Horses for Courses: Maui movers and shakers include Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele

The 2024 PGA TOUR season opens its doors this week at The Sentry on the island of Maui in Hawaii.

Formerly the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the field of 59 players, the largest in history, consists of winners from 2023 and any players who advanced to the BMW Championship last August.

Designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, the Plantation Course at Kapalua hosts for the 26th consecutive season. Winding 7,596 yards up and down the mountain overlooking the Pacific, the par-73 layout provides only three par-3 holes while maintaining four par-5 challenges.

The generous landing areas off the tee are framed by over two-and-a-half inches of Celebration Bermuda rough. TifEagle greens, averaging 8,722 square feet, are the largest on TOUR.

The resort course has been turned over the last three years as perfect weather has contributed to perfect scoring conditions. Both the tournament (-34, 258) and course record (62) were set over the last three editions.

The first of eight Signature Events in 2024, the field will have four rounds to knock off the holiday rust. There is no cut this week.

Here’s a look at this week’s Horses for Courses who could thrive this week amid the unique demands of Kapalua:

One of only three previous winners in the field, 2019 champion Xander Schauffele (+1400) is making his seventh appearance, tied for the most in the field this week. Over 21 rounds, he has posted 20 loops in red figures for a 68.86 scoring average. The limited-field specialist has posted three top-five paydays from six starts and just missed becoming the only player to defend his title, losing in a playoff in 2020.

Birdie or Better Percentage

Players listed are in the field this week; 2023 season stats.

*Denotes player making his first appearance at the event.

The largest greens on TOUR suggest most will hit them in regulation. The last two editions have seen the field hit 82 percent for the week! Schauffele is one of seven of the last eight winners who rank first or second in converting Greens in Regulation (GIR) into scoring chances. The only recent outlier is 2021 champion Harris English, who finished eighth in this category.

Jordan Spieth (+2500) exploded onto the scene in late 2013 and carried that momentum to Maui the following January. Posting solo second on debut, the prodigious talent returned two years later to claim the title, posting 30 under to win by EIGHT shots. The Texan hit the podium for the third time in three appearances (T3) before stretching his top-10 streak to four straight visits in 2018. After a three-year hiatus, he returned in 2022 (T21) and 2023 (T13) to add eight more rounds of red figure scoring to his totals. After 24 rounds, his scoring average is 68.29, second-best in the field for players with three or more visits.

Rounds in the 60s

Players listed are in the field this week; 2023 season stats.

*Denotes player making his first appearance at the event.

The Plantation Course scoring average over the last three seasons, in perfect weather, has been sub-70, three shots under par, playing the easiest on TOUR. Only once in the last nine years has the winning total been higher than 20-under. Any round at 70 or worse will need to be backed up by something low just to keep up with the front runners. It’s a different pressure.

Rickie Fowler (+3000) has visited Maui four times and has left with four paydays in the top 10. Returning for the first time since 2020, his worst finish is T6. Unlike some of the gaudy scoring numbers presented above, the noted wind player has produced during the tougher conditions at the event. With winds forecast to turn up in the afternoons later in the week, he could provide excellent balance to any lineup.

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Players listed are in the field this week; 2023 season stats.

*Denotes player making his first appearance at the event.

The last nine winners have ranked in the top nine in this category. Missing the massive fairways should come with a penalty, and the Celebration Bermuda rough over 2.5 inches will gobble up misjudged flights and runouts. Playing from the short grass and attacking pin placements are the first two steps in going low this week.

Collin Morikawa (+1200) has been in the mix on all four previous visits to Maui. With family ties on the island, this week just means more to the two-time major champion. Holding a six-shot lead after 54 holes last year, he posted 72 in the final round to finish T2. His four rounds prior, stretching to the final round of 2022, produced 72 holes at an incredible 35-under-par. In the last three editions, he is an aggregate 65-under-par, and his career scoring average is 68.06, the best in the field.

Strokes Gained: Putting

Players listed are in the field this week; 2023 season stats.

*Denotes player making his first appearance at the event.

The last three winners have led the field in this category and produced winning totals of 25-under or better. With the Stimpmeter running at 11 feet, judging the grain and slope of the Bermuda will push contenders up the leaderboard. Notes from previous seasons on the nuances of the putting surfaces should be an excellent foundation. Only one winner of the last eight has finished outside the top 10 in this category.

Oddsmaker’s Extras

Patrick Cantlay (+1400): Runs hot (solo fourth twice) and cool (T13 or worse three times), but if his every-other-year trend holds, he’s due again this week.

Tony Finau (+3000): Cashed T7 last year for his best payday, and second top-10 result, from four visits.

Jason Day (+4500): Making his first appearance since 2019, the Australian has never cashed outside the top 13 in five previous outings. Held the previous course record of 62.

Hideki Matsuyama (+4000): Like Spieth, his early days on Maui were his most productive, sans victory. The Japanese star cashed T3, second and T4 in his first three visits. His next three have resulted in one finish inside the top 20 (T13, 2022). If he’s healthy, this could be a risk resulting in a reward. If.

OWGR Top 25 (entered this week; not mentioned above)

The PGA TOUR is committed to protecting our fans. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, the National Council on Problem Gambling operates a confidential toll-free hotline that you can reach by phone or text at 1-800-522-4700.