Joe Champion
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The changes to the FedEx Cup format mean that the PGA Tour’s wraparound season is no more with this week’s curtain-raiser, the Sentry Tournament of Champions, signaling the start of the 2024 FedEx Cup season which culminates in the Tour Championship in August.
The tournament, hosted as it has been since 1999 at the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort, Hawaii, is also the first of 8 signature events that the PGA Tour hopes “will bring together the game’s top players, pitting them on historic courses to play for elevated purses.”
Rory McIlroy is a notable absentee but a 59-man field featuring the remaining eligible 2023 PGA Tour winners and the rest of last season’s FedEx top 50 will be teeing it up in the Aloha State.
Sentry Tournament of Champions picks and predictions
Max Homa (+1200)
Odds widely available at time of publishing.
The Plantation Course, a rare par 73 with massive fairways, has been tamed by big hitters in the past but 7 of the 8 editions of the Sentry were won with a total of at least -22, so the champion is required to putt well and get up and down around huge greens. World #1 Scottie Scheffler returned to form last time out with a win at the Hero World Challenge and he’s a huge threat if his putting stroke stays solid but that’s not certain to be the case, while Viktor Hovland has struggled to make much previous impact at Kapalua.
Those further down the odds board appeal more, beginning with Max Homa, who arrives in Maui for a 4th attempt at this title having compiled progressive event form figures of 25-15-3 from visits in 2020, 2022 and last year. Homa’s steady improvement at Kapalua is in keeping with his career trajectory over the last few seasons and he prepares to tee it up in his 4th Sentry as a member of the world’s top 10 for the first time.
The current world #7 has no real weaknesses and his blend of driving power and short-game touch is particularly well suited to the Plantation Course, as he demonstrated when finding only LIV Golf-bound Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa too strong 12 months ago. Homa was in superb form in the second half of 2023, winning the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa on his penultimate start, and he can begin the new year with a 7th PGA Tour title.
Collin Morikawa (+1200)
Odds widely available at time of publishing.
Morikawa had this tournament at his mercy last season before slumping to a final-round 72 as an inspired Rahm fired a 63 to win by 2 shots, but he looks ready to make amends. The 2-time Major champion broke a long winless run with a dominant victory at the Zozo Championship in October then putted notably well when 7th at the World Challenge last time. Kapalua form figures of 7-7-5-2 illustrate his love for this course and he will be desperate to win this championship at some point in his career as he has family ties to Hawaii.
Matt Fitzpatrick (+3000)
Odds available at BetMGM at time of publishing.
Matt Fitzpatrick enjoyed a fine end to 2023, winning the Dunhill Links a week after playing his part in Europe’s Ryder Cup win before finishing 4th at the World Challenge last month. The Englishman was 7th on his Kapalua debut a year ago and there is every chance he builds on that effort given his brilliant short-game skills.
