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Horses for Courses: Sentry Tournament of Champions
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January 04, 2022
By Mke Glasscott , PGATOUR.COM
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Cameron Smith is one to watch this week at The Plantation Course in Kapalua. (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Welcome back folks!
Nothing like easing into the New Year with views of humpback whales, rainbows, mountains and the Plantation Course at Kapalua. As is the tradition on the PGATOUR to start the new calendar year, the winners-only Sentry Tournament of Champions will open the batting. Beginning a run that will take us all the way to the TOUR Championship, it's time to knock the rust off and bunker in for the second part of the 2021-2022 season.
All who are eligible minus Rory McIlroy means 39 players will tee it up this week at the Coore-Crenshaw design on Maui. The Plantation Course will host all four rounds (no cut) as it has since 1999 but this will be the third edition after the 2019 post-tournament renovation. The last two years have seen both extremes at Kapalua. The 2020 edition was hit with severe winds and rains and posted the second-highest winning total. Last year, the weather was non-existent and the scoring was the second lowest on record on Maui.
The Plantation Course is defended by the wind and its routing up and down the coastal terrain. The fairways are the widest on TOUR (almost 45 yards on average) and the TifEagle Bermuda greens the biggest targets to hit (over 8,000 square feet on average). There will be wind that blows but the good news is there will be ample room to move it and recovers. Errant shots will find almost three inches of Celebration Bermuda, which will make recovery and scrambling shots challenging to get close.
Playing at Par-73 at 7,596 yards, the Plantation Course has 93 bunkers and zero water penalty areas but has plenty of canyons, ravines and trouble if shots are errant. There are only three Par-3 holes but each of the last five winners have finished in the top eight in scoring on these short holes. With massive fairways and massive greens, those gaining the most shots into and on the greens will factor this week. Of the last 17 winners 14 have been in the top seven in Strokes-Gained: Approach. Remembering this is a resort course (and Par-73) scores should be in the low 20-under range as usual if the weather cooperates so it's not a week to grind out pars. Birdies will need to be circled and circled frequently!
Combining the wind and elevation changes minus the use of personal green books (new rule in 2022) suggests that the experienced, elite talent should rule the roost this week. Harris English, the 11th consecutive American to win, returns to try and join Geoff Ogilvy and Stuart Appleby as the only players to defend the title. 2020 and 2017 winner Justin Thomas is the only multiple winner in the field this year. Xander Schauffele was the last to set the course record, 62, in his final round come-from-behind victory in 2019. His gold medal in Tokyo punched his ticket into the field this week.
The prize purse gets a very nice bump to $8.2 million this season with the winner taking home $1.476 million plus 500 FedExCup points to start the New Year in style.
Recent Event Winners Stats
Year 2021 2020 2019 Winner Harris English Justin Thomas Xander Schauffele Score 25-under 14-under 23-under MOV Playoff 3-man playoff 1 Age 31 26 25 All Drives 21 8 11 Accuracy T14 T19 T15 GIR T3 3 T5 Ball-Striking 5 T3 6 Proximity 23 2 23 Putting: Birdie or Better % 8 2 1 SG: Off-the-Tee 8 6 5 SG: Approach-the-Green 12 2 4 SG: Around-the-Green 25 8 5 SG: Putting 1 13 3 SG: Tee-to-Green 13 2 3 Scrambling T17 32 8 Bogey Avoidance T2 T13 3 Par-3 Scoring T3 1 2 Par-4 Scoring T12 T7 2 Par-5 Scoring 5 T7 T6 Recent Winners
2021 - Harris English (-25, 267)
Birdied the first playoff hole to win for the third time on TOUR in his 250th start. ... Played in the final group on 21-under, setting the 54-hole low total. ... Led by two after 36 holes. ... T-1 after 18 holes (Thomas) after opening with 65. ... Became the EIGHTH consecutive winner inside the top five after 54 holes. ... Made only ONE BOGEY thru 54 holes. ... Circled 26 birdies and one eagle. ... Led the field in Strokes-Gained: Putting. ... Won in his second attempt (T11) at age 31. ... First win since Mayakoba in 2013. ... Qualified for the event from the 2020 TOUR Championship (COVID-19 exception). ... Entered the week on back-to-back Top 10 finishes and four from his last six starts.
Notables in the field this week:
2020 and 2017 champ Justin Thomas (3rd) posted his FOURTH podium finish in just six starts. ... Debutant Sungjae Im (T5) had no problem acclimating as he posted all four rounds in the 60s as he led the field in SG: Tee-to-Green. ... 2019 winner Xander Schauffele (T5) collected his third straight top five here. ... Bryson DeChambeau (T7) led the field in SG: Off-the-Tee and Bogey Avoidance (2 bogeys). ... Collin Morikawa (T7) posted a pair of 65s and has T7 in back-to-back seasons. ... Jon Rahm (T7) picked up his fourth Top 10 paycheck in four starts. ... Daniel Berger (10th) was second in Ball-Striking and GIR. ... 34 of 42 players were 10-under or better. ... 34 bogey-free rounds. ... Scoring average 69.315, easiest on TOUR last season. ... Second-easiest Sentry on record (2003).
2020 - Justin Thomas (14-under, 278)
Birdied third playoff hole to win for the 12th time on TOUR in his 141st start. ... Began the final round in the last group one back. ... Sat three back after 36 holes. ... One behind after opening with 67. ... Led the field in Par-3 scoring and continued the trend of the winner being in the top seven the last five years. ... 24 birdies led the field. ... Becomes only the fourth multiple champion (2017) since the event moved to Kapalua in 1999. ... Third podium in five attempts at age 26. ... Won twice and added three top 10 paydays in six events leading into the event.
Notables in the field this week:
2015 champ Patrick Reed (P2) posted two of the three lowest rounds of the week (66) to make the playoff and ensure his third top two finish. ... 2019 winner Xander Schauffele (P2) led after 54 and 36 holes but could not repeat. ... Patrick Cantlay (4th) led the field in Proximity and was T4 GIR. ... Debutant Collin Morikawa (T7) hit the second most fairways with 55 of 60 and posted all four rounds under par. ... 2018 runner up Jon Rahm (10th) hit the top 10 in both Fairways and GIR. ... First edition after post 2019 renovation. ... Firm fairways and greens because of all new sod. ... Wind blew 20-30 MPH with gusts at 40. ... Lift, clean and replace the final 54 holes. ... Highest winning score since 2007. ... Just seven bogey free rounds. ... Only six players 10-under or better. ... 72.228 scoring average.
2019 - Xander Schauffele (23-under, 269)
Made 11 birdies on Sunday to win by one and claim his fourth victory in 61 career starts. ... Final round 62 tied the course record and was the lowest round of the week. ... Sat five off the lead after 54 and 36 holes. ... Was six back after 18 holes. ... Largest final round comeback in history (5 shots). ... Finished T5 or better in EVERY Strokes-Gained category. ... Made 24 birdies, second to Thomas. ... Played his final 54 holes 22-under. ... Won on his second attempt after T22 in 2018 at age 24. ... Won WGC-HSBC Champions in November and T8 at Hero in December leading in.
Notables in the field this week:
2017 winner Justin Thomas (3rd) led the field in birdies with 25 as he was second in Fairways and fourth GIR. ... Marc Leishman (T4) backed up his T7 from 2018 even with a triple and a double on the card. ... Bryson DeChambeau (7th) was T3 in Distance of Putts made. ... Jon Rahm (T8) followed his solo second in 2018 with another top 10. ... Cameron Champ (T11) circled 22 birdies. ... Final event before the massive Coore-Crenshaw renovation. ... Scoring average 70.924. ... 12 bogey free rounds. ... 15 players 10-under or better.
Key stat leaders
Top golfers in each statistic on the 2020-2021 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week.
Strokes-Gained: Approach the Green Rank Player 1 Collin Morikawa 3 Justin Thomas 5 Daniel Berger 8 Jon Rahm 14 Xander Schauffele 15 Viktor Hovland 17 Hideki Matsuyama 23 Abraham Ancer 24 Patrick Cantlay 25 Brooks Koepka 28 Tony Finau 30 Sam Burns 32 Talor Gooch 34 Stewart Cink 38 Seamus Power 40 Max Homa 41 Jordan Spieth Putting: Birdie or Better Percentage Player 1 Cameron Smith 2 Bryson DeChambeau 4 Jordan Spieth 5 Justin Thomas 6 Harris English 7 Sam Burns 8 Patrick Reed 9 Cam Davis 13 Jon Rahm 13 Xander Schauffele 15 Brooks Koepka 22 Jason Kokrak 24 Viktor Hovland 25 Max Homa 27 Tony Finau 28 Patrick Cantlay 33 Hideki Matsuyama 34 Abraham Ancer 35 Daniel Berger 39 Erik van Rooyen Par-3 Scoring Rank Player 1 Jon Rahm 1 Stewart Cink 4 Daniel Berger 6 Cameron Smith 6 Jason Kokrak 14 Abraham Ancer 17 Harris English 17 Tony Finau 22 Justin Thomas 22 Sungjae Im 33 Xander Schauffele 33 Bryson DeChambeau 33 Collin Morikawa 33 Marc Leishman Horses for Courses: Sentry Tournament of Champions
Top Money Leaders (Starts) Top 10's Most Recent Top Finish Notes Stroke Avg Justin Thomas (6) 4 3 (2021) 2020 and 2017 winner; 3rd 2019; 14 of 24 in 60s 69.13 Patrick Reed (7) 4 P2 (2020) 2015 winner; 2nd 2016 69.46 Jordan Spieth (4) 4 9 (2018) 2016 winner in 2nd visit; 2nd on debut; T3 2017; 11 of 16 in 60s 68.25 Xander Schauffele (4) 3 T5 (2021) 2019 winner closed with 62 to tie course record; P2 2020 69.16 Jon Rahm (4) 4 T7 (2021) 10th, T8 and 2nd the previous 3 years; 5th straight appearance 69.44 Hideki Matsuyama (4) 3 T4 (2018) T3 on debut 2015; 2nd 2017; 5 rounds of 66 69.44 Marc Leishman (4) 2 T4 (2019) T7 2018; 12 of 15 in the red 70.33 Harris English (2) 1 Win (2021) T11 2014; 37-under total in 8 rounds 68.38 Fresher Faces Sungjae Im (1) 1 T5 (2021) All 4 rounds in the 60s; worst round 69; 24 birdies, 1 eagle, 5 bogeys 67.75 Bryson DeChambeau (3) 2 T7 (2021) 7th 2020; T26 2018; 10 straight in the red; All 12 Par or better 69.92 Collin Morikawa (2) 2 T7 (2021) T7 2020; 29-under combined; 65 twice last year 69.38 Patrick Cantlay (3) 1 4th (2020) Only 5 Rounds in the 60s; 67 best 69.92 Daniel Berger (3) 1 10th (2021) T14 on debut, T11 next visit #Trending; 11 of 12 rounds red 69.58 Brooks Koepka (3) 1 T3 (2016) Best is debut; Wrist problem 2018; 63 on debut as well 72.00 Cameron Champ (3) 0 T11 (2019) Only 4 Rounds in the 60s; 4th consecutive appearance 70.75 Si Woo Kim (2) 1 10th (2018) T30 debut 2017; 6 of 8 in the red 71.63 Tony Finau (2) 1 T9 (2017) 7 of 8 in the red; T31 last year 69.88 Cameron Smith (2) 0 T17 (2018) T24 last year; only 2 rounds in the 60s 70.25 Abraham Ancer (1) 0 T17 (2021) Last 2 rounds best (69-66); 23 birdies 5 bogeys 1 double 69.00 Max Homa (1) 0 T25 (2020) 71 best round 73.00 Branden Grace (1) 0 31 (2017) Played 4 rounds 1-over 73.25 Viktor Hovland (1) 0 T31 (2021) Closed with 76 70.25 Jason Kokrak (1) 0 T35 (2021) 66 Round 2, 76 Round 4 70.75 Veterans Matt Jones (1) 0 T11 (2015) All 4 rounds in the red; 22 birdies 69.50 Lucas Glover (2) 1 6th (2006) Top 10 on debut; T14 last visit 2010 71.13 Phil Mickelson (2) 0 T22 (1999) T28 2000 only two appearances; 0 rounds in the 60s 72.50 Kevin Na (3) 0 T12 (2012) Debut is best; T38, T32 last 2 years 72.42 Kevin Kisner (4) 1 9 (2016) Debut is best; 15 of 16 in red 70.38 Billy Horschel (5) 1 T6 (2014) Best was debut; Only 4 of 20 rounds in the 60s 70.50 Stewart Cink (5) 2 9th (2010) T31 in return last year; 74 in the breeze Rd 4 2021 69.79 First Appearance Sam Burns Joel Dahmen Cam Davis Talor Gooch Lucas Herbert Garrick Higgo KH Lee Seamus Power Erik van Rooyen -
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