A new PGA Tour campaign gets under way in Hawaii this week, and every golfer eager to start 2025 with a win will be relieved to see Scottie Scheffler’s parking spot unoccupied.
The world No 1, who won nine times in 2024, will miss the first two events of the new year, as he underwent minor surgery after slicing open his hand with a broken glass on Christmas Day.
That mishap throws The Sentry wide open, with double Major winner Xander Schauffele heading the betting at a best priced 7-1, and Justin Thomas – a two time winner here – next best at 11-1.
But The Sentry is an absolute birdie-fest where anyone can get hot – as David Kirk proved last year with his shock victory. So I’m reluctant to take a short price on the big names.
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The player who offers the best value is last year’s runner-up Sahith Theegala, a 28-1 shot. His final round 63 saw him finish just a shot behind Kirk, and showed he has worked out how to take the Maui course apart.
Theegala posted two more runner-up finishes in 2024 without winning. I cannot see him having another blank year in 2025, and it would be no surprise to see him get the monkey off his back at the first attempt.
Schauffele’s followers will point to his awesome record here as proof that his price is not THAT short. He won here in 2019, was beaten in a play-off as defending champion, and has racked up three more top five finishes.
But after landing the USPGA and The Open last year his focus is likely to be on more Majors, while a first Christmas with baby daughter Molly – born in November – might have distracted Justin Thomas from early season practice.
So my other big fancy this week is Collin Morikawa, at 12-1. He is another player I expect to make plenty of noise in 2025, and a third Major victory could easily come his way.
Morikawa also failed to register an official victory in 2024 – although he did shoot the lowest 72 hole score at the Tour Championship to climb back up to fourth in the world rankings.
Oh, and in five trips to Maui he has yet to finish worse than seventh. With some bookmakers offering eight places each way, what more could you ask?
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The Sentry is the first Signature event of 2025, and boasts an elite field of sixty starters, including 19 players making their tournament debuts.
Even though the Plantation Course is a wide open par 73, local experience is always useful. So the newcomers make little appeal – although Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre could come into his own at a best priced 45-1 if the wind picks up.
Ben An, fourth here last year and a winner in his native South Korea last time out, looks reasonably priced at 35-1. JT Poston was one place behind An a year ago, and can also be backed at 45-1.
And the pick of the outsiders could be the fast-improving Austin Eckroat at 70-1, and ‘old-stager’ Billy Horschel at 80s.
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