Golfbet recap: Wild finish leads to longshot win for Grayson Murray at Sony Open

With no shortage of players in the mix down the stretch at the Sony Open in Hawaii, it was Grayson Murray who captured the title with a long birdie putt to win a three-man playoff — and deliver the second longshot winner in as many weeks to open the 2024 PGA TOUR season.

As a pre-tournament backer of Russell Henley, I've seen this movie before. Coming down the stretch on the back nine on Sunday at the Sony Open, Henley moved into the position of odds-on favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook at -115 to capture what would have been his second career title at Waialae Country Club.

Henley was at 17 under at the time and leading the tournament with three holes to play. He then made bogey on No. 16 and was unable to birdie the par-5 finishing hole, keeping the former champ at 16 under for the tournament.

Going into the final round tied for the lead, Keegan Bradley and Grayson Murray were now in position to make their way back into the top spot on the leaderboard with Byeong-Hun An also lurking. Murray birdied the final hole in regulation to get to 17 under. Bradley made par to remain at 17 under and An also birdied the finishing hole to send all three players back to the 18th tee for the first playoff of the new year.

With the playoff potentially heading to a second extra hole, Murray struck the shot of the tournament from long range. Having been out of position off the tee, Murray stunned the crowd and his competitors by draining a 39-foot putt for birdie. When Bradley and An couldn’t match, the latter missing from 4 feet, Murray had clinched his second career TOUR victory.

Murray came into the week ranked 132nd in the Official World Golf Ranking. This was his first victory on TOUR in seven years. His pre-tournament price to win this week was +35000 and even higher at some spots in Las Vegas. So far, 2024 has been the year of the triple-digit underdog on TOUR with Chris Kirk cashing tickets last week in the neighborhood of +15000.

Murray’s odds drifted even higher after the opening round when he went out to +50000 after opening with a 1-under 69 to sit seven shots off the lead.

Grayson Murray odds to win the Sony Open (via BetMGM Sportsbook):

• Pre-tournament: +35000
• After Round 1 (T47, trailed by 7): +50000
• After Round 2 (T4, trailed by 1): +5000
• After Round 3 (co-leader): +500
• Entering three-man playoff: +225

Murray got it done in all areas this week. He was No. 1 in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, second in Greens in Regulation, fifth in Scrambling, 29th in SG: Putting, and 31st for SG: Approach. He was first in SG: Total.

An has now begun the season with back-to-back top-five finishes. J.T. Poston went sixth and fifth over the two-week Opening Drive. Harris English finished 14th and 10th and Brian Harman, who was fifth last week at The Sentry, recorded a top-20 this week, tying for 18th. Last week's winner, Kirk, was a popular choice heading into the final round on Sunday, just three shots back and trading at +1000. Kirk shot even par and, like Harman, also tied for 18th.

Pre-tournament outright picks from Golfbet experts:

• Ben Everill: Sahith Theegala (+2800) MC
• Will Gray: Corey Conners (+2800) T57
• Chris Breece: Sahith Theegala (+2800) MC
• Matt DelVecchio: Tyrell Hatton (+1600) T13
• Rob Bolton: Brian Harman (+2000) T18
• Mike Glasscott: Corey Conners (+2800) T57

It is now back to the mainland as the West Coast Swing kicks off in La Quinta, California, for The American Express. The field is strong with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler leading the way. Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau and Jason Day are also scheduled to tee it up in the desert.

If you had a Kirk and Murray parlay to begin the new season, can you please let us know who you like to win in Palm Springs?

Rob Bolton's Sleeper Picks and Golfbet Insider results:

• Emiliano Grillo, To Win (+8000) T7
• Andrew Putnam, Top 5 (+800) T10
• Cam Davis, Top 10 (+400) T30
• Stephan Jaeger, Top 20 (+275) T18
• Jacob Bridgeman, Top 40 (+225) MC
• Chan Kim, Top 40 (+280) MC
• Hideki Matsuyama, Top 20 (+200) T30
• Cam Davis, Hideki Matsuyama + Andrew Putnam, all make cut (+200)
• Will Gordon, Top 40 (+160) T42
• Kensei Hirata, Top 40 (+450) MC
• Ryo Hisatsune, Top 20 (+375) T30
• Takumi Kanaya, Top 20 (+450) MC
• Matti Schmid, Top Continental European (+1100) MC
• Taiga Semikawa, Top 40 (+225) T30
• Alejandro Tosti, Top 40 (+275) T70
• Vince Whaley, Top 20 (+375) MC
• Carson Young, Top 40 (+320) MC

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