards on this Par 70 layout. As is the norm in this part of the world the course is heavily affected by the wind. Jimmy Walker goes off as the man to beat, and he has won this competition in the last two years. In 2015 he ran out comfortable winner clearly showing his love for this event and course. We have avoided Walker this week who will surely find it too much to defend his title for a second time. He looks to be priced around the 15/1 mark which is fair given how much he loves this venue. We have looked at two players who have a week of solid golf under their belt, and who are ideally suited to this venue.

0.75 Pts EW (1-6) Chris Kirk (50/1 Sky Bet)

Our headline pick this week is Chris Kirk who will likely be a popular choice amongst tipsters. Kirk played solid most of the week at the Tournament of Champions but a few errant strokes had him further down the field than he would have liked. His game is perhaps more suited to this week however where he has gone well in the past. Kirk isn’t a big hitter but he hits a lot of greens which is key round this course.

One thing that caught our eye was the ball striking display by Kirk on the Sunday at Kapalua, where he didn’t miss many shots. Granted his misses proved costly on Sunday, but for the most part he had his driver and irons dialled in. This is the exact kind of play that he will need in the Sony Open this week. Kirk has shown a return to form in his last few events and he will be looking to build on this at a familiar venue. Kirk finished in the top 30 last year at this event, but his finish could have been so much better if not for an uncharacteristic 74 in the third round. In 2014 Kirk finished second here and in 2013 he finished in fifth clearly showing how much he loves this course. We are happy to make an each way play on him this week.

0.75 Pts EW (1-6) Emiliano Grillo (50/1 Sky Bet)

Our second tip this week goes to Emiliano Grillo. He is a name that is familiar to us as he came in as a winner for Boston Gambler at the Frys.Com open back in October 2015. The young Argentinian has been priced short for most competitions since his PGA Tour victory, but this week goes off at a massive 50/1. The course should suit Grillo down to the ground with the key being ball striking. Grillo plays with no fear and if he does find himself with a chance of the win, he won’t back down. One of the biggest factors that led to our tip this week was his performance on Sunday at Kapalua. Grillo shot a flawless 66 which is sure to inspire him with confidence going in to this week. This kid is a huge talent and should not be going off this high in such a mediocre field.